What do these Gen Z slang words mean? 24 popular terms explained
(WSYR-TV) — If you’ve been on TikTok, Instagram or X, you might have come across the terms “Rizz,” “Coquette” and “Pookie” and thought, “What does that even mean?”
On TikTok, a favorite among US teens, it’s not hard to encounter the slang.
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But which terms are people most confused by? Language education resource Anna Spanish recently dug through Google search data to find the most searched-for words.
The study found that “Pookie” is the most confusing Gen Z slang word, with 465,480 searches seeking its meaning.
“Though many languages exist, slang changes particularly fast. Every generation comes up with its own set of slang terms,” said Anna Latorra, founder of Anna Spanish. “Keeping up with the latest slang can be tough, however, [and even] more so with social media’s power to turn phrases into overnight sensations.”
Out of over 150 trending Gen Z slang words on Google, other top-searched terms are “Gyat” (264,500 searches), “Simp” (220,880), “Rizz” (201,000), and “NPC” (88,400).
Here’s a list of the most trending/confusing Gen-Z slang along with their meanings from Urban Dictionary.
How to speak Gen Z: Slang words explained
Word | Urban Dictionary meaning | Search volume |
Pookie | A nickname you call your best friend or someone you really love | 465,480 |
Gyat | Short term for “g–damn” | 264,500 |
Simp | It is when a man is overly submissive to a woman and gains nothing from it. Example: “Guys simp in her Instagram replies and she doesn’t even notice them.” | 220,880 |
Rizz | “Rizz” comes from the word “charisma.” In southern Baltimore they’ve started shortening it, using “rizzma” (the noun replacing “charisma”) and to “rizz” (the action of showing charisma) | 201,000 |
Coquette | “Coquette” is mainly an aesthetic based on reclaiming girlhood and embracing a fun-loving, bubbly personality | 157,900 |
Preppy | A “preppy” girl is a girl who wears the “preppy aesthetic” style, this includes wearing Roller Rabbit, Love Shack Fancy, Sassy Shortcake, American Eagle, etc. | 102,250 |
Yeet | To violently throw an object that you deem to be worthless, inferior or just plain garbage | 95,890 |
NPC | Short for non-playable character, it means the opposite of a main character. This person is usually a background character in your life that doesn’t have significant importance | 88,400 |
Moots | Short for “mutuals.” It’s when you follow someone on social media and they follow you back | 61,940 |
No cap/capping | The use of the phrase “no cap” is meant to convey authenticity and truth. Example: “No cap, ‘Barbie’ is the movie of the year.” | 56,420 |
Ick | Something someone does that is an instant turn-off for you, making you instantly hate the idea of being with them romantically. Example: “His cargo shorts gave me the ick.” | 50,100 |
GRWM | A “GRWM” video is a vlog where you film everything that you do in your morning, night, ECT routine. Acronym for “Get Ready With Me.” | 49,550 |
Delulu | A delusional fan girl/boy who believes they can/will end up with their favourite idol or celebrity and invest an unhealthy amount of time and energy into said idol | 49,500 |
Cheugy | The opposite of trendy | 42,870 |
Bussin | What you would say if something was really good | 34,720 |
Opps | Anyone in competition or against you. Enemies | 30,300 |
Sus | Giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest, short for suspicious | 22,570 |
PFP | Short for profile picture | 22,280 |
OOMF | Short for “one of my followers”, usually used on X and TikTok to talk about one of your followers without mentioning their name | 22,200 |
Beige flag | Something that’s neither good nor bad but makes you pause for a minute when you notice it and then you just continue on, something odd. Similar to “red flag” (a bad sign) and “green flag” (a good sign) | 18,100 |
Sheesh | A word used as a substitute to “Daaaamn!” | 10,160 |
OK Boomer | A slang term used as a response to someone from the Baby Boomer generation. Example: Boomer: “When I was your age I already owned a home.” Gen Z: “OK Boomer. Houses cost like $12,000 back then.” | 9,890 |
Heather | When someone says that you’re “Heather,” they mean that everybody can’t help but like you | 8,250 |
Mid | Used to insult or degrade something you don’t like, labeling it as average or poor quality. Example: “Personally, I thought ‘Barbie’ was mid.” | 8,210 |
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