Start with context
Check who is speaking, what they are responding to and whether the rest of the post is serious or playful.
Say what the internet means
Internet Slang
Plain-English definitions, context and examples for the shorthand that moves through feeds, chats and group messages.
Internet slang compresses a mood, judgment or shared reference into a few words. These entries explain both the literal definition and the social signal behind it, so you can recognize when a term is sincere, ironic or best left out of a formal conversation.
Browse the dictionary
Every slang term
01crash out
Crash Out
To lose control in anger or distress and act recklessly, often over a situation that is not worth the consequences.
02+1000 auraAura Points
An imaginary score for how cool, confident or charismatic someone appears in a particular moment.
03moggedMogging
Outclassing another person—especially in appearance, physique or camera presence—often used with an ironic edge.
04uncUnc
A shortened “uncle” used affectionately or respectfully for an older man—and online as a tease for someone who seems old or out of touch.
05BFFRBFFR
An abbreviation for “be f—ing for real,” used to challenge something unbelievable, dishonest or wildly unrealistic.
06PMOPMO
A context-dependent abbreviation that usually means either “pisses me off” or “put me on.”
07let him cookLet Him Cook
Give someone time and freedom to continue an idea or performance before judging the result.
08understood the assignmentUnderstood the Assignment
Praise for someone who grasped what a moment required and delivered exactly the right result—or went beyond it.
09litLit
Exciting, excellent, or in full swing — usually about an event.
10extraExtra
Doing too much — dramatic, over the top, trying visibly hard.
11basicBasic
Predictably mainstream — liking exactly what everyone else likes.
12bestieBestie
Best friend — and, increasingly, a way to address anyone at all.
13boujeeBoujee
Luxurious or upmarket — flashy wealth rather than quiet wealth.
14bussin'Bussin'
Extremely good — almost always about food.
15shookShook
Shaken — stunned, rattled or badly thrown by something.
16periodtPeriodt
End of discussion — the spelled-out full stop that closes an argument.
17wokeWoke
Originally alert to racial injustice; now also used as a criticism by opponents of that politics.
18living rent-free in my headRent-Free
Something you cannot stop thinking about, usually against your will.
19secure the bagSecure the Bag
Get the money, or lock in the win you were working toward.
20grindsetGrindset
A relentless work-focused mindset, referenced sincerely and mocked in equal measure.
21we ballWe Ball
Carrying on regardless — acceptance of a setback with no intention of stopping.
22totesTotes
Totally — an emphatic yes, now distinctly dated.
23crayCray
Crazy, clipped — wild, chaotic or out of hand.
24I'm deadDead
So funny that you are claiming, hyperbolically, not to have survived it.
25epicEpic
Impressively large or good — sincere in gaming, ironic almost everywhere else.
26legitLegit
Genuine, or as an adverb, actually — used to insist a claim is true.
27vanillaVanilla
Plain, standard or unmodified — occasionally dull, often just default.
28third wheelThird Wheel
The extra person present while two others are clearly a pair.
29you do youYou Do You
Carry on as you like — supportive, or a polite way of disengaging.
30zone outZone Out
Stop paying attention — drift off while still physically present.
31ditchDitch
Abandon a plan or a person, usually with little notice.
32ampedAmped
Energised and eager — excitement with a physical edge to it.
33TL;DRTL;DR
Too long; didn't read — either a complaint or a one-line summary.
34GRWMGRWM
Get ready with me — a video format built around a routine.
35OMGOMG
Oh my god — surprise, delight or dismay, depending on delivery.
36frFR
For real — agreement, or a question asking whether you are serious.
37ahhAhh / -Ahh
A spelling of “ass” used after a descriptor for emphasis or ridicule, as in “goofy ahh haircut.”
38IYKYKIYKYK
An abbreviation for “if you know, you know,” used when context is deliberately left unstated.
39no capNo Cap
A way to say “seriously” or “I’m not lying.”
40deluluDelulu
A playful shortening of “delusional,” usually aimed at hopeful self-belief.
41rizzRizz
Charm or skill at attracting romantic interest, especially through conversation.
42main character energyMain Character Energy
Moving through life as though you are the protagonist of the story.
43betBet
A one-word way to say “agreed,” “sure” or “I accept.”
44susSus
Short for “suspicious” — something or someone seems off.
45midMid
Mediocre — not bad, but nowhere near as good as claimed.
46slaySlay
To do something exceptionally well, especially with style.
47ateAte
Performed brilliantly — often extended to “ate and left no crumbs.”
48basedBased
Admirably willing to say what you think, regardless of who disagrees.
49cringeCringe
Second-hand embarrassment, or the thing causing it.
50lowkeyLowkey
Slightly, secretly, or more than you are fully admitting.
51saltySalty
Bitter or resentful, usually about losing something small.
52flexFlex
To show something off — money, skill, luck or status.
53ghostingGhosting
Ending contact with someone by silently disappearing.
54situationshipSituationship
A romantic connection that neither person has defined.
55the ickThe Ick
A sudden, irreversible turn-off toward someone you liked.
56soft launchSoft Launch
Hinting online that you are seeing someone, without showing who.
57touch grassTouch Grass
An instruction to go outside and regain perspective.
58ratioRatio
When a reply gets far more engagement than the post it answers.
59stanStan
An intensely devoted fan, or to be one.
60spill the teaSpill the Tea
To share gossip — “tea” being the information itself.
61throw shadeThrow Shade
To insult someone indirectly, with deniability built in.
62clapbackClapback
A sharp, well-aimed reply to criticism.
63receiptsReceipts
Screenshots or records that prove what someone said or did.
64vibe checkVibe Check
An informal read on someone’s mood, energy or trustworthiness.
65simpSimp
Someone seen as doing far too much for a person who is not reciprocating.
66goatedGoated
The greatest of all time — from the acronym GOAT.
67dripDrip
Stylish clothing, or style in general.
68brainrotBrainrot
Low-quality content consumed compulsively — and the dulled feeling it leaves.
69yappingYapping
Talking at length about very little.
70cookedCooked
Finished, doomed or completely worn out.
71lock inLock In
To focus completely and get the thing done.
72glazingGlazing
Praising someone so excessively that it becomes embarrassing.
73NPCNPC
Someone who seems to act on script rather than thought.
74canon eventCanon Event
A formative bad experience you are not supposed to prevent.
75it’s givingIt’s Giving
A way of naming the impression something creates.
76chronically onlineChronically Online
So immersed in internet discourse that offline proportion is lost.
77parasocialParasocial
A one-sided sense of closeness with someone who does not know you exist.
78rage baitRage Bait
Content engineered to make you angry enough to engage with it.
79doomscrollingDoomscrolling
Compulsively reading bad news you know is making you feel worse.
How to read this collection
Context is part of the definition
Read the whole example, not just the term. Platform, community and delivery can reverse the apparent meaning, especially when a phrase is used ironically.
Notice the register
Most slang belongs in casual speech. A familiar phrase can feel awkward in support, legal, academic or professional writing.
Let language move
Meanings shift as terms spread between communities. Treat each definition as a practical map, not a rule that overrides real usage.
Common questions
About internet slang
What counts as internet slang?
Internet slang is vocabulary that settles through online conversation rather than through dictionaries or formal writing: abbreviations such as IYKYK, ordinary words given a new job like cap, and short phrases that carry a whole attitude. What makes it slang is less the word than the speed at which the people using it agree on what it means.
Why does the same term mean different things to different people?
Terms travel between communities, and each one bends the meaning towards what it already talks about. Irony flips a definition entirely, and a phrase that started as praise can end up as a joke about the people who use it. Every entry here leads with the common reading and then notes where it shifts.
Where should I avoid internet slang?
Anywhere the reader cannot ask what you meant: support replies, documentation, medical or legal contexts, and messages that a stranger will read months later. Slang saves time only when both people already share the reference; otherwise the plain sentence is faster.