If you have read through some of your teen’s messages or overheard them speaking with their friends, you may have felt lost in deciphering what they were discussing. Teen slang has been around for generations yet is constantly evolving and changing. Due to social media and the digital age we live in, teen slang changes quicker than ever, making it difficult for parents to keep up.
Adults use abbreviations like LOL (laughing out loud) and emojis to add context to our digital messages. However, teens use these techniques to hide what they are discussing. Teen slang is their method of keeping conversations private from adults in their lives. This article has compiled some essential teen slang terms parents must watch out for in their teen’s messages. We also have a regularly updated Teen Slang Glossary on our website to serve as a reference whenever you need it.
While communicating with slang can be fun and a way for teens to fit in with their peers, they often use abbreviations, emojis, and slang to mask inappropriate conversations from adults. Learning to speak and understand all of the teen slang can seem a daunting task. MMGuardian can help by monitoring your child’s messages and social media accounts. Our programs can alert you to any inappropriate, violent, or sexual content (even if they are using slang!) so you can ensure your child is protected from these threats.
Teen Slang Every Parent Should Know:
- AF – As f**k
- AFAIK – As far as I know
- A mood – A relatable feeling or situation (often shortened to the single word, “mood”)
- ASL — Age/sex/location
- Ate that – Means you successfully did something; you pulled it off. Example: “I saw your tiktok, you totally ate that song.”
- Aura points – A term used to determine how cool, or not, you are.
- Avocado – conveys that a person is “basic”, lives a healthy lifestyle, or is the better half in a relationship.
- Bae – Significant other or crush
- Basic – Someone who is viewed as boring or a conforming person
- Beige flag – A quality or characteristic of a significant other that is weird or off-putting, but not enough to reject them.
- BEE – a term used to describe someone as a good friend.
- Bet – A response indicating agreement. Example: “Want to get lunch?” “Bet.”
- Beta – Someone weak or soft, opposite of an “alpha” or “sigma” type.
- Bestie—“Best friend”; it can also be used as a formal address to a stranger.
- Bih – Short form of b*tch
- Body count – The number of people someone has slept with
- Boujee – refers to people who enjoy their riches, a materialistic person.
- Bruh – “Bro”; can be used to address anybody
- BTS – A Korean boy band popular with tweens and teens
- Bussin’ – Awesome. Example: These chips are bussin’.
- Cake – Used to describe a large bottom
- Canon event – A moment in development that will help shape your life or personality.
- Cappin’ – Lying
- CEO of [something] – To be a representative of some activity or thing. Example: “Tyler is the CEO of oversleeping.”
- Cooked or Cooking – To do well at something. Example: “I cooked up on my science test.”
- Cursed – Used to describe something (usually an online image) that is unsettling or creepy
- Crash out – Describes an overreaction or tantrum because of something small. Instead of saying “I’m about to lose it“, you might say “I’m about to crash out.” See also: “D1 crash out”
- Cringe – Causing feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness
- D1 crash out – Describes a more intense, certifiable crash out.
- Daddy – An attractive man, usually older, who conveys a sense of power and dominance
- Dank conveys the quality of excellence or refers to weird or edgy memes.
- Ded – Used when something is really funny or embarrassing. Example: That reel has me ded!
- Delulu – Short for “delusional” and used when someone has unrealistic ideas about something
- Demure – While the word itself means modest or shy, the internet has turned it into a trendy aesthetic or lifestyle. In this instance, “demure” refers to a modest or reserved girl who doesn’t wear too much makeup to work, for example.
- Dope – A way to describe something as cool or awesome
- Drip – Style, great fashion sense, flashy accessories
- DTF – Down to f*ck
- Egirl / Eboy – A young person with emo-inspired, punk-rock style
- EMO – used to describe someone who listens to emo-music, typically dresses in black and has black hair. “Emo” is associated with kids who suffer from depression, self-harm and suicide.
- Facts – An emphatic way to acknowledge the truth of someone’s statement
- Fam – Friends
- FBOI – F**k boy; a guy just looking for sex
- FINSTA – Fake Instagram account
- FOMO – Fear of missing out
- Fire – Amazing
- Flex – showing off or exaggerating accomplishments.
- FWB – Friends with benefits
- Gas – Can refer to marijuana, be used to describe something that’s cool, or be used as a verb to mean “hype someone up”
- Ghosted – Ending a relationship by completely disappearing with no further communication
- Glaze – to talk positively about someone.
- Geeked – excited, happy, fired up.
- Goals – Something you want or aspire to
- GOAT – Greatest of all time
- GTG – Got to go
- GYAT – Shortened term for “godd**n” used to express approval or excitement, particularly when one notices a large bottom on a person.
- High key – 1. Very interested in 2. Actively spreading information
- Hits different — When something is better than it normally is because of different circumstances. Example: “A cold drink just hits different at the end of the day.”
- HTH – Hope this helps.
- Ick or Ick Factor – The feeling you get when your attraction to someone is suddenly flipped to a feeling of disgust.
- ISO – In search of
- IYKYK – “If you know you know”; meant to imply that there’s an inside joke
- Juul – Type of e-cigarette that is small and discreet; ‘pods’ are used for smoking
- Karen – Used to refer to an entitled mom
- KMS – Kill myself
- KYS – Kill yourself
- Left no crumbs – A phrase that means you did something perfectly.
- Light work – something done easily.
- Lit/Turnt/Turnt Up – Something that’s active or popular, can also refer to being stoned or drunk
- LMP – 1. A term that means “like my pic” or 2. Sometimes stands for “lick my p***y”
- Lock in – To be focused and determined to achieve a goal.
- Low key – 1. Somewhat interested in 2. Keeping information secret
- Low Taper Fade – popular hairstyle for boys, also a popular meme.
- Meal – Someone who looks good enough to eat. See also: “Snack” or “snacc”
- Mewing – Making your jawline more defined by putting your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
- Mid – Insult meaning “low quality” or “average.” Derives from “mid-tier”— not awful, but not great. Example: “The new movie was mid.”
- Molly – refers to the pure, crystalline powder form of the popular party drug MDMA.
- No cap – Used to indicate that someone is not lying
- OFC – Short for “of course”
- OG – stands for “Original Gangster.” Slang term used to describe an extraordinary person.
- Ohio – Used to describe someone or something weird, bad, or cringe. You’ll also see it alongside “skibidi” and “rizz”.
- OK, Boomer – Calling out an idea that is outdated or resistant to change
- Opp – Short for “opponent”; a term for one’s enemies.
- Plug – Term used to refer to someone who can “connect” you with drugs; a drug dealer.
- Pookie – A term of endearment or nickname that you call your best friend or significant other. It is also used to describe something cute/adorable.
- Preppy – refers to a particular aesthetic involving girly, bright-colored clothes and popular name brands.
- Rizz – Derived from “charisma.” Someone who has “game” when it comes to romantic pursuits. Example: “Brian has that rizz.”
- ROTFLMAO – Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off
- Salty – To be bitter or cranky about something
- Same – “I can relate”
- Shading – Where teens gossip about another party without naming them; also “throw shade” means to talk about someone
- Ship – Short for “relationship”; also used as a verb to indicate a desire to see two people together. Ex.: I ship Taylor and Jamie.
- Sigma – Someone who is independent but still strong. As opposed to the more dominant “Alpha” male type.
- Simp – Somebody who tries very hard and does a lot for their crush.
- Sis – Short for “sister” but can be used to address anybody; usually used to express that drama has occurred.
- Skeet – To ejaculate
- Skibidi – An adjective that can have multiple meanings such as “cool,” “dumb,” or “bad.” It originates from “Skibidi Toilet,” a popular YouTube video.
- Skibidi toilet—This surreal animated video features a singing toilet. It’s not supposed to make sense or any sense; it’s just a funny video popular with Gen Alpha.
- Slaps – Used to express that something is fantastic. Ex.: “This game slaps.”
- Smash – Means to have casual sex
- SMDH – Shaking my damn head
- SMH – “Shaking my head,” meaning “I don’t believe it” or “that’s stupid”
- Snack – Describes an attractive person
- Snatched – On point, very good, or well-styled
- Spam – A fake social media account
- Squad – Close friend group
- STFU – Short for “shut the f**k up,” can be used as an expression of disbelief or to cyberbully
- Sus – Short for “suspicious.” Popularized by the Among Us game.
- Sweat – refers to someone who tries hard at something or to impress others.
- TBH – To be honest
- Tea – Gossip or interesting news shared between friends
- Thicc – Having an attractive, curvy body
- TF – The f**k, as in “who TF are you?”
- Thirsty – Desperate for attention, usually sexual attention
- Thot – Stands for “that ho over there” and is often used instead of “slut”
- Trap phone – Also called a burner phone, this is an older, hand-me-down smartphone that kids trade or sell with each other. Kids who get their phones taken away by their parents may seek out a trap phone for easy internet access.
- Trash – Terrible or unacceptable
- V – “Very”
- Vibing – Chilling out, having a good time, or identifying with a certain kind of energy
- W in the chat – a “win” or something positive.
- WAP – Wet ass p*ssy
- Woke – Socially or politically conscious
- YAAS – A very strong yes
- YEET – 1. A very strong word for yes. 2. To throw something.
- Zaddy – An attractive man of any age
This list of 2025 Teen Slang is a great place to start when trying to understand your teen’s language. Add our Teen Slang Glossary to your bookmarks for reference. It is updated regularly to ensure parents stay informed. Download the MMGuardian app today or purchase one of our safe smartphones to monitor their messages and social media accounts.
Key Takeaways from this article:
- Adolescents use Teen Slang as a way to fit in with their peers but also as a way to hide discreet or inappropriate conversations from adults.
- Teen Slang evolves quickly and is often rooted in pop culture from social media.
- MMGuardian can monitor your teen’s messages and social media accounts for inappropriate, violent, and sexual content and alert you at the first sign of trouble.
