Understanding English Slang: 100 Examples of Slang Words and Expressions

What is Slang?

Slang is informal language often used by specific groups of people. It can be playful, humorous, or even rebellious. Slang evolves quickly, with new terms emerging regularly, while older terms may fall out of use.

English slang is a dynamic and ever-evolving aspect of the language. It's a form of informal communication that reflects cultural trends, social behaviours, and the creative use of language. In this article, we will explore 100 examples of slang words and expressions, including abbreviations commonly used in text messaging.

Examples of English Slang Words and Expressions

General Slang

1. Cool - Awesome, impressive.
   • Sentence: "That concert was so cool!"
   • Meaning: The concert was very impressive.
2. Lit - Exciting, fun, or excellent.
   • Sentence: "Last night's party was lit!"
   • Meaning: The party was very exciting and fun.
3. Bae - A term of endearment, short for "before anyone else."
   • Sentence: "I'm going out with my bae tonight."
   • Meaning: I'm going out with my significant other tonight.
4. Fam - Close friends or family.
   • Sentence: "I'm spending the weekend with my fam."
   • Meaning: I'm spending the weekend with my close friends or family.
5. Goat - Greatest of all time.
   • Sentence: "Michael Jordan is the goat of basketball."
   • Meaning: Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
6. Salty - Bitter, angry, or upset.
   • Sentence: "He's just salty because he lost the game."
   • Meaning: He's bitter and upset because he lost the game.
7. Shade - Disrespect or criticism.
   • Sentence: "She threw shade at him during the meeting."
   • Meaning: She subtly criticized him during the meeting.
8. Flex - To show off.
   • Sentence: "He's always flexing his new car."
   • Meaning: He's always showing off his new car.
9. Ghost - To suddenly cut off communication.
   • Sentence: "She ghosted me after our third date."
   • Meaning: She suddenly stopped communicating with me after our third date.
10. Stan - An overzealous fan.
    • Sentence: "I've been a stan of this band since their first album."
    • Meaning: I've been an extremely enthusiastic fan of this band since their first album.
11. Tea - Gossip or news.
    • Sentence: "Spill the tea! What happened at the party?"
    • Meaning: Share the gossip or news! What happened at the party?
12. Woke - Being aware of social issues.
    • Sentence: "He's really woke about environmental issues."
    • Meaning: He's very aware and informed about environmental issues.
13. Savage - Bold or unrestrained.
    • Sentence: "Her comeback was savage."
    • Meaning: Her response was bold and unrestrained.
14. Slay - To do something exceptionally well.
    • Sentence: "You totally slayed that presentation!"
    • Meaning: You did that presentation exceptionally well.
15. Low-key - Subtly or secretly.
    • Sentence: "I'm low-key excited about the trip."
    • Meaning: I'm subtly or secretly excited about the trip.
16. High-key - Openly or obviously.
    • Sentence: "I'm high-key loving this new song."
    • Meaning: I'm openly and obviously loving this new song.
17. Extra - Over-the-top or excessive.
    • Sentence: "Her reaction was so extra."
    • Meaning: Her reaction was over-the-top and excessive.
18. Mood - A relatable feeling or experience.
    • Sentence: "Staying in bed all day is a mood."
    • Meaning: Staying in bed all day is a very relatable feeling or experience.
19. Gucci - Good or cool.
    • Sentence: "Everything's Gucci here."
    • Meaning: Everything is good or cool here.
20. JOMO - Joy of missing out.
    • Sentence: "I'm having some serious JOMO about not going to the party."
    • Meaning: I'm actually happy and content about not going to the party.

Regional Slang

21. Y'all (Southern US) - You all.
    • Sentence: "How are y'all doing today?"
    • Meaning: How are all of you doing today?
22. Chuffed (UK) - Very pleased.
    • Sentence: "I'm chuffed to bits with my new job."
    • Meaning: I'm very pleased with my new job.
23. Cuppa (UK) - A cup of tea.
    • Sentence: "Fancy a cuppa?"
    • Meaning: Would you like a cup of tea?
24. Arvo (Australia) - Afternoon.
    • Sentence: "Let's meet this arvo."
    • Meaning: Let's meet this afternoon.
25. Bogan (Australia) - An unsophisticated person.
    • Sentence: "He's such a bogan."
    • Meaning: He's an unsophisticated or uncultured person.
26. Munted (New Zealand) - Extremely drunk or damaged.
    • Sentence: "He got totally munted last night."
    • Meaning: He got extremely drunk last night.
27. Keen (Australia/New Zealand) - Eager or enthusiastic.
    • Sentence: "I'm keen to start the project."
    • Meaning: I'm eager and enthusiastic to start the project.
28. Hoser (Canada) - A clumsy or unsophisticated person.
    • Sentence: "Don't be such a hoser."
    • Meaning: Don't be so clumsy or unsophisticated.
29. Eh (Canada) - Used for emphasis or to confirm something.
    • Sentence: "Nice weather, eh?"
    • Meaning: Nice weather, right?
30. Bants (UK) - Banter, playful conversation.
    • Sentence: "We had some great bants at the pub."
    • Meaning: We had some great playful conversation at the pub.

Pop Culture Slang

31. YOLO - You only live once.
    • Sentence: "Just do it, YOLO!"
    • Meaning: Just do it, you only live once!
32. FOMO - Fear of missing out.
    • Sentence: "I went to the party because of FOMO."
    • Meaning: I went to the party because I was afraid of missing out.
33. TBT - Throwback Thursday.
    • Sentence: "Here's a TBT to our vacation last year."
    • Meaning: Here's a photo from our vacation last year, shared on a Thursday for nostalgia.
34. Squad - A group of friends.
    • Sentence: "Going out with the squad tonight."
    • Meaning: Going out with my group of friends tonight.
35. BFF - Best friends forever.
    • Sentence: "She's my BFF."
    • Meaning: She's my best friend forever.
36. Throw Shade - To give a subtle insult.
    • Sentence: "She threw shade at her ex in that post."
    • Meaning: She subtly insulted her ex in that social media post.
37. Cringe - Embarrassing or awkward.
    • Sentence: "That joke was so cringe."
    • Meaning: That joke was very embarrassing or awkward.
38. Ship - To support a romantic relationship.
    • Sentence: "I totally ship them together."
    • Meaning: I completely support them as a couple.
39. OTP - One true pairing (favorite romantic couple).
    • Sentence: "They're my OTP in that show."
    • Meaning: They are my favorite romantic couple in that show.
40. Vibe - The mood or atmosphere.
    • Sentence: "This place has a great vibe."
    • Meaning: This place has a great mood or atmosphere.

Slang for Money

41. Bread - Money.
    • Sentence: "I need to make some bread."
    • Meaning: I need to make some money.
42. Bucks - Dollars.
    • Sentence: "This shirt costs 20 bucks."
    • Meaning: This shirt costs 20 dollars.
43. Cheddar - Money.
    • Sentence: "He's making some serious cheddar at his new job."
    • Meaning: He's making a lot of money at his new job.
44. Dough - Money.
    • Sentence: "She spent all her dough on that car."
    • Meaning: She spent all her money on that car.
45. Benjamins - $100 bills (from Benjamin Franklin's image on the bill).
    • Sentence: "All about the Benjamins."
    • Meaning: All about the $100 bills/money.
46. Stacks - Large amounts of money.
    • Sentence: "He has stacks of cash."
    • Meaning: He has large amounts of money.
47. Green - Money.
    • Sentence: "I need some green for the weekend."
    • Meaning: I need some money for the weekend.

Internet and Text Messaging Slang

48. LOL - Laugh out loud.
    • Sentence: "That meme made me LOL."
    • Meaning: That meme made me laugh out loud.
49. BRB - Be right back.
    • Sentence: "Need to grab something, BRB."
    • Meaning: Need to grab something, be right back.
50. OMG - Oh my God.
    • Sentence: "OMG, I can't believe it!"
    • Meaning: Oh my God, I can't believe it!
51. TTYL - Talk to you later.
    • Sentence: "Gotta go, TTYL!"
    • Meaning: Gotta go, talk to you later!
52. IDK - I don't know.
    • Sentence: "IDK what to do."
    • Meaning: I don't know what to do.
53. TBH - To be honest.
    • Sentence: "TBH, I'm not sure about this."
    • Meaning: To be honest, I'm not sure about this.
54. SMH - Shaking my head.
    • Sentence: "SMH at that ridiculous comment."
    • Meaning: Shaking my head at that ridiculous comment.
55. BTW - By the way.
    • Sentence: "BTW, did you see the latest episode?"
    • Meaning: By the way, did you see the latest episode?
56. IRL - In real life.
    • Sentence: "We should meet IRL sometime."
    • Meaning: We should meet in real life sometime.
57. FML - F**k my life.
    • Sentence: "Missed my flight, FML."
    • Meaning: Missed my flight, f**k my life.
58. LMAO - Laughing my ass off.
    • Sentence: "That joke had me LMAO."
    • Meaning: That joke had me laughing my ass off.
59. ROFL - Rolling on the floor laughing.
    • Sentence: "ROFL at that video!"
    • Meaning: Rolling on the floor laughing at that video.
60. ICYMI - In case you missed it.
    • Sentence: "ICYMI, here's the link to the news."
    • Meaning: In case you missed it, here's the link to the news.
61. NSFW - Not safe for work.
    • Sentence: "This video is NSFW."
    • Meaning: This video is not safe for work (contains inappropriate content).
62. BFFL - Best friends for life.
    • Sentence: "She's my BFFL."
    • Meaning: She's my best friend for life.
63. NBD - No big deal.
    • Sentence: "It's NBD if you're late."
    • Meaning: It's no big deal if you're late.
64. FTW - For the win.
    • Sentence: "Pizza for dinner, FTW!"
    • Meaning: Pizza for dinner, for the win!
65. TL;DR - Too long; didn't read.
    • Sentence: "TL;DR, the movie was awesome."
    • Meaning: Too long; didn't read, the movie was awesome.
66. WYD - What are you doing?
    • Sentence: "Hey, WYD?"
    • Meaning: Hey, what are you doing?
67. JK - Just kidding.
    • Sentence: "You look tired... JK!"
    • Meaning: You look tired... just kidding!
68. AFK - Away from keyboard.
    • Sentence: "BRB, AFK for a bit."
    • Meaning: Be right back, away from the keyboard for a bit.
69. IMO - In my opinion.
    • Sentence: "IMO, that's the best option."
    • Meaning: In my opinion, that's the best option.
70. DM - Direct message.
    • Sentence: "DM me your contact info."
    • Meaning: Direct message me your contact info.

Slang for Relationships and Dating

71. Boo - A term of endearment for a significant other.
    • Sentence: "I'm going to dinner with my boo."
    • Meaning: I'm going to dinner with my significant other.
72. Crush - Someone you have romantic feelings for.
    • Sentence: "I have a crush on my coworker."
    • Meaning: I have romantic feelings for my coworker.
73. Benching - Keeping someone as an option while not committing.
    • Sentence: "I think he's benching me."
    • Meaning: I think he's keeping me as an option without committing.
74. Cuffing Season - The time of year when people look for a serious relationship.
    • Sentence: "It's cuffing season, time to find a partner."
    • Meaning: It's the time of year when people look for a serious relationship.
75. Ghosting - Suddenly stopping all communication.
    • Sentence: "She ghosted me after our third date."
    • Meaning: She suddenly stopped communicating with me after our third date.
76. Breadcrumbing - Sending intermittent messages to keep someone interested.
    • Sentence: "He's breadcrumbing her with random texts."
    • Meaning: He's sending intermittent messages to keep her interested without committing.
77. Catfishing - Pretending to be someone else online.
    • Sentence: "She realized she was being catfished."
    • Meaning: She realized the person she was communicating with was pretending to be someone else.
78. Swipe Right - To show interest in someone on a dating app.
    • Sentence: "I swiped right on his Prole."
    • Meaning: I showed interest in his Prole on the dating app.

Slang for Food and Drinks

79. Hangry - Angry due to hunger.
    • Sentence: "I'm so hangry right now, I need food."
    • Meaning: I'm so angry due to hunger right now, I need food.
80. Guac - Guacamole.
    • Sentence: "Can I get extra guac on my burrito?"
    • Meaning: Can I get extra guacamole on my burrito?
81. Bougie - Luxurious or fancy.
    • Sentence: "She's so bougie with her designer clothes."
    • Meaning: She's so luxurious and fancy with her designer clothes.
82. Nom - Delicious food.
    • Sentence: "This pizza is nom!"
    • Meaning: This pizza is delicious!
83. Booze - Alcohol.
    • Sentence: "Let's get some booze for the party."
    • Meaning: Let's get some alcohol for the party.
84. Hops - Beer.
    • Sentence: "He brews his own hops."
    • Meaning: He brews his own beer.
85. Brewski - Beer.
    • Sentence: "Grab me a brewski from the fridge."
    • Meaning: Grab me a beer from the fridge.
86. Chow - Food.
    • Sentence: "Let's get some chow before the movie."
    • Meaning: Let's get some food before the movie.

Slang for Work and School

87. Nine-to-Five - A standard workday.
    • Sentence: "I work a nine-to-five job."
    • Meaning: I work a standard workday job.
88. Gig - A job or task.
    • Sentence: "I've got a new gig starting next week."
    • Meaning: I've got a new job or task starting next week.
89. Burnout - Extreme exhaustion from work.
    • Sentence: "I'm feeling burnout from all this overtime."
    • Meaning: I'm feeling extreme exhaustion from all this overtime work.
90. Crushing It - Doing exceptionally well.
    • Sentence: "You're crushing it at your new job!"
    • Meaning: You're doing exceptionally well at your new job!
91. Grind - Hard work.
    • Sentence: "Back to the grind tomorrow."
    • Meaning: Back to hard work tomorrow.
92. Side Hustle - A secondary job.
    • Sentence: "She has a side hustle selling crafts online."
    • Meaning: She has a secondary job selling crafts online.
93. Junkie - Someone addicted to something (e.g., work junkie).
    • Sentence: "He's a fitness junkie."
    • Meaning: He's someone addicted to fitness.
94. PTO - Paid time off.
    • Sentence: "I'm taking some PTO next week."
    • Meaning: I'm taking some paid time off next week.

Slang for Emotions and Feelings

95. Feels - Strong emotions.
    • Sentence: "That movie gave me all the feels."
    • Meaning: That movie gave me strong emotions.
96. Down - Feeling sad or depressed.
    • Sentence: "I'm feeling down today."
    • Meaning: I'm feeling sad or depressed today.
97. Pumped - Very excited.
    • Sentence: "I'm pumped for the concert tonight!"
    • Meaning: I'm very excited for the concert tonight.
98. Chill - Relaxed or easy-going.
    • Sentence: "Just having a chill day at home."
    • Meaning: Just having a relaxed and easy-going day at home.
99. Buzzing - Excited or happy.
    • Sentence: "I'm buzzing about the news!"
    • Meaning: I'm very excited or happy about the news.
100. Vexed - Annoyed or frustrated.

- Sentence: "I'm vexed by this problem."

- Meaning: I'm annoyed or frustrated by this problem.

Conclusion. TEFL and TESOL Certificate.

Slang adds color and personality to language, making conversations more engaging and expressive. Understanding and using slang appropriately can help you connect better with native speakers and navigate social interactions more effectively. However, it's essential to be mindful of the context and audience when using slang, as it can sometimes be misunderstood or deemed inappropriate in formal settings. To excel as an English teacher and effectively teach modern English, obtaining a TEFL or TESOL certificate is essential. This certification provides the necessary skills and knowledge to teach English in a way that is relevant and effective for today's learners.