From Gen Z to Gen Alpha: The Evolution of Digital Slang

By Jason Stock - Apr 12, 2025

Slang serves as a generational marker, reflecting cultural shifts, technological advancements, and societal changes. From the Baby Boomers’ “groovy” to Gen X’s “rad,” Millennials’ “on fleek,” and Gen Z’s “lit,” language evolves alongside the world we live in. If you thought slang was evolving fast before, then buckle up – Gen Alpha is taking things to an entirely new level.

Gen Z and the Rise of Internet-Driven Slang

Before diving into Gen Alpha, let’s talk about Gen Z. This is the generation that helped bridge the gap between traditional slang and the hyper-digital language we see today.

Born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z grew up in the early days of social media. They witnessed the rise of Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, shaping a slang culture that blended meme humor, text shortcuts, and pop culture references. Some iconic Gen Z slang includes no cap (no lie), sus (suspicious), and stan (obsessive fan).

While Gen Z’s slang was heavily influenced by early internet culture, it still had a longer lifespan than Gen Alpha’s, which moves at lightning speed.

Gen Alpha: The Ultimate Digital Natives

Born from 2010 onwards, Gen Alpha has never known a world without smartphones or social media. Often called “screenagers,” they were raised in an environment where touchscreens, voice assistants, and personalized digital experiences are the norm. Unlike Millennials, who transitioned from analog to digital, or Gen Z, who grew up with early social media, Gen Alpha is fully immersed in a tech-driven world since birth.

Their communication style reflects this reality:

They favor images, emojis, and short videos over long text.
Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are their playgrounds.
They’re not just consuming content but creating it, using memes and viral trends to shape their conversations.

How Gen Alpha’s Slang is Different

Slang was always shaped by media. In the past, it came from movies, TV shows, and local social circles. Gen Alpha, however, picks up slang at unprecedented speeds thanks to the digital ecosystem they exist in. Instead of learning new words from friends at school, they’re getting them from TikTok trends, Twitch streamers, and YouTube memes.

Gen Z slang was heavily influenced by early 2000s internet culture (think Twitter and Vine).
Gen Alpha slang is faster, more chaotic, and more unpredictable, spreading through TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and gaming platforms.
Many of their words come from viral content (sometimes making zero sense to outsiders).

Where Does Gen Alpha Slang Come From?

The short answer? Everywhere. Social media is the main source, but their slang doesn’t just come from one place:

Gaming culture – Terms like aura points have crossed over into everyday language.
TikTok trends – Words can go viral one day and disappear the next (ex: bae – before anyone else).
YouTube & meme culture – Bizarre phrases such as skibidi toilet and fanum tax originate from viral videos with millions of views.
AAVE (African American Vernacular English) – Bet and finna have deep cultural roots and were repurposed by Gen Alpha.

How Fast Does Gen Alpha Slang Change?

Blink, and you might miss it. Slang has always evolved, but Gen Alpha’s shifts at warp speed. What’s trendy on Monday might be cringe by Friday. Their hyper-connected world accelerates the lifespan of new words like never before.

Gen Z / Gen Alpha Slang (And What It Actually Means)

List of Gen Z / Gen Alpha slang including part of speech and definition. — Pin this list

AURA
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: coolness or social standing
- Example: Her aura screams main character energy.
- Context: The traditional meaning of the word evolved within online and gaming communities, eventually taking on an exaggerated and often ironic tone.
AURA POINTS
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: a measure of how cool and respected someone is
- Example: Bro lost major aura points when he started begging for her attention.
- Context: Tied to gaming culture. You can lose aura points by doing weird or cringy things in front of people.
NEGATIVE AURA
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: bad or uncool
- Example: She’s always complaining about something, and that negative aura is exhausting.
- Context: A spinoff of ‘aura’. Used in a playful but cutting way to dunk on someone.
ATE
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: outstanding or impressive
- Example: She stepped on stage, delivered a flawless performance, and absolutely ate.
- Context: Originates from AAVE, specifically from Black queer and ballroom culture. Went mainstream around 2021. Some Gen Alpha kids will also say “4 + 4” as another way to allude to the term “ate,” (a play on words) since the equation equals eight.
BET
- Part of speech: interjection
- Meaning: agreement or excitement; similar to ‘awesome’ or ‘definitely’
- Example: “I’ll pick you up at 7 for the party.” “Bet. See you then.”
- Context: Has roots in AAVE and hip hop culture. Evolved from the phrase “you bet”. Started going mainstream in 2015.
BETA
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: submissive, passive, or lacking in confidence
- Example: He’s so beta for apologizing first.
- Context: Emerged as slang in the early 2000s. Gen Z started using it jokingly/ironically on TikTok in 2020.
BIG YIKES
- Part of speech: interjection
- Meaning: reacting to something embarrassing, uncomfortable, or shocking
- Example: I just waved at someone who wasn’t actually waving at me. Big yikes.
- Context: Popularized on Twitter and Reddit. An extension of “yikes” — used to express stronger embarrassment or secondhand cringe.
BOP
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: an enjoyable or catchy song
- Example: That new song by Dua Lipa is a total bop. I’ve had it on repeat all day!
- Context: Originated from AAVE. Emerged from jazz culture — came from “bebop”. Frequently used in hip hop and R&B during the 1990s. Went mainstream in the 2010s largely due to TikTok and Instagram.
BOUJEE
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: flashy, extravagant, or fancy
- Example: She threw a birthday party with a private chef and live music. Talk about boujee!
- Context: Shortened form of the French word “bourgeois”, which originally referred to the materialistic middle class. Has roots in AAVE. Gained popularity in 2016 thanks to the song “Bad and Boujee” by Migos.
BRAINROT
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: hyper fixating on a topic, person, place, or thing
- Example: After watching 10 hours of that show, my brainrot is off the charts.
- Context: Widely used online, particularly in the context of binge-watching or scrolling through content for hours.
BRAT
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: bold, playfully defiant, and confidently rebellious
- Example: She’s so brat, always doing whatever she wants and looking fierce while doing it.
- Context: Popularized by the pop singer Charli XCX. It was the title of her latest album.
BUSSIN’
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: really good; usually used to describe food
- Example: These cookies my grandma made are bussin’! You have to try them.
- Context: Frequently used in casual conversations to express a high level of approval. Originated from food reviews and has expanded to describe anything impressive or enjoyable.
BUTTAH
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: effortlessly smooth, cool, or attractive
- Example: He walked into the room looking so cool, like everything about him was just buttah.
- Context: A phonetic variation of “butter”, commonly used in AAVE. Popularized by artists like Charlie XCX and A$AP Rocky.
CAMP
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: ironically trendy
- Example: That thrift store jacket is so camp — it’s tacky but somehow totally in style right now.
- Context: Began as a term used to describe exaggerated, theatrical performances, especially in queer culture. Popularized by TikTok in the late 2010s where it was used to describe aesthetic trends.
CAP
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: a lie or exaggeration
- Example: That story is total cap; there’s no way that happened.
- Context: Has roots in AAVE. Gained mainstream attention through hip hop culture.
NO CAP
- Part of speech: adverb
- Meaning: no lie, truthfully, for real
- Example: I’m telling you, no cap, that movie is the best thing I’ve seen all year.
- Context: Evolved as a natural opposite to “cap”. Gained traction in the music industry with artists such as Future and Young Thug using it in their lyrics. In 2018, Future’s song “No Cap” helped further popularize the term.
CAUGHT IN 4K
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: getting caught doing something wrong
- Example: The influencer tried to claim their photo was unedited, but fans found the original with obvious changes — caught in 4K.
- Context: Emerged from meme culture and online callouts. Further boosted when YouTuber and rapper 4kMicheal released a song titled “Caught in 4K” in early 2021.
CHEUGY
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: uncool, outdated, or unfashionable
- Example: That Facebook meme your aunt just posted with the “Live, Laugh, Love” quote? Yeah, that’s so cheugy.
- Context: Conceptualized in 2013 by a high school student named Gaby Rasson. Gained popularity in 2021 after a TikTok user went viral explaining the term. Originally used as a diss, now a fun way to laugh at old trends.
CLAPBACK
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: swift, witty response to an insult or criticism
- Example: Her clapback was so sharp that the troll deleted his comment within minutes.
- Context: Comes from AAVE. Gained popularity in the 2000s through rap battles and diss tracks. Exploded in the 2010s due to influencers and celebrities responding to online trolls and negative comments.
CLOUT
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: online popularity, power, fame, or influence
- Example: She only posted that pic for the clout, hoping to get more followers and likes.
- Context: Popularized through song lyrics by artists Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne.
COPIUM
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: denial, false hope
- Example: He’s convinced he’s going to pass the exam even though he hasn’t studied at all. That’s some major copium right there.
- Context: A mashup of “coping” and “opium.” Gained traction with gamers on Twitch in 2016; 4chan and Reddit users started using it around the same time in political discussions. Exploded in popularity on social media in 2020 during the US presidential election.
CRASH OUT
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: to go insane or crazy; to do something stupid
- Example: She crashed out at the party, knocking over tables and yelling at people for no reason.
- Context: The modern slang version of this term started gaining traction around 2020 in street culture and rap lyrics. Widely used on TikTok and Instagram in posts and memes.
CRINGE
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: feeling of embarrassment, discomfort, or awkwardness
- Example: That influencer’s fake apology video was peak cringe.
- Context: Evolved from the original meaning of a physical reaction to a social reaction in the 2010s. Became a popular term in meme culture on Reddit, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
DELULU
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: short for ‘delusional’; having unrealistic expectations
- Example: Bro really thinks he’s getting drafted to the NBA even though he got benched all season. Delulu at its finest.
- Context: First gained popularity in the 2010s in K-pop fandoms when fans would joke about dating their favorite K-pop idols. Spread into the mainstream through TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter in 2020.
DOG WATER
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: garbage or trash; used to insult someone’s skill level
- Example: Bro, your aim in that game was dog water — you didn’t hit a single shot.
- Context: Originated in the Fortnite gaming community in 2020. Popularized by a streamer named M1lk, who used it as an insult in a viral video. It quickly caught on and became a common trash talk phrase in the gaming world.
DRIP
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: stylish or fashionable, specifically clothing or accessories
- Example: Your sneakers are fire. That’s some serious drip right there.
- Context: Comes from Black culture and hip hop. Rappers like Offset, Gunna, and Cardi B helped push the term into the mainstream.
DUMMY HARD
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: something impressive or exemplary
- Example: That movie’s plot twist was dummy hard. I did not see that coming.
- Context: Originated from hip hop and NYC street slang. Gained popularity in the late 2010s in rap, gaming, and social media.
FAM
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: short for ‘family’; a close friend or group of friends
- Example: Thanks for coming through, fam. You saved the day.
- Context: Started in the UK in grime music, roadman slang, and London youth culture. Spread to the US in the 2010s through hip hop music, social media, and memes.
FANUM TAX
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: phrase used when stealing food from a friend
- Example: My friend took a big fanum tax out of my pizza when I wasn’t looking.
- Context: The term was popularized by the Twitch streamer Kai Cenat, when Fanum, another popular streamer, entered Cenat’s room, snatched a plate of cookies from him, and left. This became a recurring incident, garnering millions of views and leading to the rise of the term.
FAX
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: another way of saying ‘facts’; truth
- Example: No one’s topping her energy this week – fax, she’s on a whole other level.
- Context: Used to strongly agree with someone. Popularized on Tiktok, Reddit, and Twitter in the late 2010s.
FIRE
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: excellent, awesome, or cool
- Example: That new jacket is fire!
- Context: Commonly used in AAVE and hip hop culture. Went mainstream in the 2010s largely due to music and social media.
FINNA
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: contraction of ‘fixing-to’; getting ready to do something
- Example: I’m finna head out – it’s been a long day.
- Context: ‘Fixing-to’ comes from Southern American English; it evolved to ‘finna’ in AAVE. Widespread use in hip hop and rap lyrics, specifically artists like Outkast and Lil Wayne. Blew up online in the late 2010s mostly on Twitter and TikTok.
FLEX
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: to show off or boast
- Example: Posting that vacation pic with the yacht? Major flex.
- Context: In the 1990s in hip hop culture, the literal idea of showing muscles evolved into the figurative idea of showing off anything. Became really commonly used online in the 2010s after ‘Weird flex but OK’ became a viral meme.
GAS UP
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: excessively compliment or praise someone
- Example: You always gas your friends up, and I love that energy.
- Context: The term evolved in AAVE from fueling a vehicle to “fueling” or energizing someone with compliments. Gained traction in rap and R&B lyrics with artists like Lil Baby and Ty Dolla $ign. Became super popular on TikTok and Instagram in the late 2010s.
GIGACHAD
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: an exceptionally attractive and muscular man; someone who embodies ultra-confidence
- Example: The way he just laughed off the hate comments? Certified Gigachad move.
- Context: Evolved from “Chad” in internet and meme culture as an extreme or humorous exaggeration. Popularized in meme communities such as 4chan, Reddit, and Twitter in the late 2010s.
GLIZZY
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: hotdog
- Example: You know it’s a cookout when everyone’s got a glizzy on the grill.
- Context: Originally slang for a gun or glock. Gen Alpha started using it to refer to a hotdog in the late 2010s. This shift happened due to meme culture and viral TikTok videos where people would either make fun of how they ate their glizzies or celebrate their enjoyment of a hot dog.
RIZZ
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: short for ‘charisma’; one’s romantic appeal or charm; often implies a natural ability to impress or attract
- Example: His rizz was so strong that even the most uninterested girl couldn’t help but flirt back.
- Context: Originally a niche slang term in AAVE and New York street culture. Gained traction in 2021 when Youtuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat used it to rank his friends’ verbal skills with potential romantic interests. It exploded on TikTok in 2022 where the meaning expanded to include nonverbal swagger and charisma. Crowned Oxford’s Word of the Year and added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2023.
RIZZLER
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: someone who’s a master at attracting or charming others with their charisma
- Example: He strutted into the party like a true rizzler, effortlessly dropping one-liners with a grin that had everyone swooning.
- Context: Natural evolution of ‘rizz’, taking the implied concept (someone with rizz) to a defined archetype (the rizzler).
ROMAN EMPIRE
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: a specific interest or obsession
- Example: She thinks about Twilight like it’s her Roman Empire.
- Context: Originated from an Instagram post by influencer Saskia Cort, who encouraged her followers to ask men how often they think about the Roman Empire. Sparked a viral TikTok trend in 2023. It evolved into a popular way to describe how often someone fixates on a particular topic.
SALTY
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: bitter, mad, upset, or jealous
- Example: She was salty all night just because I beat her in Mario Kart.
- Context: Rooted in sailor slang in the early 20th century – it referred to someone hardened by the sea. Shifted to mean irritated or annoyed in the 1940s in AAVE. Popularized by meme culture in the 2010s.
SELLING
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: losing, blowing an opportunity
- Example: He missed a wide-open dunk in the final seconds. Bro is selling.
- Context: Comes from competitive gaming – games such as League of Legends and Overwatch. Migrated to NBA Twitter and sports commentary. Went viral in 2021 on TikTok and Twitch when it was applied to non-gaming situations.
SIGMA
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: someone who is popular, successful, self-sufficient, and independent
- Example: He ghosted the group chat to work on himself. Sigma behavior.
- Context: Based on the Greek-letter “Alpha/Beta Male” concept – “Sigma male” was coined in the 2010s, to describe a guy who doesn’t play that hierarchy at all. Around 2020–2021, sigma memes blew up on TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit. It evolved into a meme term for anything stoic, ridiculous, or anti-social.
WHAT THE SIGMA
- Part of speech: interjection
- Meaning: used instead of ‘What the heck?’
- Example: Bro turned down a raise to go live in a van and write poetry. What the sigma.
- Context: Used like “what the heck” but replaces the reaction word with “sigma” to exaggerate how out-of-pocket, stone-cold, or lone-wolf the behavior is.
SIMP
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: a man who is excessively submissive and attentive to a girl he likes
- Example: He bought her lunch, did her homework, and she still ghosted him. Bro’s a simp.
- Context: Short for “simpleton”, which was originally used in the 1900s to describe someone who is gullible or foolish. Evolved in the 1990s-2000s in Hip Hop and Rap culture to describe a submissive man (the opposite of a pimp). Revived in 2019 on TikTok, Twitter, Reddit, and Twitch where guys would lavish female streamers with attention and donations. Went viral during the “Simp Nation” meme era, often used to call out overly thirsty or try-hard behavior.
SHOOK/SHOOKETH
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: surprised or shocked
- Example: That plot twist? I am shooketh to my core.
- Context: “Shooketh” is usually used ironically or dramatically — it’s the fancy, memeified version of “shook.” Used in AAVE since at least the 1990s. Went mainstream around 2016 through memes, Twitter, and stan culture.
SKIBIDI
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: a filler word; something bad or cool (depends on context)
- Example: Bro went full Skibidi mode in the middle of the mall. Zero shame.
- Context: Comes from a viral YouTube and Tiktok meme series launched in early 2023 called Skibidi Toilet. Usually used ironically as a shorthand for unhinged weirdness.
SKIBIDI OHIO RIZZ
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: bad flirting skills
- Example: He tried to flirt but tripped and spilled his drink – that’s peak Skibidi Ohio Rizz.
- Context: Popularized in 2024-2025 when people mashed together Skibidi (absurd), Ohio (cringe), and Rizz (charisma). Usually used sarcastically or ironically. Reflects Gen Alpha humor, which often embraces nonsense for comedy’s sake.
SLAY
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: impress or excel at something
- Example: He slays on stage every single time. Born to perform.
- Context: Originally used in AAVE and drag communities. Entered the mainstream via RuPaul’s Drag Race and Beyonce’s song “Formation”.
SLEEPER
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: surprisingly impressive, better than expected, underrated
- Example: That movie was a total sleeper. Nobody talked about it until it hit streaming, and now everyone’s obsessed.
- Context: Originally used in car enthusiast circles to describe an ordinary looking car that has a powerful engine. Spread to film and sports culture. Popularized in music lyrics and on social media.
SPILL THE TEA
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: share news or gossip
- Example: I need to know what happened at the party last night – spill the tea!
- Context: Rooted in Black Queer culture, “Tea” (originally “T”) stood for “truth”. Went mainstream via Rupaul’s Drag Race, memes, and Twitter.
STAN
- Part of speech: noun/verb
- Meaning: an obsessive fan
- Example: I stan Beyoncé so hard, I bought tickets before even checking the price.
- Context: Originates from Eminem’s 2000 song “Stan” about an obsessed fan named Stan. In recent years, the term lost its original dark tone – now used positively or humorously.
SUS
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: short for ‘suspicious’; questionable or untrustworthy
- Example: Bro acting sus as soon as the teacher asked who cheated.
- Context: Used in AAVE since the early 2000s. Popularized in 2020 by the game “Among Us,” where players have to figure out who the imposter is.
THIRSTY
- Part of speech: adjective
- Meaning: desperate for attention
- Example: Thirsty for attention, he brought up his promotion five times at brunch.
- Context: Dates back to the 1990s, when it was used primarily to refer to a desperation for romantic attention in hip hop and R&B lyrics. Popularized by the Urban Dictionary in the early 2000s and Mariah Carey’s 2014 song “Thirsty”. In modern usage, the term evolved to refer to a general desperation for attention.
UNC
- Part of speech: noun
- Meaning: short for ‘uncle’; an older male
- Example: Unc really showed up to the cookout wearing socks and sandals.
- Context: A popular term in AAVE. Sometimes used respectfully, other times mockingly. Went mainstream due to hip hop lyrics, social media, and memes.
YEET
- Part of speech: verb
- Meaning: throw something with force
- Example: She yeeted her backpack onto the couch the second she got home.
- Context: Started as a sound effect that evolved into a verb. Gained popularity in 2014 from a viral Vine where a kid pretended to forcefully throw something while yelling “yeet”.

The Future of Slang

As Gen Alpha grows older, their slang will transform with them. Just like previous generations, they’ll eventually leave behind the chaotic phrases of their youth as they enter adulthood. But for now? Their fast, meme-fueled, and constantly shifting language defines their world. It reflects the hyper-digital and globally connected era they were born into.

If you’re struggling to keep up, don’t worry! Learning Gen Alpha slang is just another way to stay connected with the next generation and appreciate the creativity of their ever-evolving language.