DECODING TEEN SLANG
Decode Language (2026-2027)
How Do We Communicate?
Have you ever felt like you needed a passport to understand the conversations happening in your own home?
If you have teenagers, you probably have.
One minute you’re trying to figure out if “cap” means what it meant when you were growing up (spoiler alert: it doesn’t), and the next you’re hearing people are “shipping” each other. Naturally, my mind went to Dexter and the Bay Harbor Butcher-or maybe Amazon boxes. Turns out, it simply means hoping two people end up together.
Just when I think I’m catching up, the language changes again.
Honestly, I wish there were a decoder ring that translated every text, TikTok reference, and slang word into plain English. I don’t have time to become fluent in a language that seems to update every six months-especially when my teenagers are already juggling English, AP French, Spanish, and now…Teen.
As funny as it is, there’s a reason slang sticks.
Our brains remember information that’s tied to emotion, humor, music, or shared experiences.
I can still hear The Price Is Right announcer saying, “Come on down!” because of who I watched it with. The smell of Pantene shampoo takes me back to my college dorm, and somehow I still know every word to Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters-even if I can’t remember half of what I learned in college.
It makes me wonder what today’s slang will remind our teens of years from now. Friends?
High school? Their first crush? Endless group chats?
While teen slang can sound confusing—or completely ridiculous—it offers a window into
their world. Understanding what they’re saying helps us understand what they’re interested in, how they’re communicating, and sometimes even how they’re feeling.
More importantly, it helps us stay connected.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, coach, or caregiver, knowing what these words mean can help you recognize when conversations are harmless fun and when they might signal something worth discussing.
The Verizon Family App recently released an updated list of today’s most common teen slang terms.
Read through it, then ask your teen what they mean. Fair warning-they’ll probably tell you it’s already outdated.
That’s okay. You don’t have to use the slang yourself. Simply understanding it helps bridge the communication gap-and every now and then, you might even surprise your teenager by actually knowing what they’re talking about.
These are the terms & words that are still the most commonly used or new as of this blog.
They are broken down into categories-
Affection and romantic rejection
11:11 — make a wish
143 — I love you (derives from the number of letters used to spell each word)
bae — before anyone else (refers to a favorite person), also a shortened form of babe or baby
bff — best friends forever
curve (someone) — reject someone’s romantic interest or advances in a subtle or kind way
fimh — forever in my heart
ghost — when someone disappears, stops calling or stops texting
ick — a feeling of disgust toward a romantic partner’s actions or possessions
ily — I love you
imu — I miss you
pookie — term of endearment, similar to “boo”
rizz — charisma, the ability to flirt or attract romantic interest
ship — rooting for two people to be together romantically
thirsty — seeking attention, usually romantic
wywh — wish you were here
Achievements and actions
ate — did something perfectly or with style
left no crumbs — complements “ate,” meaning flawless performance
goat/goated — they both mean “greatest of all time,” though goated is the newest iteration
let him cook — encouraging someone to continue, often to prove a point
lock in or locked in — focusing or staying dedicated to a task
savage — bold, daring or unapologetic behavior
slay — doing something exceptionally well
full send — committing to something without looking back
Fashion and appearances
bop — originally for catchy music, can also mean someone dating around
drip — describes high-fashion style
fit check — showing off or checking out an outfit
glow up — positive transformation in style or confidence
serving — bringing a strong look or attitude
slaps — used for excellent music or appearance
snatched — looking stylish or fit
Food and lifestyle
bussin’ — describes something exceptionally good, often food
fanum tax — playfully taking food from someone else
glhf — good luck, have fun
IG — I guess, or could potentially be used to reference Instagram
lit — describing something cool, fun or exciting
main character energy — someone who gives off energy like they are the main character of a story
snack — someone who is attractive
yktv — you know the vibes
Gaming terms
noob — someone inexperienced, especially in a game, skill or activity
afk — away from keyboard, indicating someone is temporarily unavailable
buff — strengthening a character or skill in a game
camping — staying in one spot to gain an advantage, often in shooter games
gg — good game, shows sportsmanship at the end of a match
l — loss or failure
nerf — Reducing power or ability, often in updates
npc — non-player character, can refer to someone who seems scripted or unoriginal
op — overpowered, describes something overly strong or unfair in a game
pog/poggers — expression of excitement or amazement
sweaty — playing intensely or trying hard to win
w — win, success
Humor, sarcasm and casual conversations
big facts — strong agreement with a statement
can’t relate — used when something isn’t relatable
caught in 4K — being caught red-handed with undeniable evidence
cringe — embarrassing or awkward
dead — finding something hilarious
delulu — playfully calling someone delusional
gucci — all good, everything is fine
hits different — when something feels special or unique
it’s giving — describes the vibe or feel of something
just put the fries in the bag — a humorous way to tell someone to get to the point or stop overcomplicating thing
low-key — subtly important or downplayed
mid — describes something average, lower quality or unimpressive
ohio — used to describe something as weird or bizarre, often based on the “Only in Ohio” meme
skibidi — pronounced like skippity and usually is the start of a conversation filled with nonsense terms; comes from a popular video meme involving dancing and human-headed toilets
Miscellaneous reactions
awks — awkward
aymm — are you my mother?
bet — sure, yes
cap — lie
cwot — complete waste of time
f — my condolences; comes from a gaming meme: “press F to pay respects” after an unfortunate or tragic event
facts — I agree
fax — asserting the truth, similar to “facts, no lies”
flex — show off
fr — for real
ftw — for the win
gmta — great minds think alike
hundo p — 100% agree
idc — I don’t care
ifyp — I feel your pain
mood — I feel the same way, a relatable feeling
no cap — truth, or no lie
o7 — salute (emoticon, paying respect)
6-7 — sometimes said to express uncertainty; sometimes used as a rating system, as in somewhere around “6 – 7” on a scale of 1 to 10
omdb — over my dead body
ong — on God, a term used to express strong belief or emotions
oop — expression of shock, embarrassment or amusement
qq or q_q — crying (emoticon)
smh — shaking my head (meaning, that’s so dumb)
srsly — seriously
ssdd — same stuff, different day
sus — suspicious, suspect, questionable or dishonest
wth — what the heck/hell
Opinions, warnings and disclaimers
afaik — as far as I know
dm — direct message
fwiw — for what it’s worth
icymi — in case you missed it
idk — I don’t know
imho — in my humble opinion
imo — in my opinion
iykyk — if you know you know
jsyk — just so you know
nbd — no big deal
ngl — not gonna lie
nsfw — not safe or suitable for work (signals nudity, violence or other potentially offensive material)
rbtl — read between the lines
tbh — to be honest
tia — thanks in advance
tldr or tl;dr — too long (lazy), didn’t read
tw — trigger warning (indicates content that can possibly cause emotional harm)
ygtr — you got that right
ymmv — your mileage (experience) may vary
ynk — you never know
Thank You Verizon
( list available on Verizon Family app)
I sincerely, hope this helps you in your communication with teens which is so important in today’s society!
Congratulations, you are now a master Decoder of this year’s teen slang! No language classes required.
Thank you!
Marcy Abramsky, LCSW Counseling/inspireAmind®️motivational coaching & resources
Article/Blog
Decoding Teen Slang
M.Abramsky,LCSW
InspireAmind.net
InspireAmind.net@protonmail.net