Ever feel lost in a classroom full of “yeet“s and “lit“s? Are your students throwing around words that sound like gibberish? You’re not alone. Gen Alpha, the generation born after 2010, has a whole new vocabulary that can leave even the trendiest teacher feeling out of the loop 🤯.
But fear not – this article is your guide to stop feeling so cheugy among your Gen Alpha pupils! With this list of Gen Alpha slang words and their definitions, you can navigate these foreign words and bridge the communication gap in your classroom 🏃🏻♀️.
👀 What is Gen Alpha Slang?
Slang is an ever-evolving part of language, a way for groups to create a sense of belonging and express themselves uniquely. Gen Alpha’s digital environment plays a huge role in shaping their slang. From social media acronyms to online gaming terms, their slang reflects their unique upbringing.
🤔 Why Learn Gen Alpha Slang?
Understanding Gen Alpha slang isn’t about sounding cool – it’s about connecting with your students. Here’s how it can benefit you as a teacher:
🤝 Build Relationships: When you understand their language, you show them you care about their world, fostering trust and rapport.
💬 Decipher Student Communication: Slang can offer clues about a student’s emotional state or social dynamics within the classroom.
🔍 Identify Potential Issues: Certain slang terms might signal negativity, bullying, or other concerns that need addressing.
A-Z Gen Alpha Slang Dictionary: Breaking Down the Lingo
Let’s break the code! Here’s a breakdown of some common Gen Alpha slang terms, with a mix of older terms that are still popular and newer terms you might not have heard yet:
- Ate: Used to describe something impressive or outstanding.
Example: “That presentation you gave on dinosaurs totally ate! You know so much.”
- Basic: Conforming to mainstream trends or lacking originality.
Example: “Ugh, this outfit is so basic. I need to find something more unique.”
- Bet: Affirmation or agreement, similar to definitely.
Example: “We’re going to ace this project, bet!”
- Big W (or Big L): “W” stands for win and “L” stands for loss. Used to celebrate a victory (big W) or acknowledge a defeat (big L).
Example: Big W (or Big L): “We finally beat that level in the game! Big W!” / “I totally choked during my speech. Big L.”
- Bop: A catchy and enjoyable song, often used to describe music with a great beat or rhythm.
Example: “That new song by Olivia Rodriguez is such a bop, I can’t stop listening to it!”
- Bussin’: Used to describe food that is exceptionally delicious or flavorful.
Example: “These cookies my grandma made are bussin’! I can’t get enough of them.”
- Cap: To lie or exaggerate, often used to call out falsehoods.
Example: “She didn’t buy a new iPhone, she’s capping!”
- Cheugy: Outdated, unfashionable, or uncool, particularly in terms of fashion, trends, or aesthetics.
Example: ” Skinny jeans are so cheugy.”
- Clout: Influence, often gained through social media presence or popularity.
Example: “Addison Rae has so much clout, all the brands want to work with her.”
- Cringe: A feeling of embarrassment, discomfort, or secondhand embarrassment experienced in response to an awkward or socially unacceptable behavior.
Example: “I fumbled my science presentation in front of the whole class, major cringe!”
- Delulu: Someone who is delusional or has unrealistic expectations.
Example: “He thinks he’s going to win the talent show, but he’s totally delulu.”
- Drip: Refers to one’s sense of style, especially when it involves fashionable clothing, accessories, or overall appearance.
Example: “Her outfit at the dance was fire! Her whole drip was on point.”
- Extra: Someone or something that is excessive, over-the-top, or dramatic in behavior, appearance, or actions.
Example: “Her reaction to the movie was so extra, everyone was staring.”
- Fanum Tax: Refers to the act of taking a bite of someone else’s food, popularized by streamer Fanum during streams on Twitch.
Example: “My friend took a big Fanum Tax out of my pizza when I wasn’t looking!”
- Fax: “Facts” or “that’s true”.
Example: “That test was way harder than they said it would be. Fax.”
- Finna: A contraction of “fixing to,” used to indicate that someone is about to do something or intends to do it in the near future.
Example: “I’m finna head out, gotta catch some sleep before school.”
- Fire: Used to describe something as excellent, amazing, or highly impressive.
Example: “Mike’s performance at the talent show was mad fire!”
- Flex: To boast or show off, often about one’s possessions, achievements, or abilities.
Example: “He was flexing his new phone all day, it got kind of annoying.”
- Glow Up: A significant transformation for the better, especially in appearance or confidence.
Example: “Sarah cut her hair and got new glasses, she totally had a glow up this summer!”
- GOAT: Greatest Of All Time, used to describe someone or something as the best in their field.
Example: “LeBron James is the undisputed GOAT of basketball!”
- Gucci: Slang for “good” or “cool,” derived from the luxury fashion brand Gucci, suggesting something of high quality or stylish.
Example: “I managed to submit my paper before the deadline. All Gucci.”
- Ghost: To disappear or stop communicating suddenly, especially online.
Example: “Mr. King ghosted me when I emailed him about the final project. He never replied.”
- Ick: An expression of disgust or repulsion towards something unpleasant or distasteful.
Example: “The new cafeteria menu is kinda giving me the ick.”
- It’s Giving: Exuding a certain energy.
Example: “Everyone’s dressed so nicely for prom. It’s giving Met Gala.”
- Lit: Describing something as exciting, amazing, or impressive.
Example: “ Sabrina Carpenter’s show last weekend was so lit, I had a blast!”
- Lowkey: Secretly, subtly.
Example: “I was lowkey nervous about the game, but I ended up having a lot of fun.”
- Low-vibrational: Used to describe someone or something that brings down the mood or has negative energy.
Example: “Mrs. Moody complains a lot in class, it’s low-vibrational.”
- Mid: Used to describe something as mediocre or average in quality or performance.
Example: “That movie wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either, just kinda mid.”
- Mood: Expresses that something perfectly captures your current emotional state.
Example: sees a picture of a kitten tucked in bed “Mood.”
- Peep: To observe or notice something, often used in the context of discovering information or gossip.
Example: “Did you peep the new sneakers they released today? They look awesome!”
- Period (or Periodt): Means “end of discussion” or emphasizes the truthfulness of a statement.
Example: “That pizza place has the best fries and that’s on period!”
- Rizz: Charisma – charm or magnetism that captivates others
Example: “He walked right up to her and started talking with so much rizz, she was totally charmed.”
- Salty: Feeling bitter, upset, or resentful, often over something minor or trivial.
Example: “He was salty after losing the game, wouldn’t even shake hands with the other team.”
- Sheesh: Expresses surprise or disbelief, similar to “wow” or “whoa.”
Example: “Sheesh, that math test was hard! I don’t think I did very well.”
- Shook: Surprised, shocked, stunned.
Example: “I was shook when I saw my test scores, I got straight A’s!”
- Shooketh: An exaggerated form of “shook,” indicating being extremely surprised or shocked.
Example: “She saw Jacob Elordi at the coffee shop and was so shooketh, she couldn’t even speak!”
- Slay: To excel or do something exceptionally well.
Example: “I aced that presentation, I totally slayed it!”
- Sleeper: Refers to something that is unexpectedly good or impressive, often used to describe underrated or overlooked items, experiences, or people.
Example: “This new band is a sleeper hit, their music is actually really good!”
- Snack: Someone who looks attractive.
Example: “Did you see the new student in English class? He’s such a snack!”
- Snatched: Looking exceptionally good or stylish.
Snatched: “She looks so snatched at homecoming! Everyone was asking her where she got it.”
- Squad: Close group of friends or companions.
Example: “We’re going to the movies with the whole squad this weekend.”
- Stan: To be an avid and enthusiastic fan of someone or something.
Example: “I’m such a stan of Taylor Swift, I have all her albums and know all the words to her songs.”
- Sus: Short for “suspicious,” indicating skepticism or doubt.
Example: “Those new mock test questions seem kinda sus, I wonder what the teacher is up to.”
- Tea: Gossip or juicy information.
Example: “Did you hear about what happened at the pizza party yesterday? Spill the tea!”
- Thirsty: Desperate or overly eager, especially for attention or validation.
Example: “Megan wants to be a teacher’s pet so bad, she’s so thirsty for attention!”
- Vibe: The atmosphere or feeling of a situation or environment, often used to describe a particular mood or energy.
Example: “The chill vibe at the coffee shop is perfect for studying.”
- Vibe Check: To assess or evaluate the atmosphere or mood of a situation or group.
Example: “Before we start today’s class, let’s take a quick vibe check. How’s everyone feeling?”
- Vibin’: Relaxing and enjoying oneself, often to music or a particular atmosphere.
Example: “I’m vibin’ to this new music, it’s got such a cool beat.”
- Woke: Socially aware, progressive.
Example: “That article about climate change was super woke, it really opened my eyes to the issue.”
- Yeet: A slang term used to express excitement, approval, or emphasis when throwing something, both literally and figuratively.
Example: “Someone just yeeted a football across the field and accidentally hit Ms. Wamble!”
Pro-Tips for Teachers Engaging with Gen Alpha Students 😎
Understanding Gen Alpha slang isn’t about sounding cool – it’s about connecting with your students. Here are some tips:
❓Embrace the learning process: Show genuine interest in their slang. Ask questions like, “What does ‘vibing’ mean?”, to encourage dialogue and understanding.
🔑 Context is key: Avoid jumping to conclusions about the meaning of slang terms. What may seem negative to you could be a compliment within their peer group.
🙅🏻♀️ Maintain boundaries: Be part of the squad but remember to uphold your role as an educator. Use slang sparingly, avoid those that aren’t appropriate for the classroom, and try not to overuse them to maintain professionalism.
📝 Turn it into a learning opportunity: Suggest having students create their own presentations on the history of slang or using slang terms in creative writing exercises.
Here are some activity ideas to incorporate slang into your daily teachings:
- Creative Writing: Challenge students to incorporate slang terms into creative writing exercises, encouraging them to consider the impact of language choice.
- Slang Debates: Facilitate lighthearted timed debates where students are grouped to argue the merits of different slang terms, fostering critical thinking and communication skills.
- History of Slang: Divide students into groups to research current and past slang terms. To showcase their findings, they can create presentations (slides, posters, skits) featuring the slang terms, definitions, and usage examples. They can also use a word cloud or word bank to represent the compiled slang terms visually.
- Slang Quiz: Challenge students to test their slang knowledge by guessing the origins and definitions of terms and phrases used in prior generations. Gamify the experience by awarding points for correct answers and tracking progress on a leaderboard.
Take your slang quizzes to the next level by transforming them into classroom quiz games! Check out our free PowerPoint game templates as reference, and watch your students erupt with excitement as they compete to become the classroom slang champion!
Final Thoughts
Understanding Gen Alpha slang goes beyond simply fostering communication. It’s a bridge to their world, a way to build trust, and a chance to show you care. By embracing this ever-evolving language, you become more than an instructor – you become a part of their conversation. This connection empowers you to create a more engaging and inclusive learning environment, ultimately strengthening classroom connections and maximizing your students’ potential. Keep learning, keep exploring, and watch your classroom transform!
Learn more about engaging with and managing students of all levels here.
