With every new generation, language evolves. But with Generation Z – those born roughly between 1997 and 2012 – this evolution has taken on a new speed, depth, and digital flavour. 

Gen Z has grown up immersed in technology, with social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter shaping not only how they communicate but also what they communicate. As a result, a new and rapidly shifting linguistic landscape has emerged – one where traditional grammar, spelling, and even meanings are constantly challenged, reshaped, and reimagined.

Fluid and fast-changing

At the centre of this revolution is Gen Z slang, the informal language that Gen Z has adapted into a unique dialect of its own. Many of the terms popularised by this generation are neologisms – either newly invented words or older words given entirely new meanings. 

Words and phrases like ‘rizz,’ ‘slay,’ ‘no cap,’ and ‘it’s giving’ have become shorthand expressions packed with layered social meaning, often leaving older generations feeling left out of the conversation. For Gen Z, however, this evolving language is more than just playful talk; it’s a form of identity, resistance, and self-expression.

Unlike earlier generations, Gen Z does not feel bound by the rules of conventional language. Their communication style is often marked by flexibility in pronunciation, disregard for punctuation, and the creative remixing of text, image, and sound. Language is visual, performative, and collaborative, crafted in comments, captions, and viral trends. 

What’s more, their slang is fluid and fast-changing, reflecting the speed of internet culture itself. A phrase that is in today might be outdated tomorrow, depending on the ever-shifting tides of social media.

Generational theory tells us that cohorts – such as baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and now Gen Z – are shaped by the common cultural, social, and technological environments they grow up in. 

What sets Gen Z apart is their intimate relationship with digital communication from a very young age. This has not only influenced their values and career paths but has also made them the driving force behind a new linguistic era – one that is global, adaptable, and often hard to decode without context.

A cultural shorthand 

To better understand what Gen Z slang actually means and why it resonates, The Sunday Morning Brunch turned to the experts themselves – Gen Z youth. We asked some of our younger readers to share their favourite slang terms, what they mean, and why they use them. Unsurprisingly, their answers were as clever, chaotic, and insightful as the slang itself.

Sharing his thoughts, Aasif Ahmad, 21, didn’t hold back. “Millennials have to stop obsessing about Gen Z slang,” he said, laughing. “Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing how obsessed other generations are with Gen Z slang; it really is not that deep. It’s just a fun way to communicate.”

According to Aasif, a big part of Gen Z slang is about not taking things too seriously. “I think other generations get all in their heads about it because they don’t understand where it’s all coming from. But really, it’s about being as ‘unserious’ as possible,” he explained.

When asked about the more puzzling terms floating around the internet, Aasif brought up one particularly baffling favourite: “‘Skibidi’ really threw everyone for a loop. It doesn’t even have a set meaning. It came from this bizarre YouTube series called ‘Skibidi Toilet,’ which featured toilets with human heads. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s hilarious.” 

Over time, ‘skibidi’ has evolved into a kind of nonsensical catch-all used to describe something cool, cringe, chaotic, or simply as a filler with no fixed meaning. “It’s kind of beyond definition now and may be even more Gen Alpha than Gen Z at this point,” he added.

Still, not all slang is quite so absurd. “Some of the ones I personally use a lot are things like ‘tweaking,’ which is when someone is acting really weird or spiralling mentally and ‘skill issue,’ which I think is pretty self-explanatory. For instance, if someone messes up, instead of comforting them, you just say ‘skill issue’ – brutal, but kind of funny,” Aasif said.

What becomes clear through these examples is that Gen Z slang isn’t just about replacing one word with another; it’s about building a cultural shorthand, full of irony, internet references, and inside jokes that reflect their online lives. It’s playful, layered, and often deliberately nonsensical – a way to connect, to laugh, and to signal you are ‘in’ on the joke.

Rooted in digital spaces 

For many Gen Zs, slang isn’t necessarily something they use in everyday speech – it is rooted in digital spaces. 

Pasan Wijethunga, 19, shared that for him, slang lived mostly online. “I personally only ever use slang terms while online or maybe when I text,” he said. “There are some that sneak into daily speech, like ‘let him cook’ or ‘rizz,’ which literally just means charisma. But mostly, it’s a digital thing.”

He pointed out that while Gen Z slang may sound confusing at first, most of it was surprisingly intuitive. “There are things like ‘out of pocket,’ which is when someone says something insane or totally shocking, and ‘gagged,’ which means you’re surprised or at a loss for words,” he explained. “They’re really easy to get – it’s not that out of pocket, you know what I mean?”

Still, some expressions may take a second to decode. “Stuff like ‘L behaviour’ or saying ‘that was a W’ might throw someone off if they’re not online all the time,” Pasan added. “But literally, it just means loser and winner.”

Pasan’s point reflects a wider truth: while Gen Z slang often gets stereotyped as complex or inaccessible, much of it is actually born from hyper-literal interpretations, meme culture, and the rapid, visual style of internet communication. These terms are shaped by the pace and tone of digital life – quick reactions, short texts, dramatic responses – all of which demand an equally punchy vocabulary.

Rapid evolution 

What makes Gen Z slang especially fascinating is how it blurs the line between irony and sincerity. Words are used playfully, often exaggeratedly, but also with purpose, whether to validate, tease, or simply amuse. And while some of it may fade as quickly as it appeared, other terms are slowly making their way into mainstream vocabulary, even beyond the screens they originated from.

One of the defining characteristics of Gen Z slang is just how quickly it evolves. What is trending today could be completely ‘dead’ tomorrow. Ayesha Wasim, 20, reflected on this rapid pace, noting that the birthplace of much of this language was none other than TikTok.

“To be honest, it’s a very fast-moving language or set of words,” she explained. “It’s really born on TikTok, because of how fast the trends move. One day it’s everywhere, the next it’s gone.”

Despite the ever-changing nature of the slang landscape, Ayesha pointed out that some words had had lasting power and had crossed generational lines. “There are some words like ‘ick,’ which is when you suddenly feel repulsed by someone you were previously attracted to and ‘lit,’ which means something is awesome. Those have really entered the general vocabulary; they’re not Gen Z-only anymore.”

She also brought up a newer term that speaks to the generation’s obsession with appearance and social commentary: “‘Mewing’ is interesting, which is about pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to define your jawline. It’s one of those things that’s visual, and now it’s used to clown people.”

And just like that, ‘clowning’ entered the conversation – a term used to describe making fun of someone, often when they have done something foolish or embarrassing. “It’s funny how these words start with one meaning and then become part of how we joke, tease, or even flirt,” Ayesha added with a smile.

Her observations highlight a key point: Gen Z slang isn’t just verbal; it is visual, cultural, and constantly self-referential. It draws on everything from meme culture to beauty trends, and it mirrors the platforms on which it thrives. TikTok, in particular, has become a breeding ground for new vocabulary, where trends can go viral in minutes and disappear just as fast.

In the end, Gen Z slang is more than just a quirky trend; it is a living, breathing reflection of a generation raised online, shaped by hyper-connectivity, meme culture, and rapid digital evolution. What might seem confusing or ‘out of pocket’ to older generations is, for Gen Z, a way to connect, express identity, and play with language in creative, often hilarious ways. 

Whether it is saying someone has ‘rizz,’ calling a moment a ‘W,’ or getting ‘gagged’ by a surprise, these expressions capture emotions and experiences in a way that is fresh, punchy, and uniquely theirs. As long as TikTok trends keep turning and the internet keeps talking, Gen Z will keep finding new ways to say exactly what they mean, even if you have to Google it.

A (not-at-all exhaustive) list of Gen Z slang terms 

• Skibidi – A nonsensical word from meme culture, used as a filler or reaction to almost anything
• Tweaking – Acting erratically or being way too dramatic
• Skill issue – A playful way of saying someone failed due to lack of skill
• Let him cook – Let someone do their thing; they might be onto something
• Rizz – Short for charisma; the ability to charm or flirt
• Out of pocket – Saying something wild, inappropriate, or unexpected
• Gagged – So shocked or surprised that you are speechless
• L behaviour/That’s an L – Loser behaviour or a failure
• That was a W – A win or a great move
• Ick – Sudden cringe or turn-off from someone you were into
• Lit – Cool, exciting, or really fun
• Mewing – Tongue posture trend, now used humorously online
• Clowning – Making fun of someone (or yourself) for doing something foolish