From “Rizz” to “Skibidi”: What Gen Alpha Slang Words Mean for Parents

Kids’ language, for all parents throughout the ages, has been a mystery, and today it’s no different. If it seems as if your child is literally speaking in tongues, don’t panic: they’re probably just using Gen Alpha slang. If you’re keen to get to grips with what your kid is saying—and maybe even bridge the communication gap—we can help!

Below you’ll find our ultimate Gen Alpha slang glossary, with all the meanings you need, from “brainrot” to “skibidi” and “bruh” to “yeet.”

Contents:

• What is Gen Alpha Slang?
• Why Parents Should Pay Attention?
• The Ultimate 2025 Gen Alpha Slang Dictionary
• How to Talk to Your Kids About Slang
• Slang in Online Chats and Safety Risks
• FAQs

What is Gen Alpha Slang?

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Before we dive into a breakdown of some of the most-used Gen Alpha words and phrases, it’s a good idea to define what Gen Alpha slang actually is. Generally speaking, those born between 2010 and 2015 are Gen Alpha, following immediately on from the previous generation, known as Gen Z.

When it comes to Gen Alpha vs Gen Z slang, there are some major differences. As well as varying in cultural references and vocabulary, Gen Alpha slang is primarily driven by social media, influencer influence, online gaming, trending terms, and meme culture. It represents a wider shift towards online interactions and digital communications, brought about by the internet age.

Read more: A Parent’s Guide to Gen Alpha: Traits, Characteristics, and More.

Why Parents Should Pay Attention?

While it may be tempting not to pay too much attention to the Gen Alpha words and slang, it’s really important to have a handle on how our kids are communicating. As well as helping to understand the overall youth culture they’re a part of, better comprehending your child’s world is great for bonding, and shows we’re interested in their life and interests.

There’s an even more important reason for understanding Gen Alpha phrases. Doing so means we have a better chance of spotting red flags or warning signs that could indicate our kids have a problem, have gotten themselves involved in something risky, or are struggling. Some Gen Alpha language and TikTok slang words may sound harmless, but hide much darker meanings.

The Ultimate 2025 Gen Alpha Slang Dictionary

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Below you’ll find the most commonly used Gen Alpha slang 2025 words and phrases, followed by the meaning of each and an example of how they could be used in a sentence.

Ate

Used to say that someone has done something well or impressively: “You ate that test, bruh!”

Aura

Relating to someone’s attraction or charm: “Her latest TikTok video was so skibidi, she got 1,000 aura points.”

Backrooms

Used to refer to a surreal experience or alternate reality: “For a moment I felt like I was in the backrooms.”

Basic

Mainstream or lacking originality: “This fit is so basic.”

Bet

Approval or agreement: “Bet, sounds good.”

Bop

A good song or beat, or someone (often a female) who is thought to have “been” with a lot of boys, maybe at the same time: “Do you know her reputation? She’s a real bop.”

Brainrot (or brain rot)

Connected to spending too much time consuming low-quality content or online in general: “She got brainrot from watching too much Skibidi Toilet.”

Related: Brain Rot Terms Explained: What It Means and Whether Parents Should Be Concerned.

Bruh

Brother, bro, or dude, can be used to refer to a male or female: “Bruh, want to catch a movie later?”

Bungling

Messing something up, but in a cute way: “He’s bungling his way through the soccer game.”

Bussin

Something (especially food) that’s really good: “This burger is bussin.”

Cap/No Cap

A lie, something dishonest / The truth: “That’s cap/no cap.”

“CEO of…”

Used to denote that someone is a master of something: “He’s a CEO of math.”

Chad alpha

An attractive, strong, masculine leader or man: “Robert Pattison was a chad alpha as Bruce Wayne.”

Cheugy

Something cringey or outdated: “My dad’s style is cheugy.”

Clapback

When someone quickly and skillfully responds to criticism or an insult: “He made the ultimate clapback to the bullies.”

Clout

Influence, usually gained through social media: “That influencer has clout.”

Cooking

Doing something well: “She’s cooking on the tennis court.”

Delulu

Shortened version of delusional: “If he thinks he can pass the exam without studying, he’s delulu.”

Dog Water

Used when someone hasn’t done a good job: “Your carwashing skills are dog water.”

Drip

Someone’s style, especially the clothes and accessories they choose to wear: “My drip today is loungewear.”

Extra

Over the top, dramatic, or excessive: “Her reaction to getting a detention was so extra.”

Fam

Close friends, family, or those considered like family: “My fam and I are heading to the park later.”

Fanum Tax

Stealing food from a friend: “You have donuts? I’m claiming my fanum tax.”

Finna

A shortened version of “fixing to”: “I’m finna go to school.”

Finessed

To manage or handle something skillfully: “She finessed that tricky situation perfectly.”

Flex

Boast or show off about your abilities, achievements, or skills: “She’s always flexing her dance skills on TikTok.”

FOMO

Stands for “fear of missing out”: “He’s got a major case of FOMO about the party on Saturday.”

Glaze

To praise someone so much it’s cringey or annoying: “Why is she glazing someone who’s not that nice?”

GOAT

Stands for Greatest of All Time: “My mom’s brownies are the GOAT.”

Griddy

A celebration or dance move: “She hit the griddy after scoring a goal.”

Gucci

Cool or good: “I can come to the party on the weekend, so all Gucci.”

Gyatt

Usually used to describe an attractive person or as an expression of enthusiasm or excitement: “Gyatt, that view is awesome.”

Hits Different

Something special or unique: “That movie hit different.”

Ick

Expressing repulsion or disgust: “That meal looks ick.”

Infinite Money Glitch

Originating from gaming culture, now used metaphorically to describe a loophole, or an easy way to gain something valuable or achieve success: “Is there any such thing as an infinite money glitch?”

Just Put the Fries in the Bag, Bro

Used when someone is taking too long to say or do something, can also be used to ask someone to be quiet: “You’ve been trying to tell us something for ages, just put the fries in the bag, bro.”

L

A loss or something negative in general: “I thought we wouldn’t get any homework for the weekend, but the teacher set a project, total L.”

Lit

When something is impressive or amazing: “Dua Lipa’s new track is lit.”

Lock In

Focus, concentrate, or get serious: “I can’t come out right now, I’m locked in on revising for the exam.”

Low Key

When someone or something is subtle, secret, or low-profile: “They’re a new couple, so keeping things low key for now.”

Maxxing

Attempting to optimize yourself to your fullest potential: “He’s gym-maxxing to get in shape.”

Mewing

Undertaking exercises to shape the jawline, or can mean looking good in general: “He started mewing after watching all those TikTok videos.”

Mog

Significantly more attractive: “In his friend group, he was mogging.”

Noob

Used mainly in the world of online gaming, someone who is new to an activity, game, or online gaming in general: “The noob has only played this game once before.”

NPC

Non-playable character in a game, usually used to describe someone who acts in a basic, unaware, or robotic way: “He’s totally NPC.”

OG

Original, been around for a long time, a shortened version of “Original gangster”: “Christopher Reeves is the OG Superman.”

Ohio

Something odd, weird, or cringey: “What’s wrong with him, he’s acting so Ohio?”

Opp

An enemy who is out to get you: “The opp is ten points ahead of me in the game.”

Pookie

Someone you love: “She’s my pookie.”

Rizz

Charisma or charm, often used in a romantic context: “That boy has rizz.”

Salty

When someone is irritable, resentful, or in a bad mood: “What’s got him acting so salty?”

Savage

Daring or bold: “Her outfit is savage today.”

Sigma

A lone wolf type character confident to act outside social norms: “Look at her makeup, she’s so sigma.”

Skibidi

Can be used in a variety of ways, and the meaning will depend on the context; can mean cool, good, or bad: “She threw some skibidi dance moves at the party.”

Slaps

Something really good, often used in connection with new music: “That song slaps.”

Simp

Someone who is overly submissive, does too much for someone they like, or needs a lot of attention or approval: “She is a total simp over her new boyfriend.”

Slay

Doing something very well or impressively: “She’s slaying in her new job.”

Snatched

Looking impressive or well put together: “Her new shoes are snatched.”

Sus

Suspicious: “Why’s he acting so sus?”

Tea

Juicy gossip or information: “Have you heard the tea on the new girl?”

Twin

Best friend: “We’ve been twins since kindergarten.”

Vibe

Atmosphere or the feeling of a situation: “The vibe in the room was a little tense.”

What’s Good?

A casual greeting: “Hey, bruh, what’s good?”

Yapping

Talking too much: “Does he ever stop yapping?”

Yas

An enthusiastic way of saying yes: “Yas, I’m going on vacation!”

Yeet

To throw something forcefully, or to have a lot of energy in general: “She yeeted the ball out of the park.”

How to Talk to Your Kids About Slang

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Talking to your kid about Gen Alpha slang and TikTok slang can feel like a minefield. Where to start without getting their backs up or having them roll their eyes at our attempts to be “cool?”

The best approach is a relaxed one. Be curious about the Gen Alpha phrases they use without coming across as judgmental; ask them what a word means in a way that invites conversation. For example, you could ask how a particular word is used in a sentence, or what’s the best, most descriptive bit of Gen Alpha slang in their opinion. This could lead to a wider conversation around language evolution—your kids will probably be interested to hear the slang you used with your friends as a teen, and the words that mystified your parents at the time!

Slang in Online Chats and Safety Risks

There can be a darker side when it comes to internet slang for kids, which is partly why it’s so important to have at least a basic handle on the slang terms your children are regularly using and hearing. Online safety for kids means, for example, knowing the code words that may be used to mask certain activities or mindsets. Take the slang word “bop.” While it used to be slang for a cool song or great dance move, Gen Alpha often uses the term to signify someone —usually a girl—who has been with a lot of boys. Being called this can have a catastrophic impact on a teen’s self-esteem and reputation.

It’s also crucial to be aware of emerging slang trends coming from TikTok, games, and chatrooms, and how these might be affecting your kid’s online communication. For example, the term “corn” may sound innocent, but it’s often used on TikTok to replace the word “porn.”

as well as following general digital parenting tips to keep your kids safe online, consider using a high-quality third-party parental control app, such as Kids360. This tool perfectly combines care with control, giving kids the independence they need as they grow, with the facility for parents to monitor and manage what they’re getting up to online.

Using Kids360, parents can set screen time limits for their kids, get an overview of how their children are spending their time online, and even block certain apps entirely. It can also be used to set tasks and activities for kids, giving them the opportunity to earn rewards.

Is it Important to Understand Gen Alpha Slang? Bet

The Kids360 app

Learning the meanings of some of the most commonly used Gen Alpha words and phrases not only means you’ll have a better handle on what your kids are talking about, but could even help you get closer to them by understanding their world. Plus, it’s a crucial way to spot possible “masking,” that they’re struggling, or may be viewing inappropriate content. Approach a conversation about Gen Alpha slang lightheartedly, and try to be open-minded and non-judgmental. You may be surprised at just how many new words you learn!

FAQs

What slang does Gen Alpha use?

Gen Alpha uses a wide range of slang words and phrases. Some of the most commonly used include “skibidi,” “rizzler,” “brainrot,” and “bruh.”

How to say OK in Gen Alpha slang?

In Gen Alpha slang, “bet” is often used as a substitute for “okay” or to express general approval.

How do you say “hi” in Gen Alpha slang?

To say “hi” in Gen Alpha slang, you could say “hey”, “what’s good?” or simply “bruh.”

What is cringe in Gen Alpha slang?

The word “Ohio” in Gen Alpha slang can mean weird, odd, or cringey.

Cover image: SeventyFour/Shutterstock