The latest Gen Z slang terms your younger colleagues are using (and what they mean)

Remember when awesome-sauce was the height of linguistic sophistication? Charming, in retrospect.

Fast forward to 2025, and TikTok-driven slang moves so fast that even celebrities are catching on. Take skibidi, for example: the gibberish word from the viral Skibidi Toilet videos recently made its way into the Cambridge Dictionary – and inspired a brand-new track.

Singaporean singer JJ Lin teamed up with Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan on the electronic song Skibidi, released in August 2025, showing that viral slang can leap from meme culture to mainstream music. As Lin says, the track embodies an “unwavering spirit”: proof that even a joke word can carry some serious energy – so much so you can’t skip a beat.

For Gen Z, words like skibidi, serve (though we no longer serve – we give) and slay (a cautionary note: deploying this at work in this day might invite a side-eye) are not just passing fads, but still very much part of everyday conversations online and offline. Social media acts as a live dictionary, where new expressions emerge constantly, evolve rapidly, and spread across workplaces, classrooms, and group chats. And for a generation raised amid a ceaseless torrent of memes, reels, and viral culture, it is unsurprising that fresh slang emerges with dizzying rapidity.

Meanwhile, if you work alongside younger colleagues, you may have noticed that Gen Z slang has inadvertently migrated into the professional sphere. TikTok abounds with examples: viral videos showcase the irreverent creativity of their joke-laced email sign-offs, where “Sincerely” or “Warm regards” has been replaced by gems like “Another day, another slay.”

Don’t be fooled: Gen Z is well aware of the potential generational knowledge gap – some even enlist their boomer parents to attempt these phrases, filming the ensuing confusion for laughs.

To help you navigate this linguistic terrain, we’ve compiled a guide to the 21 most common contemporary expressions and what they actually mean. Pass this along to that coworker asking, “What even is a Chat?” Consider it your contribution to office enlightenment.

Aura farming

Related to Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year, rizz (short for “charisma,” meaning “got game”), aura farming refers to near-cinematic self-presentation (“aura”) to inspire admiration. The essence lies in effortless charisma: accumulating social “cool points” – hence “farming”, a term borrowed from gaming that denotes repeating an activity to achieve a desired outcome – all while maintaining nonchalance during an impressive or dramatic act.

The ultimate goal is to cultivate a distinct aesthetic or persona.

The term gained global recognition thanks to 11-year-old Indonesian boy Rayyan Arkan Dikha, who captivated audiences with an expressive dance during the traditional longboat race Pacu Jalur. His performance, meant to boost his team’s morale, quickly went viral, inspiring people worldwide to mimic his style and adopt the term to describe the cultivation of a cool, charismatic online presence.

Bet

Primarily an informal signal of agreement or affirmation, bet functions much like saying “for sure” or “I’m in.” It can also convey confident acceptance of a challenge, akin to “try me!”

Originating in African American Vernacular English, the term evolved from its gambling roots – where “bet” means “to wager” – into a versatile expression of understanding or acknowledgment in casual conversation.

Brat

Collins Dictionary’s 2024 Word of the Year, brat celebrates confidence, independence, and a playful, even hedonistic attitude. The term often denotes a lifestyle or aesthetic that embraces “messy” self-expression – partying, blunt honesty, or emotional vulnerability – over strict adherence to societal expectations.

British singer Charli XCX’s 2024 album, and the accompanying “brat summer” movement, cemented the term’s positive, celebratory meaning in contemporary pop culture.

Beige flag

Following the familiar “red flag” (serious warning) and “green flag” (positive indicator) framework, a beige flag denotes a person’s harmless quirks – traits that are unusual but neither inherently good nor bad.

For instance, someone who has never seen a Marvel movie might raise a beige flag: peculiar, perhaps, but ultimately innocuous.

CEO

Used in the phrase “CEO of...”, this term playfully acknowledges informal expertise or mastery in a given domain – often highlighting impressive antics or standout behaviour.

For example: “CEO of napping” celebrates someone’s undeniable skill at catching Zzzs.

Core, coded

No, this isn’t about secret messages. A hallmark of Gen Z slang, the suffixes “-core” and “-coded” are used to describe distinct trends, aesthetics, or vibes.

Attach them to a noun, and you’re essentially naming a niche style, cultural moment, or a set of traits reminiscent of a particular reference or archetype.

For example, calling an outfit “Barbie-coded” or “Barbie-core” signals that it likely pays homage to the doll’s signature style: flirty, feminine, and unmistakably pink. It’s playful, precise, and, at times, delightfully ultra-specific cultural shorthand.

Chat

A term of address, used to playfully address a group of friends, an audience, or even just the person they are talking to, as a kind of ironic nickname. 

Crashing out

To crash out is to reach an emotional breaking point, where anger, frustration, or exhaustion erupts uncontrollably. It is a moment that goes far beyond mere tiredness, a point at which decorum is abandoned and care thrown to the wind.

Imagine your boss scheduling a meeting for 5:59 PM, with your workday ending at 6 – that sudden surge of exasperation captures the essence of crashing out.

(Let them) cook

To allow someone to continue doing something they’re good at, or to let them pursue their ideas without interference.

It conveys a sentiment of “trust the process” and anticipation that the person will produce a great result.

Gyat(t)

Closer to Gen Alpha slang, gyatt is a term for an exclamation of surprise or admiration, often used to express appreciation for large, attractive derrière, and is considered a shortened form of “hot damn”.

Holding space

Borrowed from therapy-speak, this phrase means offering compassionate, non-judgmental support – being fully present without trying to “fix” another’s problems.

It gained traction in popular discourse through moments like the press tour for Wicked, where actors such as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo described “holding space” for their characters’ emotions.

Today, however, it is just as likely to be used ironically online – shorthand for mocking the perceived pretension of hyper-dramatic or overly earnest internet commentary.

ICL

Short for “I can’t lie”, used to emphasise truthfulness of a statement or opinion. Similar to phrases like “to be honest” (TBH), or “not gonna lie” (NGL).

Ick

A shorthand for sudden repulsion in a romantic context, the “ick” refers to a visceral turn-off often sparked by a seemingly trivial action or quirk. Once triggered, it can sour attraction almost instantly.

For instance, a partner loudly slurping soup at dinner might induce the ick – disproportionate in cause and effect, yet undeniably effective in extinguishing desire.

IJBOL

An acronym for “I Just Burst Out Laughing”, IJBOL functions as Gen Z’s update to the once-ubiquitous LOL. Where LOL long ago lost its literal force (rarely indicating genuine laughter), IJBOL seeks to reclaim a sense of immediacy and authenticity.

Lock in

Akin to being “in the zone”, to be “locked in” is to become completely focused, determined, and committed to a specific goal or task, often by shutting out distractions or negative influences, and concentrating with intense concentration.

The phrase emphasises unwavering dedication and preparation for a particular objective.

Mid

A shortening of the word “middle” or “middling”, mid carries a negative connotation of being mediocre, underwhelming, or low-quality.

My Shayla

Used to express feelings of heartbreak, yearning, or annoyance. It originates from actor Tyrese Gibson’s viral 2017 emotional video where he cried out “My Shayla...” during a difficult custody battle for his daughter. 

Opps

A clipped form of “opposition”, opps originally referred to rivals or enemies, particularly in rap and street vernacular. In contemporary Gen Z usage, the term has broadened to encompass not only adversaries but also casual antagonists and even minor inconveniences.

To “watch out for opps” may therefore mean anything from staying vigilant against real rivals to jokingly framing everyday nuisances – like a looming deadline – as one’s personal foe.

Pookie

A term of endearment, it is used to express affection for a loved one, such as a romantic partner, friend, or even a pet.

Sigma

Sigma describes the archetypal “lone wolf”: cool, successful, and independent, a leader who operates outside traditional hierarchies – in contrast to the “alpha” who dominates within them. While originally tied to gendered archetypes, the term has since migrated into Gen Alpha slang, where it is often used playfully or even ironically.

Phrases like “What the sigma?” now serve as general exclamations of confusion or disbelief.

Skibidi

A nonsense word elevated into viral slang, skibidi originated from the chaotic YouTube series Skibidi Toilet and was officially added to the Cambridge Dictionary in 2025. Its meaning shifts entirely with context – it can signal something cool, bad, dumb, or simply serve as filler.

Much like tonal particles in speech, its interpretation depends less on definition than on delivery. For example: “That was so skibidi!”, which might mean funny, good, or disastrous, depending on tone.