Seattle Culture
No Cap: This is Really Bussin
Confused by Gen Z slang? This handy guide can help.
By Carly Dykes May 24, 2024
Hi pookies, GRWM. You got rizz for days. Confused about what I just said? No cap, me too. Sorry, I’ll stop.
Gen Z has cooked up a dialect that’s practically foreign to the rest of the world, and you can thank TikTok for that. Since its debut in 2018, the popular video-sharing app has amassed millions of users, sharing 15-second skits, dance videos, and lip-syncing clips. Its high-speed nature fuels the creation of many, if not all, of Gen Z’s slang phrases, leaving older generations baffled by terms like “delulu,” “yeet,” and “gyat.”
Every generation creates its own slang, but TikTok’s fast-paced world has older folks (think anyone over 40) feeling like they’re deciphering hieroglyphics with Gen Z’s word of the week.
By analyzing Google data, a study conducted by Quizgecko, an AI-powered quiz and trivia platform, discovered the top Gen Z phrases Googled every month. Here are a few you should know to stay in the loop:
Rizz: Meaning a talent for seduction (stemming from the word “charisma”), is the top-searched term. It’s Googled nearly 700,000 times per month.
Example: “He’s got mad rizz; everyone’s swooning over him.”
Pookie: A nickname for someone you love.
Example: “My pookie and I went to the beach today.”
Simp: A term for a male who is overly submissive to a female.
Example: “Jeremy is such a simp, he’ll do anything to impress Sarah.”
Gyat: A Gen Z rendition of “goddamn.” Usually in reference to someone having a curvy body. It’s a complement.
Example: “Gyat, did you see her in that dress?”
Sus: Short for something that is questionable or suspicious.
Example: “You’re acting so sus!”
Yeet: To violently throw an object you deem worthless.
Example: “I yeeted my trash across the room.”
Next time you’re feeling delulu about Gen Z slang, just remember a quick Google search will have you joining in on the fun.
If you’re not Gen Z, this all may be a Beige flag, but get over it. Sheesh.