What are some fun slang words?

Slang words are informal words and phrases that are commonly used in casual conversation among friends, peers, and young people. They often originate from specific groups or cultures before becoming more widespread. Slang provides colorful expressions to describe everyday experiences, objects, and people in playful or amusing ways. Some slang lasts a long time and gets included in the dictionary, while other slang has its moment before fading in popularity. This article will explore some of the most fun, clever, and expressive slang words used today.

Table of Contents

What is slang?

Slang refers to informal language that is usually spoken rather than written. It often consists of words or phrases that emerge within a specific social group, cultural movement, generation, or period of time. Slang provides casual, innovative, and frequently humorous expressions to communicate shared experiences or feelings. It allows people to establish group identity, play with language in creative ways, and keep up with ever-changing social trends. While formal definitions categorize slang as a type of language that goes in and out of fashion, slang continues to evolve as new words get created and old ones resurface or take on new meanings.

Where does slang come from?

There are many theories about the origin of slang terms. New slang often develops from subgroups like teens, urban youth, surfers, or hip hop culture as a way for members to communicate in their own dialect. The terms can derive from abbreviations, distortions of standard words, or references to pop culture or current events. As the subcultures using these terms grow, the words get picked up by the mainstream. Other slang has more mysterious beginnings and uncertain etymologies. The ongoing development of slang reflects the human impulse to turn language and meaning on its head, defy convention, and communicate with levity and wit.

Features of slang

Slang has distinctive features that set it apart from standard language. It tends to be:

Informal – Slang is casual language used in relaxed settings among friends.
Playful – Slang often demonstrates cleverness and humor.

Expressive – Slang conveys strong emotions or emphasizes a point.
Concise – Slang gets meaning across in creative shortcuts.
Youthful – Slang originates from and appeals to young people.

Current – Slang reflects the latest cultural trends and changes quickly.
In-Group – Slang establishes membership among subcultures or social groups.

These qualities allow slang to serve important social functions. The informality and playfulness of slang helps people connect with each other. Its expressiveness adds color and vibrancy to language. By virtue of its newness and ingroup nature, slang gives people a fresh way to engage with constant cultural change. Clever slang demonstrates verbal skill and imagination. For these reasons, slang continues to thrive in casual discourse.

Slang in culture

Slang terms tend to permeate popular culture once they reach a certain level of widespread use. This includes:

Movies and TV – Scriptwriters include slang dialogue to create authenticity for settings, characters, and time periods. Slang may also get exposure through news interviews or reality TV designed to capture natural speech.
Music – Song lyrics often incorporate the latest slang as musicians try to connect to youth culture and real language used on the street.

Books – Fictional dialogue and first-person narratives may use slang to make the language sound casual and contemporary.
Social media – Online platforms like Twitter allow slang to spread rapidly in short form. Hashtags distribute trendy terms.
Advertising – Brands and companies may co-opt slang in an effort to seem cool, relatable, or culturally relevant.

This popularization accelerates the adoption of slang. Once slang reaches mainstream audiences through various media channels, it becomes part of the larger shared culture.

Fun slang words

So what are some examples of fun and spirited slang used today? Here is a sampling grouped into categories:

Slang for people

Bae – Term of endearment for one’s romantic partner or interest, stands for “before anyone else.”

Basic – Unoriginal stereotype conforming to mainstream trends.
Extra – Over-the-top dramatic behavior.
Turnt – Wild, crazy, or drunk.

Ghost – To abruptly end communication without explanation.
GOAT – Greatest of all time, the best ever.
Squad – One’s friend group or crew.

Woke – Socially aware of issues like racism, discrimination.
OTP – One true pairing, preferred fictional couple.

Slang for situations

Hangry – Irritable or angry when hungry.

JOMO – Joy of missing out, feeling satisfied skipping a social event.
TBT – Throwback Thursday, reminiscing about the past.
YOLO – You only live once, seizing the day.

Ghosting – Suddenly ending a relationship by cutting off communication.
Catfish – Luring someone into a relationship with a fake persona online.
FOMO – Fear of missing out on an experience.

Adulting – Performing mundane responsibilities of adult life.

Slang exclamations

Twerk – Dance in a provocative manner by shaking one’s hips.
Slay – To do really well, conquer, impress.

Lit – Amazing, exciting, high energy.
Fire – Trendy, awesome, excellent.
Legit – Genuine, valid, true.

Savage – Brutally mocking or disrespectful.
Shade – Subtle expression of contempt.
Stan – Obsessive super fan.

Shipping – Supporting fictional romantic relationships.
Snatched – Stylish, perfectly done up in appearance.
Cancelled – To dismiss someone from approval or support.

Slang prefixes

Hangry – Irritable from hunger.
Bougie – Pertaining to bourgeois or middle/upper class.
Adorkable – Charmingly or appealingly awkward.

Jank – Low quality, worn out.
Chillax – Calm down and relax.
Mansplain – Condescending explanation by a man to a woman.

Evolution of slang

Slang evolves rapidly as young people play with language and coin fresh terms. Only some of these survive as popular slang for more than a few years. Here are examples of how slang shifts over time:

Older slang

Groovy – Fantastic, cool in the 1960s

Psyche – Expression of excitement or triumph, popular in the 1980s.
Dope – Excellent or amazing in the 1990s.
Fo’ shizzle – For sure, originated in rap lyrics.

Bootylicious – Curvaceous rear end, from a Destiny’s Child song.
Twerk – Sexually provocative dancing originating in New Orleans bounce music.

Newer slang

Fleek – Perfect, flawless, on point.
Bougie – Affluent and materialistic.
Thirsty – Overeager for attention or approval.

Receipts – Proof, evidence to back something up.
Salty – Bitter or angry about something petty.
High key – Doing something obviously and actively.

Low key – Subtle or not wanting attention.
Vibe – The atmosphere or mood of a situation.

As new terms emerge, old slang may disappear or take on entirely different meanings. Sociolinguists study these shifts to identify patterns in how slang evolves based on the subculture and era.

Reasons for using slang

Why has slang persisted and thrived for so long in casual conversations? There are many good reasons:

Creativity – Slang demonstrates imagination and wordplay skills.
Humor – Slang is often funny, ironic, or satirical.

In-Group Bonding – Special terms build intimacy and reinforce social identity.
Nonconformity – Slang shows resistance to formal rules.
Secrecy – Slang allows covert communication.

Brevity – Slang terms are often shorter and more efficient.
Emphasis – Slang stresses strong emotion or attitude.
Novelty – Slang captures attention as a break from routine.

Youth Appeal – Slang contributes to a young, cool identity.

For these reasons, slang continues to offer an appealing alternative to standardized language in casual settings.

Should you use slang?

Is it advisable to use slang yourself? Here are some things to keep in mind:

Use slang only in appropriate informal contexts among friends where you know it will be understood and appreciated.
Avoid slang in formal situations like work meetings, professional emails, or academic writing.
Don’t force slang unnaturally if it doesn’t reflect your own personality and regular speech patterns.

Stay current with the latest slang but don’t overuse trendy terms or try too hard to sound hip.
Remember that slang can alienate outsiders and should bring people together rather than shutting them out.

Moderation and situational awareness are key when deciding how much and when to spice up your language with slang. The ability to code switch between slang and more formal registers is an asset for communicating effectively and authentically in both casual and professional settings.

Slang resources

Here are some useful resources to learn about slang and keep up with new terms:

Urban Dictionary – Crowdsourced dictionary of slang words and phrases
Dictionary of Slang – Reference guide to slang terminology

Green’s Dictionary of Slang – Historical slang reference
Etymology online forums – Discuss origins and meanings
Trending social media hashtags – Reveal rising slang

Rap Genius – Decodes slang used in rap lyrics
Glossaries of subcultures – Learn group-specific terms
Popular meme sites/pages – Source of trendy internet slang

With these references at your fingertips, you can gain valuable insight into the ever-evolving world of slang that captures the youthful, innovative spirit of language.

Conclusion

Slang serves many creative purposes in casual contexts. It allows people to establish social identity, share experiences, emphasize opinions, and just have fun with language. While slang comes and goes quickly, evidence shows youth will continue generating new terms. Understanding and properly using slang helps facilitate authentic communication and connection in informal settings. With its humor and emotional impact, slang in moderation adds welcome vibrancy to everyday conversations.