Delulu? Skibidi? Kids today are speaking a language all their own. These words, phrases, and acronyms might pop up in text messages and everyday conversations, but what do they even mean? Here’s your field guide to common teen and tween phrases, from Gen Alpha terms to Gen Z sayings.
Ate: Praise or admiration for someone’s actions, choices, or performance. For example, “she ate” in reference to a friend’s outfit means that she looks great.
Bussin: Something extremely good or excellent, such as food.
Cooked: A state of being in danger or doomed. This term is often used facetiously. For example, if your teen is anxious about the consequences of not doing their chores, they might say, “I didn’t put the dishes away like Mom asked. I’m cooked.”
Delulu: Short for “delusional.” It describes someone with unrealistic beliefs or optimistic expectations.
GOAT: This stands for the Greatest Of All Time. If someone describes you as the GOAT, it’s a compliment.
High key: Something is intense or over-the-top. High key (also styled “highkey”) can also mean “really” or “very much,” as in “She highkey wants you to ask her to the dance.”
Igh: Synonymous with “alright,” “I guess,” or “fine.”
It’s giving: Used to describe when something is giving a certain feeling or vibe. You might describe someone’s outfit as, “It’s giving Billie Eilish.”
Kms/kys: Acronyms that stand for “kill myself” and “kill yourself.” While it may be intended as a spot of dark humor, if you see kys in your child’s texts, treat it seriously.
Left no crumbs: Someone did something extremely well or perfectly. This phrase is often paired with “ate.” For example, the sentence “She ate and left no crumbs” might refer to someone’s perfect performance in a play.
Low key: Restrained, chill, or modest. Low key (or “lowkey”) is the opposite of high key. If someone is going to a low-key party, it’ll be a chill hangout.
Menty b: Short for “mental breakdown.” Menty b is meant to be a humorous way to describe someone’s feelings during periods of high stress.
Mew/mewing: The practice of placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth to improve jawline aesthetics.“Mewing” is a Gen Alpha trend that involves putting a finger to their lips like they’re shushing someone, then running their finger along their jawline. A tween might mew in response to a question — they can’t answer because they’re working on their jawline. (This one is a little convoluted.)
Ngl: This stands for “not gonna lie.” Someone might use this if they’re going to share their honest opinion about a topic.
Ohio: Used to describe someone as weird or cringey.
Ong: Expresses strong belief, intense emotion, or honesty. For example, if someone is concerned about nearly missing their final, they might text, “I slept through my alarm ong.”
Skibidi: This term can mean cool, bad, or dumb, depending on what it’s paired with. “Skibidi Ohio” means someone is really weird, while “skibidi rizz” means they’re good at flirting. The term comes from a YouTube series called Skibidi Toilet, in which toilets with human heads battle humanoids with electronics as heads. What a world.
Sigma: Means good, cool, or the best at something. Conversely, “what the sigma” doesn’t really mean anything — it’s another way of saying “what the heck.”
Smfh: Short for “shaking my f**king head.” It’s used to refer to something disappointing or upsetting.
Smth: An abbreviation for “something.”
Stan: To enthusiastically support something or someone.
Tea: Gossip or secrets. The phrase “spill the tea” means that someone wants to hear the latest juicy information.
Mid: Something is average, low-quality, or middle-of-the-road.
If you feel like you’re having your own menty b after trying to understand Gen Z sayings, we’re lowkey right there with you. But you’re not cooked, parents. Kids have glommed onto different words, phrases, and even emojis as part of their cultural consciousness for generations (see: on fleek, basic, cool beans, and feels). Staying informed and trying to translate your child’s messages are part of the experience of being a parent.
For extra help monitoring what matters — your child’s safety — there’s BrightCanary. The app uses advanced AI technology to monitor your child’s text messages, social media, and searches and flags concerning content, including explicit material, harassment, and drug references. Download on the App Store today to get started for free.
