As the years go by, new slang terms come alive! The younger generation always comes up with new slang terms, sometimes changing each year. Let’s dive into a survey of the top most-used slang terms in 2023.
The online language learning platform Preply has released their 2023 survey of the most used slang terms that parents of teenagers are most familiar with.
While words like ”salty” and ”extra” transferred from last year’s list, some new slang terms exist.
The report surveyed 682 parents with children between the ages of 12 and 18, and only 2% of parents knew every slang term on the list. About 3 in 5 parents in the study said they try to keep up with slang terms to communicate with their teenagers.
Most common slang words
According to the parents in the survey, ”sus”, short for suspicious is the most used term in 2023 by teens. The term became popular after the online murder mystery game Among Us.
The second and third terms were ”bet” and yeet”. 59% of parents have heard their teenagers say ”bet” express agreement or good news. While 57% use ”yeet” when throwing an object.
Here are more commonly used slang terms, according to the survey, with the Urban Dictionary definition.
- Sus: ”Giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest; suspicious.”
- Bet: ”An expression that means ‘I agree,’ ‘good news.'”
- Yeet: “To violently throw an object that you deem worthless, inferior or just plain garbage.”
- Salty: “When you are upset over something little.”
- Cap: “Another word for lying. It can be used like no cap, or you can say stop capping.”
- Extra: “Being over the top, excessive, dramatic behavior.”
- Bussin: “What you would say if something is really good.”
- Bougie: “Used to describe someone as high class, literally or figuratively.”
- Sheesh: “An expression when you’re impressed or amazed by something.”
- Drip: “When something is very cool. Can be used to describe an outfit/accessory, person, song, etc.”
- Oof: “Can be used to express discomfort, stress, or sadness.”
- Finna: “Abbreviation of ‘fixing to.’ Normally, it means ‘going to’.”
- Shook: “Being shocked or surprised. When you can’t believe what you’re seeing.”
- Simp: “When someone does way too much for a person they like.”
- Mid: “Used to insult or degrade something or an opposing opinion, labeling it as average or poor quality.”
- Hold This L/You Took An L: “What someone says to another person when they lose at something.”
- IYKYK: “If You Know You Know.”
- NPC: “Someone, regardless of their views, who doesn’t think for themselves.”
To see more slang words used by teens in 2023, you can see the full survey here.
Some of the most hated terms by parents
Of course, parents aren’t going to like every slang term. The survey shows five terms that parents hate to hear their teenagers say.
Here is a list with percentages from the survey.
- Bussin: 21%
- Finna: 16%
- Cap: 14%
- Yeet: 14%
- Simp: 13%
Where does slang come from
According to the survey, more than half of Americans use slang in most conversations.
The survey also found that friends are the biggest source for learning new slang, followed by entertainment media such as TV, movies, and music.
A lot of teenagers get slang from social media as well. A lot of terms have come from social media. Like ”Rizz”, which means ”game” or how you approach someone you like.
Another would be ”God Did,” which originated from DJ Khaled. A popular YouTuber, Fanum, started using the term as well, and now many teenagers say it.
Many slang terms are used today. Sometimes they transfer over to the next year or sometimes they don’t. It’s all about the younger generation, culture, and trends.
