Twitter, Instagram, YouTube — it seems like whichever website you turn to these days is littered with words that look like English but certainly weren’t a part of any grade school vocabulary lesson.
That’s because the internet’s lexicon is home to an ever-growing list of slang terms with plenty of recent additions by the growing Gen Z population. You might think you’re fly (some ’90s slang for you!) when using millennial terms like woke, taking an L, spilling the tea, or lit, but those terms are as dated as a Blackberry to the kids of today.
Here’s a roundup of nine words you’re likely to hear in the presence of any Gen Z-er.
Bread
Like dough, bread means money. In Gen Z’s vocabulary, it would be used as such: “Let’s get that bread!” Translated: "Get to your job so you can make money." Something as simple as dough or bread meaning cash calls back to how bread used to be an everyday necessity when earning money. Think "bringing home the bacon" but related to pastries instead.
No Cap
Not the hat that goes on your head nor the twist top on a bottle, rather cap refers to a lie or untruth. In Gen Z’s vernacular, it’s often used as “no cap” and means this is the truth or not a lie. Example: “This is the best burger I’ve ever eaten, no cap.”
Finna
According to etymologists, "finna" is an abbreviation or shortening of “fixing to”, that Southern slang term for "going to". But “finna” is more often used like “gonna.” Here’s a usage: “In this summer heat, I’m finna melt.”
Finsta
A Finsta is a fake Instagram account. The portmanteau is a bit misleading as older folks might assume that it refers to a fake identity account. In reality, it’s the exact opposite. Finstas are private accounts used to post filterless, real (maybe even embarrassing) images for select chosen followers — far removed from the aesthetic of curated content users often strive for.
Flex
You’ll generally hear "flex" used as a mocking response — “weird flex, but okay” — whenever a person brags or shows off about something unusual or bizarre.
Suh?
This one is pretty straightforward — it's a shorter version of the already-shortened phrase "sup" which means “what’s up?”. Because why not save yourself a few extra milliseconds by dropping even more letters?
Sus
While "suss" is a real word meaning "to realize something", "sus" is actually short for suspect, used to describe someone who’s acting shady, suspicious, or the like. As in, “It’s kinda sus that he’s suddenly sick on the day of the big exam.”
Unsult
A backhanded compliment or an insult disguised as praise. For instance, telling someone they’re smart despite not attending college is an unsult. Or saying, “Your tweets make you seem so funny online."
Yeet
Yeet is versatile in its uses. Now often used as an exclamation, it was once largely known as a type of dance, but the meaning has since expanded.“To yeet is to give your full power and soul to an action you're doing,” is how Urban Dictionary describes it, while noting that you can have plans to yeet, be yeeting, or (past tense) have yote.