If you're on mainstream social media platforms a lot, you must've encountered Gen Z slang words at least once. Every generation has their own slang words, so it's not surprising that the younger generation does too. Here are some of the words you might've seen and what they mean.
1. No Cap
You can usually determine the meaning from context, and if you try to look at the situation, "no cap" is usually at the end or the beginning of a sentence. It means "no lies," since "cap" means that you're lying or exaggerating something.
2. Hits Different
Have you ever experienced something so amazing that it's unlike anything you've felt before? That means you've gone through something that "hits different." For instance, a cold drink "hits the spot," but your favorite cold drink on a hot day "hits different."
3. Understood the Assignment
The slang is self-explanatory, although it's easy to miss when it's mixed with pop culture references and other matters. In school, when you understand the assignment, you'll likely do good. It's the same premise. When someone has done well on something, they "understood the assignment."
4. Simp
As mentioned in Dictionary, the term "simp" has been around since 1987 by rappers Ice-T and DJ Evil E, but the term just reemerged and is now used more widely in social media. It's somewhat of a derogatory and sexist term for men who are submissive to women or are going to lengths just to please women.
5. Boujee
The word is a diluted version of the French word "bourgeoisie" which are the merchant class who hold vast amounts of wealth. Initially, it was shortened to "bougie," which then became "boujee" as it was influenced by hip-hop and rap culture.
6. L and W
No one knows someone thought about shortening a three or four-letter word, but "W" means win while "L" means lose or loss. For example, when someone is still defending themselves after being shamed on the internet by the majority, they will be told to "take the L."
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7. CEO
CEOs are regarded as successful people in their fields seeing as they're the leaders of a company. That's the same regard as the slang CEO. If someone calls you "CEO of gaming," it means you are an expert at it.
Although, despite the positive connotations, it can also be used negatively. Kind of like saying that you're so good at being bad at something. For example, being called "CEO of misunderstanding" means you're being slow.
8. Ratio
"Ratio" is usually used when an arguable statement is posted online and only a few or no one agrees with it. When someone says something controversial in a post and gets 20 likes, while the reply or comment that opposes it gets 6,000 likes, then they are "ratioed," as explained by Later.
9. Bussin'
The term comes from the word "busting" which can mean "to explode." It's usually used positively in a colloquial sense, kind of like "bursting with flavor." With that in mind, it's usually refers to really good food, which was eventually used by Gen Z for good music and other things as well.
10. Say Less
When someone tells you to "say less," it means they want you to stop talking. Frankly, it's a rude way of telling someone to end their statement, but it's not worse than STFU, which was more used by millennials.
Related: Merriam-Webster Has Added a Number of Internet Slang to Its Dictionary - Is Sus a Real Word Now?
