Gen Z Slang Abbreviations
47 abbreviations · part of Texting & Internet Slang Abbreviations
Abbreviations popularized by Generation Z (born roughly 1997 to 2012) and Gen Alpha on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Discord and in group chats, such as NGL, FR, IYKYK, ONG and ATP. Many come from African American Vernacular English and hip-hop before spreading through social media, and some fade within a few years. Entries explain the tone of each term, when it caught on and whether it is safe to use outside a casual chat with friends.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | Six seven (Gen Alpha meme) | Viral catchphrase shouted or typed by Gen Alpha children and young teens as an inside joke with no fixed meaning, often with a palms-up, see-saw hand gesture. |
| AF | As f*** | Intensifier placed after an adjective, as in "tired af" or "cute af," meaning "extremely." One of the most common slang abbreviations on social media. |
| ATP | At this point | Expresses resignation, frustration or a shift in perspective after repeated problems, as in "atp I'm just gonna walk." Common among Gen Z in texts, tweets and TikTok… |
| BFFR | Be f***ing for real | Tells someone to stop joking, lying or making an unrealistic claim, as in "you're going to run a marathon? bffr." Expresses disbelief with a sharp edge. |
| BSF | Best friend | Shorthand for "best friend," used by Gen Z and Gen Alpha in captions, bios and texts, as in "happy birthday to my bsf." |
| Delulu | Delusional | Describes someone with unrealistic hopes, especially about a crush, celebrity or dream outcome, usually in a self-mocking way. |
| DTI | Dress to Impress | Roblox fashion game in which players style an avatar to match a theme and are scored by other players, and by extension a theme or challenge inspired by it. |
| FAFO | F*** around and find out | Warns that reckless or provocative behavior will bring consequences, or describes someone suffering the consequences of their own actions. |
| Fam | Family | Term of address for close friends, as in "what's good, fam?" It can also refer to one's actual family or a tight group of friends treated like family. |
| FR | For real | Expresses agreement, sincerity or emphasis, as in "this song is fire fr" or a lone "fr" meaning "seriously, I agree." Also used as a question, "fr?", to ask if… |
| FRFR | For real, for real | Doubled form of FR that adds strong emphasis or insists on sincerity, as in "I'm done with him frfr." It tells the reader the writer truly means it. |
| FS | For sure | Expresses agreement or confirmation, as in "u coming?" / "fs." Common among Gen Z and young millennials in texts and DMs. |
| GOAT | Greatest of all time | Title for the best person ever in a field, especially sports and music, as in "Serena is the GOAT." Also used as praise for a friend or favorite thing, often with the… |
| GTS | Go to sleep | Tells someone, or oneself, to go to bed, often late at night or as a teasing way to end a conversation. |
| HYD | How you doing? | Casual greeting asking how someone is, common in texts, DMs and dating-app openers among Gen Z and young adults. |
| ICL | I can't lie | Prefaces an honest admission or confession, similar to NGL (not gonna lie). |
| IJBOL | I just burst out laughing | Expresses genuine, sudden laughter at something very funny. |
| IKYFL | I know you f***ing lying | Expresses disbelief at a surprising claim or story, usually playfully, as in "you got front-row tickets? ikyfl." Popular on Twitter and TikTok among young adults. |
| ion | I don't | Phonetic spelling of "I don't" as it is often pronounced in African American Vernacular English and Southern speech ("I on"), as in "ion know" or "ion care." Common… |
| ISTG | I swear to God | Adds emphasis to a statement of frustration, disbelief or determination, as in "istg if he's late again." Common among teens and young adults in texts and comments. |
| IYKYK | If you know, you know | Signals an inside joke, shared experience or reference that only some readers will understand, without explaining it. |
| KMS | Kill myself (hyperbole) | Hyperbolic expression of embarrassment, frustration or boredom, as in "I have three exams tomorrow kms." Common among teens online and in texts, almost always as… |
| L | Loss | Labels something as a failure, embarrassment or bad decision, as in "that's an L" or "taking the L." Often used to mock or console. |
| LBR | Let's be real | Introduces a blunt, honest observation that cuts through pretense, as in "lbr, nobody reads the terms and conditions." Writers use it to say what everyone is thinking… |
| LFG | Let's f***ing go | Hype exclamation expressing excitement, celebration or determination, as in "we won, LFG!" Used in sports fandom, fitness posts, startup announcements and crypto… |
| NGL | Not gonna lie | Prefaces an honest admission, opinion or mild confession, as in "ngl that was kind of fun." It signals candor and often softens a surprising or unpopular view. |
| NPC | Non-player character | Character in a video game or tabletop RPG controlled by the computer or game master rather than a player, such as shopkeepers, quest givers and townspeople. |
| OG | Original gangster | Originally hip-hop slang for a respected veteran gang member, now used for anyone or anything original, authentic or long-standing, as in "OG fans," "the OG recipe" or… |
| ONG | On God | Swears that a statement is true, similar to "I swear," as in "I didn't take your charger, ong." Used heavily by Gen Z and Gen Alpha in texts, comments and speech. |
| OOMF | One of my followers | Refers vaguely to someone the writer follows or who follows them, without naming them, usually in tweets about a crush, a rivalry or something they posted. |
| Opp | Opposition or opponent | Slang for an enemy, rival or anyone working against the speaker, usually plural as "opps." Born in drill music and hip-hop, it is now used jokingly by Gen Z for haters… |
| PMO | Pisses me off | Expresses annoyance at something, as in "ts pmo" (this s*** pisses me off). |
| Rizz | Charisma | Ability to charm or attract a romantic interest, as in "he's got rizz." Also a verb, as in "rizz someone up," meaning to flirt successfully. |
| SMTH | Something | Shortens "something," as in "wanna do smth tonight?" or "smth came up." Common among teens and young adults in texts and comments. |
| SNM | Say no more | Signals instant agreement or understanding, meaning "I get it, no need to explain," as in "need a ride?" / "snm." It shows the writer is already convinced. |
| STG | Swear to God | Shorter version of ISTG used to insist something is true or to express frustration, as in "stg I locked the door." Popular with teens and on social media. |
| Sus | Suspicious or suspect | Describes a person or behavior that seems shady, dishonest or questionable, as in "that's kinda sus." Hugely popularized in 2020 by the video game Among Us. |
| SYBAU | Shut your b**** a** up | Rude command telling someone to stop talking, used jokingly among friends or as a genuine insult in arguments. |
| TF | The f*** | Intensifier inserted into questions and exclamations, as in "what tf" or "tf is this?", expressing confusion, anger or surprise. |
| TS | This s*** | Refers to the current situation, object or piece of content, often with frustration, as in "ts pmo" or "ts so hard." Trending among Gen Z and Gen Alpha in 2024 and 2025. |
| W | Win | Calls something a success, good decision or positive outcome, as in "that's a W" or "huge W for the team." Common in Gen Z speech, texts and comments, often paired with… |
| WSG | What's good? | Greeting meaning "what's up?" or "how are you?", also used to ask about plans or news. |
| WSP | What's up? | Casual greeting asking how someone is or what they are doing, a texting form of "wassup." Popular among Gen Z on Snapchat, Instagram DMs and in gaming chats. |
| WTM | What's the move? | Asks about plans or what the group is doing next, as in "wtm after the game?" Popular among Gen Z and college students in group chats. |
| WTW | What's the word? | Asks what is going on, what the plans are or whether there is any news, as in "wtw for tonight?" Common in group chats among teens and college students. |
| WYLL | What you look like? | Asks someone to send a photo of themselves, typically on Snapchat or Instagram when chatting with someone the writer has not met in person. |
| Y2K | Year 2000 (fashion and design aesthetic) | Revival style inspired by late-1990s and early-2000s fashion, music and technology, including low-rise jeans, butterfly clips, baby tees, metallic fabrics and flip… |