| Term | Meaning | Example | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rizz | Charm, the skill of attracting someone. | He got her number with zero effort. Unspoken rizz. | Dating | |
| Delulu | Short for delusional. Often used playfully for big, hopeful beliefs. | I’m delulu enough to think he’ll text back. | Feelings | |
| Aura | Someone’s cool factor or presence. People joke about gaining or losing “aura points”. | Tripping on stage and owning it? +1000 aura. | Vibes | |
| Aura farming | Trying hard to look effortlessly cool on camera. | He’s just aura farming with that slow walk. | Vibes | |
| Mid | Average or disappointing. | The new menu is mid. | Opinions | |
| Cap | A lie. The 🧢 emoji means the same. | You ran 10 miles today? Cap. | Talk | |
| No cap | For real, no lie. | This is the best pizza in town, no cap. | Talk | |
| Slay | Did something amazingly well. | You slayed that presentation. | Praise | |
| Ate (and left no crumbs) | Performed perfectly, nothing to improve. | She ate that dance and left no crumbs. | Praise | |
| Mother | A woman who is iconic. “Mother is mothering” means she is at her best. | Her new album? Mother is mothering. | Praise | |
| It’s giving | It gives off a certain vibe. | This outfit is giving 2016 Tumblr. | Vibes | |
| Main character energy | Acting like the star of your own movie, putting yourself first. | Walking to class with headphones in. Main character energy. | Vibes | |
| NPC | Someone who acts on autopilot, like a background video game character. | He just repeats whatever the group says. Total NPC. | Insults | |
| Sus | Suspicious. | Why is the fridge empty? Very sus. | Talk | |
| Simp | Someone who does way too much for a person they like. | He drove 3 hours to bring her soup. Simp. | Dating | |
| Unalive | Algorithm-friendly way to say kill or die, to avoid moderation. | The villain gets unalived in the finale. | TikTok terms | |
| Canon event | An experience everyone has to go through that shapes who you are. | Getting your heart broken at 19 is a canon event. | TikTok terms | |
| POV | Point of view. A video acted out from the viewer’s side. | POV: you just told your mom you quit your job. | TikTok terms | |
| FYP | For You page, TikTok’s main feed. Also used as a hashtag. | How did this end up on my FYP? | TikTok terms | |
| Brainrot | Mindless, addictive content, and what it does to your brain. | I watched brainrot for 3 hours straight. | TikTok terms | |
| Skibidi | Nonsense word from the Skibidi Toilet videos, used as playful gibberish. | That was so skibidi. | Gen Alpha | |
| 6-7 (six seven) | A nonsense shout with no fixed meaning, tied to a rap song and LaMelo Ball’s height. | “What’s your score?” “Six seven!” | Gen Alpha | |
| Mog | To look or do far better than someone else. | His new haircut mogs everyone in class. | Gen Alpha | |
| Unc | Short for uncle. Teasing someone for acting old. | You still use Facebook? Okay, unc. | Gen Alpha | |
| Sigma | A self-reliant lone wolf. Often used ironically. | Eating lunch alone by choice. Sigma move. | Gen Alpha | |
| Fanum tax | Taking a bite of a friend’s food. | Sorry, that fry was the Fanum tax. | Gen Alpha | |
| Ohio | Weird or cursed. | A snowstorm in May? That’s so Ohio. | Gen Alpha | |
| Bussin | Really good, usually about food. | This ramen is bussin. | Praise | |
| Bet | Okay, deal, I agree. | “Meet at 7?” “Bet.” | Talk | |
| Say less | Got it, you don’t need to explain more. | “Want to get tacos?” “Say less.” | Talk | |
| Lowkey | Quietly, a little, or secretly. | I lowkey want to stay home tonight. | Talk | |
| Highkey | Openly, very much. | I highkey love this song. | Talk | |
| Valid | Fair, makes sense, acceptable. | Skipping the party to sleep is valid. | Opinions | |
| The ick | A sudden turn-off about someone you liked. | He clapped when the plane landed. Instant ick. | Dating | |
| Situationship | A romantic relationship with no clear label. | We’ve been in a situationship for 6 months. | Dating | |
| Pick-me | Someone who puts others down to win approval. | “I’m not like other girls” is pick-me talk. | Insults | |
| Cheugy | Out of date or trying too hard. | Live, laugh, love signs are cheugy now. | Insults | |
| Ratio | When a reply gets more likes than the original post. | That comment ratioed the whole video. | TikTok terms | |
| Caught in 4K | Caught in the act, with clear proof. | Said he was sick, then posted from the beach. Caught in 4K. | Talk | |
| Living rent-free | Something you can’t stop thinking about. | That song is living rent-free in my head. | Feelings | |
| Era | A phase of your life. “Villain era”, “soft era”. | I’m in my saving money era. | Vibes | |
| Glow up | A big improvement in looks or confidence. | Her glow up since high school is unreal. | Praise | |
| Hits different | Feels better or more special than usual. | Coffee on a rainy morning hits different. | Opinions | |
| Understood the assignment | Did exactly what was needed, and did it well. | The whole cast understood the assignment. | Praise | |
| Touch grass | Go outside and log off for a while. | You’ve been arguing online all day. Touch grass. | Insults | |
| GRWM | Get ready with me. A video of getting ready while talking. | GRWM for my first day at the new job. | TikTok terms | |
| OOTD | Outfit of the day. | OOTD: thrifted jacket and old boots. | TikTok terms | |
| IYKYK | If you know, you know. An inside joke. | That one teacher who said “moving on”… IYKYK. | Acronyms | |
| TFW | That feeling when. | TFW your order arrives a day early. | Acronyms | |
| GOAT | Greatest of all time. The 🐐 emoji means the same. | She’s the GOAT of baking videos. | Acronyms | |
| Stan | A big fan, or to support someone strongly. | I stan this creator so hard. | Talk | |
| Tea | Gossip. “Spill the tea” means share it. | Okay, spill the tea. What happened? | Talk | |
| Periodt | End of discussion, said for emphasis. | She’s the best singer alive, periodt. | Talk | |
| Face card | A very attractive face. “Face card never declines.” | Her face card did all the work in that selfie. | Praise | |
| Pookie | A cute nickname for someone you love. | Good morning, pookie. | Dating | |
| -core | Suffix for an aesthetic, like cottagecore or gorpcore. | My room is full cottagecore now. | Vibes | |
| Very demure, very mindful | Modest, tasteful, low-key. Popular from a 2024 TikTok trend. | I wore a cardigan to work. Very demure, very mindful. | Vibes | |
| Lore | Someone’s backstory or history. | Wait, I need the lore on why you two stopped talking. | TikTok terms | |
| Yap | To talk a lot, often about nothing. | Sorry, I was yapping for 20 minutes. | Talk | |
| Chat | Talking to the audience like a livestream chat, even in real life. | Chat, is this real? | TikTok terms | |
| Algospeak | Code words used to dodge moderation, like unalive or seggs. | Creators use algospeak so videos don’t get flagged. | TikTok terms | |
| Shadowban | When your videos quietly get less reach without a notice. | My views dropped to 200. Am I shadowbanned? | TikTok terms | |
| Rage bait | Content made to annoy people so they comment. | Putting ketchup on steak is pure rage bait. | TikTok terms | |
| Gatekeep | To keep something to yourself. “Not gatekeeping” means sharing it. | Not gatekeeping: here’s where I got this dress. | Talk | |
| Bombastic side eye | A dramatic, doubtful look at something. | When he said he’s “basically a chef”: bombastic side eye. | Opinions | |
| Roman Empire | Something you think about all the time. | That one awkward thing I said in 2019 is my Roman Empire. | Feelings | |
| Beige flag | A quirky trait that is neither good nor bad. | Beige flag: he names all his plants. | Dating | |
| W / L | A win or a loss. | Free refills? Huge W. | Opinions | |
| Cooked | In big trouble, done for. | Exam in an hour and I haven’t studied. I’m cooked. | Feelings | |
| Crash out | To lose control and react badly. | I almost crashed out when they canceled my flight. | Feelings | |
| Glazing | Praising someone way too much. | Stop glazing him, it was one good game. | Insults | |
| Tweaking | Acting strange or getting something very wrong. | You think pineapple belongs in pasta? You’re tweaking. | Insults | |
| Girl dinner | A low-effort meal of snacks on a plate. | Cheese, crackers and grapes. Girl dinner. | TikTok terms | |
| Clean girl aesthetic | A polished, minimal, effortless look. | Slick bun and gold hoops: clean girl aesthetic. | Vibes |
Slang changes fast and some words mean different things in different groups. Check the comments before you use a new one.
How to use TikTok slang
Look up a word
Type a word or part of it in the search box, or filter by type, like Praise or TikTok terms.
Use it in captions
A little slang makes captions feel native to TikTok. Too much can feel forced, especially for brands.
Know algospeak
Creators swap risky words for safe ones, like unalive, so videos are less likely to be flagged. You’ll see these in captions and comments.
Frequently asked questions
What does rizz mean on TikTok?
Rizz means charm, the ability to attract someone. It is widely credited to streamer Kai Cenat, who popularized it in 2021.
What does delulu mean?
Delulu is short for delusional. People use it playfully, as in “delulu is the solulu”, meaning big hopes can pay off.
What does aura mean on TikTok?
Aura is someone’s cool factor. People joke about gaining or losing aura points based on how they handle a moment.
Should brands use TikTok slang?
In small doses, if it fits your voice. Using it wrong or too often can make a brand look out of touch.