Gen Z language explained: From 'neek' to 'rizz' to 'slay' and 'NPC,' everything explained for adults

Gen Z’s language is filled with neologisms and illogical phrases such as ‘no cap’ or ‘it’s giving’. Even though I am part of Gen Z myself, I even get confused sometimes. Gen Z’s language has been popularised in the media, with brands such as Curry’s posting a viral TikTok ad captioned ‘’Letting the Gen Z colleague write out marketing scripts’’ with a worker using Gen Z slang to promote products.

Even though language is ephemeral, with new words replaced every few weeks, here’s my guide to key words/phrases currently part of Gen Z slang:

1) Slay

Slay is a classic Gen Z term that is used habitually among teenagers and I must admit, it is a favourite of mine. It’s essentially an enthusiastic way of praising someone. It is reminiscent of the phrase: ‘look at you go’. For example, after someone does a speech or a presentation, you could say ‘That was such a slay!’ rather than a classic ’well done’.

2) Neek

Neek is another great Gen Z term. Don’t trust the definition in Collins dictionary that states it is a ‘’dull or unpopular person, especially one who is interested in technology’’. It can vary in meaning, however, generally, it is defined as a mixture of ‘’nerd’’ and ‘’geek’’. Yet it’s considered much less insulting than being called either. When speaking to my friends today, they said a neek is cuter than a nerd or geek. For example, you could say ‘’This might sound a bit neeky, but last night I was researching…..’’.

3) NPC

This acronym was popularised in social media memes and stands for a ‘’non-player character’’ stemming from video game culture. It describes someone who behaves like a side character; a metaphor for someone lacking strong personality and is generally a follower not a leader.

4) Rizz

Crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2023, ‘Rizz’ is officially famous. To put it simply, it’s short for ‘charisma’. But it’s a little more than that. To have ‘rizz’ means to be charming, and a little flirtatious. If you’re someone who finds it easy to chat people up, you might have ‘rizz’ and not even know about it.

5) Delulu

It seems fairly obvious what delulu means, given that it clearly derives from the word ‘delusional’. Gen Z uses this as a way of describing a person who has unrealistic views and is out of touch with reality. It is generally used when discussing denial in relationships. I’m going to use a Friends scene to highlight the meaning of this one. Rachel is ‘delulu’ when she tells Monica: ‘’He’s not asking me out, because he wants me to ask him out.’’ Another TikToker recalled her ‘delulu’ conversations with her friends where she said ‘’He blocked me’’ and her friend replied ‘’It’s because he’s scared to catch feelings’’.

6) Pookie

Pookie is Gen Z’s ‘darling’ or ‘babe’. TikTok’s favourite pet name has become extremely popular among teenagers, used between both friends and partners – even teenage boys use it ironically to one another. It was popularised through famous social media couple Campbell and Jett Puckett from Georgia where the latter constantly calls his wife ‘’pookie’’ in Instagram reels, making popular appearances on thousands of social media pages.

7) Ick

The ‘ick’, a sudden feeling of disgust towards a partner, is a much discussed topic among teenagers. There are even videos on social media of people interviewing fellow Gen Z’ers on the street asking what their ick is. I’ve heard a range of peoples ‘icks’ in my life, some being oddly specific. It can range from ‘’when he sings the wrong lyrics confidently and thinks they’re right’’, to ‘’taking too many selfies’’. However, the ‘ick’ has been under some criticism, as it seems like a very judgemental and hypercritical way of living. Surely you can’t lose feelings towards someone because they may have worn skinny jeans once? Gen Z beg to differ.

8) It’s giving….

While this is not a word, I can’t not include it given its popularity. Essentially, the phrase means ‘it reminds me of’. Gen Z might use this to draw parallels between two different things such as ‘’I love your outfit, it’s giving Devil Wears Prada’.