2000s

/thats hot/

That's great/attractive

Origin: Popularized by Paris Hilton

"Your new flip phone — that's hot."

/kray/

Crazy

Origin: Late 2000s shortened slang

"That party was cray."

/bling/

Flashy jewelry

Origin: Hip-hop, popularized by B.G. 1999

"Check out his bling."

/powned/

Defeated badly (gaming)

Origin: Typo of 'owned', early 2000s gaming

"You just got pwned, noob."

/noob/

Inexperienced person

Origin: Online gaming, early 2000s

"Stop being such a noob."

/el-oh-el/

Laugh out loud

Origin: 1980s online chat, mainstream 2000s

"LOL, that meme is great."

/tyt/

Cool, excellent

Origin: 1990s, peaked 2000s

"Your kicks are tight."

/BROH-mans/

Close non-romantic friendship between men

Origin: 1990s skater zine, mainstream 2000s

"Their bromance is real."

/foh SHIZ-uhl/

For sure

Origin: Snoop Dogg's '-izzle' suffix

"Pizza tonight? Fo' shizzle."

//fɛtʃ//

A term used to describe something that is cool, fashionable, or 'cool'.

Origin: Coined by the character Gretchen Wieners in the 2004 film Mean Girls.

"Stop trying to make fetch happen, it's not going to happen."

//fɪərs//

A term used to describe someone or something that is bold, stylish, and confident.

Origin: Popularized by Christian Siriano on Project Runway and within ballroom culture.

"I'm going to look so fierce in these low-rise jeans."

//ˈheɪ.tər//

A person who voices negative opinions about someone else's success or style.

Origin: Hip-hop culture, gaining mainstream prominence in the early 2000s via songs like 'Hate Me Now'.

"Don't be such a hater, she's just doing her thing."

//aɪs//

Diamonds or expensive jewelry.

Origin: African American Vernacular English (AAVE), specifically Southern rap culture.

"Look at the ice on his chain, he must be doing well."

//ˈbɔː.lɪn//

Living a wealthy, high-status lifestyle.

Origin: Derived from 'basketball player' status; popularized by Jim Jones' 2006 song 'We Fly High'.

"I saw him driving that new SUV, he's totally ballin'."

//kɪks//

Sneakers or shoes.

Origin: Sneakerhead culture and hip-hop.

"I'm going to the mall to get some new kicks."

//ðæts hɒt//

An expression of approval or used to describe something trendy.

Origin: The catchphrase of socialite Paris Hilton, popularized on The Simple Life.

"That's hot."

//krɪndʒ//

Something that causes an inward feeling of embarrassment or awkwardness.

Origin: Early internet forums and message boards.

"I can't believe he wore that, it's so cringe."

//tɔːk tuː ðə hænd//

A dismissive gesture and phrase used to ignore someone.

Origin: African American Vernacular English (AAVE), widely popularized by 90s/00s sitcoms and Jerry Springer.

"Talk to the hand, 'cause the face ain't listening."

//blɪŋ//

Flashy, expensive jewelry or accessories.

Origin: B.G.'s 1999 hit 'Bling Bling' brought this into the 2000s mainstream.

"Look at all that bling on her neck."

//noʊ kæp//

To signify that one is not lying or exaggerating.

Origin: Atlanta hip-hop culture (though it peaked later, it originated in early 2000s foundational slang).

"No cap, that was the best burger I've ever had."

//skrʌb//

A guy who thinks he's fine but has no money or prospects.

Origin: Popularized by the 1999 TLC song 'No Scrubs' and remained dominant through the early 00s.

"He's a total scrub, he's always asking for a ride."

//swæɡ//

Style, confidence, or a cool way of carrying oneself.

Origin: Derived from 'swagger'; popularized by Jay-Z and Soulja Boy.

"I have so much swag in this outfit."

//pɪmp//

Cool, impressive, or high-quality.

Origin: Hip-hop culture and the show 'Pimp My Ride'.

"That's so pimp."

//tʃɪˈlæks//

A combination of 'chill' and 'relax'.

Origin: Late 90s/early 2000s surfer and stoner culture.

"Chillax, we're going to get there on time."

//piːs aʊt//

To leave or say goodbye.

Origin: Variation of 'peace', popularized in hip-hop and teen culture.

"I'm going to peace out, see you guys later."

//wɜːrd//

An expression of agreement or used to acknowledge something as true.

Origin: Abbreviation of 'word is bond' from hip-hop culture.

"Word, I'll see you at eight."

//ˈiː.moʊ//

A term for someone who is overly emotional or associated with the emo music subculture.

Origin: Evolving from 80s hardcore into the 2000s 'mall-emo' fashion scene.

"He's so emo, he's always listening to Dashboard Confessional."

//taɪt//

Cool, great, or impressive.

Origin: Skate and hip-hop culture.

"That's tight! I want one too."

//wɒtˈɛvər//

An expression of indifference or dismissal, often accompanied by a 'W' hand gesture.

Origin: Valleyspeak move into the mainstream via films like Clueless.

"Whatever! I don't care what you think."

//ˈbuː.jɑː//

An exclamation of triumph or excitement.

Origin: Cypress Hill and sports broadcasts (Stuart Scott on ESPN).

"Boo-ya! I finally beat the level."

//oʊnd//

To be defeated or humiliated, especially in gaming.

Origin: Hacker and gaming culture ('leetspeak').

"Owned! You totally lost that argument."

//ɡrɪl//

A decorative jewelry cover for the teeth.

Origin: Southern hip-hop culture, popularized by Nelly's 2005 hit 'Grillz'.

"I'm going to go get my grill done."

//ˈleɪ.tər ˈskeɪ.tər//

A rhyming way of saying goodbye.

Origin: Teen/skater culture.

"I'm just gonna skate, later skater."

//ˈstiː.zi//

A combination of 'style' and 'ease', used to describe an effortless cool.

Origin: Skateboard and snowboard culture.

"He's a total steezy skater."

//juː ɡɒt sɜːrvd//

An expression used when someone has been outdanced or defeated.

Origin: Hip-hop dance culture, popularized by the 2004 film 'You Got Served'.

"You got served!"

//ʃɪp//

Short for 'relationship', used to support a romantic pairing.

Origin: Internet fandoms (The X-Files and Harry Potter fanfic forums).

"They're such a cute ship."

//krʌŋk//

High energy, wild, and often under the influence.

Origin: Southern hip-hop (Lil Jon), a blend of 'crazy' and 'drunk'.

"The party was crunk last night!"

//flaɪ//

Stylish, attractive, or cool.

Origin: Roots in the 80s/90s but heavily used in 2000s R&B culture.

"He looks so fly in that leather jacket."

//dʒæm//

A favorite song or something one enjoys immensely.

Origin: African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

"I love this track, it's my jam!"

//ˈhɒl.ə//

To contact someone or call out to them.

Origin: Hip-hop culture, specifically the 2003 song 'Holla' by Busta Rhymes.

"Holla at me when you get to the club."

//wɪp//

An expensive or stylish car.

Origin: Bay Area hip-hop culture; the steering wheel was compared to a whip.

"Check out his new whip, it's a Mercedes."

//krɪb//

One's house or apartment.

Origin: MTV's 'Cribs' (premiered 2000) cemented this in the lexicon.

"I'm just going to chillax in my crib."

//nɒt//

A phrase used after a statement to indicate it was a joke or sarcastic.

Origin: Wayne's World (90s) carry-over that remained popular with kids in the early 00s.

"The show starts at 8:00... NOT!"

//saɪk//

Used to indicate that what was just said was a prank or lie.

Origin: 1980s/90s culture that persisted as a playground staple through the Y2K era.

"Psych! I'm not actually going to give you my sandwich."

//ˈsɔːl.ti//

Being upset, bitter, or angry about something minor.

Origin: US Navy slang that entered hip-hop and gaming culture.

"Don't get all salty because I won."

//baʊns//

To leave a location.

Origin: West Coast hip-hop culture.

"Let's bounce, this place is boring."

//piːps//

Friends or social group.

Origin: Short for 'people', common in urban and teen slang.

"I'm just hanging out with my peeps."

//maɪ bæd//

An admission of a mistake or an apology.

Origin: Street basketball culture popularized in 90s/00s media.

"My bad, I forgot to call you."

//piːs//

A goodbye greeting.

Origin: Hip-hop culture 'Peace out'.

"Peace, I'm out of here."

//wæk//

Bad, annoying, or low quality.

Origin: Hip-hop culture (Keith Haring's 'Crack is Wack' influence).

"He is so wack for doing that."

//meɪn skwiːz//

A person's significant other or primary romantic partner.

Origin: Jazz era roots, saw a resurgence in early 2000s pop-punk/teen films.

"She's his main squeeze."

//ˈhɛl.ə//

A Northern California intensifier meaning 'very' or 'a lot of'.

Origin: San Francisco/Oakland 'Hyphy' culture.

"Let's get this party started, hella fast!"

//fə ˈʃɪ.zəl//

For sure, my friend.

Origin: Snoop Dogg popularized the '-izzle' speak in the early 2000s.

"Fo shizzle, my nizzle."

//fə ʃoʊ//

For sure; definitely.

Origin: AAVE phonetic spelling that became mainstream text/AIM speak.

"We should go to the mall, fo sho!"

/boo-tee-LI-shus/

Attractive, especially a curvy physique

Origin: Destiny's Child song title, 2001

"She looked totally bootylicious at prom."

/SEEN/

Subculture blending emo and pop with colorful hair

Origin: MySpace-era youth culture, mid-2000s

"She was the most scene girl at Warped Tour."

/CHOO-ghee/

Slightly dated or try-hard; not quite cool

Origin: Early 2000s teen circles, later popularized on TikTok

"Those butterfly clips are so cheugy now."

/PEEP this/

Pay attention to this

Origin: Hip-hop vernacular, 2000s street slang

"Peep this new track I just dropped."

/RENTS/

Parents

Origin: Teen slang shortening, 2000s suburban youth

"Cannot hang tonight, the rents are home."

/leh-JIT/

Genuinely; actually; used for emphasis

Origin: Street slang, widened in 2000s teen usage

"That movie was legit the best ever."

/TOS-ur/

An idiot or contemptible person

Origin: British slang imported via 2000s internet

"That guy cut the line, what a tosser."

/FREN-eh-mee/

Friend and rival simultaneously

Origin: Reality TV and celebrity gossip blogs, mid-2000s

"She invited her frenemy just to spy."

/FUG-lee/

Extremely ugly

Origin: 2000s teen vernacular and reality TV

"Those platform sneakers are fugly."

/WANG-stah/

Someone who pretends to be a gangster

Origin: 50 Cent track Wanksta, 2002

"He is from the suburbs, total wangsta."

/DRAH-mah LAH-mah/

Person who thrives on drama

Origin: MySpace and early internet forums, 2000s

"Do not invite her, total drama llama."

/AYM AH-way MES-ij/

Passive-aggressive cryptic status used to signal emotions

Origin: AOL Instant Messenger culture, early-to-mid 2000s

"Her AIM away message was clearly about Jake."

/HIT mee UP/

Contact me later

Origin: Hip-hop slang, early cell phone culture 2000s

"Hit me up when you get out of class."

/TOATS/

Totally; abbreviated affirmative

Origin: Valley girl and teen speech, 2000s US

"That is totes adorbs."

/BUT-hurt/

Overly offended about something trivial

Origin: Early internet forums and gaming, 2000s

"He was so butthurt that he lost one round."

/SKEET/

To leave quickly; exclamation of excitement

Origin: Lil Jon Southern hip-hop, early 2000s

"Let us skeet before the teachers come out."

/GRILZ/

Decorative dental covers, often gold or diamond

Origin: Hip-hop bling era, Nelly's song Grillz 2005

"He showed up to school with fake grillz in."

/SWAG-ur JAK/

To steal someone else's style or ideas

Origin: Hip-hop culture, 2000s style discourse

"He swagger jacked my whole outfit."

/UP in HEER/

Present in this place; for emphasis

Origin: DMX party anthem phrasing, hip-hop 2000s

"Way too many people up in here."

/BRIK/

Extremely cold outside

Origin: New York street slang, 2000s northeast US

"Wear a coat, it is brick out today."

/NIZ-ul/

Affectionate term for a close friend

Origin: Snoop Dogg -izzle suffix era, hip-hop 2002-2004

"What is good, my nizzle?"

/FRUN-tin/

Pretending; faking or posturing

Origin: Pharrell and Jay-Z song Frontin, 2003

"Stop frontin like you have money."

/RYD or DY/

Deeply loyal person who stands by you

Origin: Hip-hop and Southern rap, 2000s

"She is my ride or die."

/FLAW-sin/

Showing off wealth conspicuously

Origin: Hip-hop culture, 2000s bling era

"He was flossin his new chain at the cookout."

/JAW-king/

Copying someone's style or pursuing someone obsessively

Origin: Hip-hop slang, 2000s teen vernacular

"Everyone is jocking his new look."

/BEE-EF-EF/

Best friends forever

Origin: Early texting and instant messenger culture, 2000s

"She is my BFF, we tell each other everything."

/EYE-dee-KAY/

I do not know; texting abbreviation

Origin: SMS texting culture, 2000s

"IDK what time it starts."

/OH-em-JEE/

Expression of shock, excitement, or disbelief

Origin: Early texting and internet chat, 2000s

"OMG did you see what she wore?"

/el-em-ay-OH/

Laughing my ass off; stronger than lol

Origin: Internet chat and early texting, 2000s

"He tripped in front of everyone LMAO."

/EE-mo FRINJ/

Side-swept hair covering one eye of emo subculture

Origin: MySpace emo aesthetic, mid-2000s

"He spent an hour straightening his emo fringe."

/SEEN KWEEN/

Popular girl atop the MySpace scene hierarchy

Origin: MySpace scene community, 2005-2009

"She had 50,000 followers, a true scene queen."

/PRO-fyl SONG/

Music auto-playing on a MySpace page

Origin: MySpace culture, 2003-2008

"His profile song was an MCR deep cut."

/SPIT GAYM/

Use charming talk to attract someone

Origin: Hip-hop vernacular, 2000s

"He was trying to spit game all night."

/NAR-lee/

Extremely intense or impressively difficult

Origin: Surf and skate culture, widespread 2000s

"That kickflip down the stairs was gnarly."

/HOL-ah BAK/

Respond to me; reply

Origin: Hip-hop slang, popularized by Gwen Stefani 2004

"Send me the address, holla back."

/JEE-yoo-nit/

Close inner circle of friends

Origin: 50 Cent's group G-Unit, 2003

"Me and my G-unit are rolling to the movies."

/JANG-kee/

Of poor quality; broken or unreliable

Origin: AAVE slang, mainstream via 2000s sitcoms

"His janky old laptop crashed again."

/STUN-tin/

Showing off conspicuously

Origin: Hip-hop slang, 2000s

"He was stuntin in his new convertible."

/OFF the CHAYN/

Wildly exciting or out of control

Origin: Hip-hop vernacular, late 90s into 2000s

"That house party was off the chain."

/OFF the HUK/

Excellent; remarkable

Origin: AAVE telephone-era metaphor, 2000s mainstream

"Her new dress is off the hook."

/TRIP-in/

Overreacting or behaving irrationally

Origin: AAVE, widespread 2000s

"Why are you trippin over a text?"

/wah-TEVZ/

Whatever; dismissive shrug

Origin: Teen slang, 2000s sitcoms and texting

"He said no, whatevs."

/DRANGK/

An alcoholic beverage, especially codeine cough syrup

Origin: Houston hip-hop chopped and screwed scene, 2000s

"He poured up some drank for the party."

/BUK WYLD/

Out of control; wildly energetic

Origin: Hip-hop slang, 2000s

"The crowd went buck wild when the beat dropped."

/PIMPT OWT/

Heavily customized or decorated

Origin: MTV show Pimp My Ride, 2004

"His Honda is fully pimped out with neon."

/SMAK-down/

Decisive verbal or physical defeat

Origin: WWE wrestling crossover, late 90s and 2000s

"She laid down a serious smackdown in the debate."