If you have a kid between about 8 and 16, you've probably heard a word at dinner lately that made you stop mid-bite and think, umm, what? Maybe it was "rizz." Maybe it was "skibidi," which, it turns out, can mean almost anything. Here's your quick cheat sheet to the Gen Alpha slang you're most likely to hear this year.
Who Is Gen Alpha, Anyway?
Gen Alpha is the generation after Gen Z. Research firm McCrindle defines them as kids born from 2010 to 2024, which makes today's tweens and young teens the oldest of the bunch. Pew Research Center starts Gen Z with kids born in 1997, which is why so many Gen Alpha words are borrowed from older siblings and spread through YouTube, TikTok and gaming streams.
The Words (and What They Actually Mean)
Rizz
Charm or charisma, especially when flirting. It's thought to be short for "charisma," and streamer Kai Cenat helped make it mainstream. To "rizz someone up" is to charm them.
Example: "He talked to the whole table and had everyone laughing. Serious rizz."
Skibidi
A nonsense word that can mean cool, bad, weird or nothing at all. It took off from a 2022 TikTok and the YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, where cartoon heads pop out of toilets and sing.
Example: "What the skibidi is this homework?"
Mid
Mediocre, just okay. Often used as a playful insult for something other people love.
Example: "The first movie was great, but the sequel was mid."
Delulu
Short for "delusional," used jokingly about unrealistic hopes, like a superfan sure they'll marry their favorite pop star. It started in K-pop fan communities.
Example: "She thinks she's getting a pony for her birthday. Delulu."
Bet
Okay, sure, I'm in. Said with an eye roll, it can also mean "yeah, right."
Example: "Pizza tonight?" "Bet."
Slay
To do something really well, especially an outfit, a performance or a big moment.
Example: "You slayed that piano recital."
Brain Rot
What happens when you spend too long scrolling low-value videos. Oxford named it the 2024 Word of the Year, and it's older than you'd think: the first recorded use was in Thoreau's Walden in 1854.
Example: "I watched videos for two hours. Total brain rot."
Main Character Energy
Acting with confidence, as if you're the star of your own story.
Example: "She walked into the first day of school with main character energy."
Yeet
An excited shout, often while throwing something.
Example: "Yeet!" (as the dirty sock flies toward the hamper and misses)
What Parents Should Know
- Most of it is harmless, and it changes fast. Asking your kid to explain a word is one of the easiest conversation starters there is, and they'll love being the expert.
- A few words started with grown-up meanings. "Rizz" is about flirting, and Dictionary.com notes that "mid" began as slang for average-quality marijuana before it meant "meh." Your kid probably doesn't know either, and that's fine.
- Watch for "mewing." It's the trend of pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to shape your jawline, and kids sometimes do a "shh" finger plus a jawline point to show they're doing it. Dictionary.com describes it as part of "looksmaxxing," a controversial online subculture, mostly of young men, that promotes sometimes extreme ways to change how you look. If your kid is into it, it's worth a calm talk about where that advice comes from.
- Using the slang yourself is allowed. Just know that hearing a parent say "slay" may be the most embarrassing thing that happens to them all week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What years is Gen Alpha?
McCrindle defines Generation Alpha as kids born from 2010 to 2024, so they're mostly today's elementary and middle schoolers.
What does skibidi mean?
It's a nonsense word that can mean cool, bad, weird or nothing at all. Kids often use it just to be silly.
Should parents use Gen Alpha slang?
Go ahead, but expect an eye roll. It's usually more fun to ask your kids what a word means and let them explain it.
Inspired by the Gen Alpha slang guide from Cool Mom Picks, which also offers a slang quiz to test your skills.
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