Gen Z marketing glossary—key words and terms brands need to know in 2025

Understanding the interests, preferences and behaviors of elusive Gen Z consumers becomes even more challenging when those Gen Zers start throwing out internet slang terms such as “pookie,” “rizzler” and other words that are likely foreign to marketers who don’t spend hours scrolling social media each day. The vocabulary of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, is constantly shifting. Last year’s swift rise and fall of terms such as “demure” and “brat,” for instance, demonstrated the tendency for terms fueled by viral social media moments to dominate Gen Z’s vernacular one day and be dubbed “cringe” the next. But these terms are a crucial piece of the puzzle, which is creating a marketing strategy that resonates with Gen Z consumers. Also read: Find out which brands resonate with Gen Z @stlcounty Pop off, Brian👑 #genzmarketing ♬ original sound - St. Louis County Gen Alpha consumers, the oldest of whom turn 15 this year, are also increasingly scrutinizing how brands market to them and influencing social media slang as well. Terms such as “sigma” and “gyatt,” for example, aren’t used as widely among older Gen Zers but are very prevalent with Gen Alpha and Gen Z teenagers. Below, we’ve collected some of the latest Gen Z vocabulary circulating social media to help you avoid crashing out when marketing to the demo and instead manifest slay campaigns on social media and beyond. If there’s a term you’re looking for that’s not in this glossary, it’s probably in our 2024 glossary—check that out here. TikTok Trends Tracker Breaking down viral social trends and how brands can engage Click here Ate: Saying someone “ate” has nothing to do with food; instead, it’s a way to say someone did something really well or looked especially attractive. For example, a TikTok user saying “she ate” about a photo of Zendaya posing in a black dress means they think she looks stunning. The phrase “and left no crumbs” can optionally be tacked onto the end of “he/she/they ate” for emphasis. Another popular meme involving the term plays on the fact that “ate” and the number eight are homophones, with people saying, “What’s 4+4?” before declaring that someone ate. @nbcsnl ate ♬ original sound - Saturday Night Live - SNL Aura: Someone who possesses “aura” exudes confidence, style and charisma (or “rizz,” as Gen Z calls it). A related TikTok trend involves tracking how many so-called “aura points” a person has accumulated or lost based on their suave or embarrassing actions—for instance, Gen Zers will calculate the number of aura points they lost for awkward slip-ups such as tripping in front of a stranger or waving to someone who wasn’t waving at you. @f1 +100000000 points 🥵 #f175live #f1 #formula1 #charlesleclerc #fernandoalonso #yukitsunoda #landonorris #lewishamilton ♬ Aura - 𝓐𝓭𝓮𝓹𝓽𝓸.𝓜𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓼 Bet: Gen Zers typically use “bet” as an affirmative response to a question or suggestion or to indicate agreement, essentially making it a trendier way to say “yes,” “sure” or “let’s do it.” For example, in response to someone asking, “Do you want to order a pizza,” a Gen Zer might simply reply, “Bet.” BFR/BFFR: An acronym for “be for real” / “be f—ing for real,” which Gen Zers use to accuse someone of lying or generally indicate their disbelief about something. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mint Mobile (@mintmobile) Bop/banger: “Bop” and “banger” can be used interchangeably to describe a song one particularly enjoys. “Banger,” though, has extended beyond music and is also used to refer to other things they consider great or impressive, such as a film, TV show or product. Brain rot: Oxford University Press, which selected “brain rot” as its 2024 word of the year, defines the term as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” Social media users typically use “brain rot” to refer to nonsensical memes such as “Skibidi Toilet” or phrases such as “What the sigma?” Also read: What to know about brain rot @duolingo brain rot courses dropping soon #sigma #brainrot ♬ original sound - the english guy Clock: Younger Gen Zers may struggle to read analog clocks, but they certainly know how to “clock” someone or something—that is, to call out their problematic or controversial behavior. The phrase “clock it” is often sprinkled throughout the comments sections of social posts criticizing celebrities, brands or other entities to indicate the commenter supports that call-out post. Cooked: This one is a little tricky, as its definition when used as an adjective is the complete opposite of its verbal definition. That is, “cooked” as an adjective refers to someone who is doomed to fail or face a negative consequence (sort of an abbreviated form of the phrase “your goose is cooked”), while saying someone “cooked” means they accomplished something. Similarly, Gen Zers will often say “let them cook” if someone is excelling at something. @rarebeauty Wait for it… Inspo from @LOEWE entirely btw #rarebeauty #rarebeautyblush #powderblush #lethimcook #transition ♬ Let him cook x Imperius on all platforms - Caleb Crash out: While most online dictionaries will tell you that to “crash out” means to fall asleep, the phrase has a different definition among Gen Zers. For them, crashing out instead refers to the act of having an intense emotional outburst, often fueled by stress or anger. A commonly cited example of someone crashing out is a scene from the film “The Social Network” where Andrew Garfield’s character grabs a laptop from Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and slams it into a desk. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coolmath Games (@coolmathgames) Cringe: Shorthand for the term “cringeworthy” or cringe-inducing,” “cringe” is used to refer to something embarrassing or awkward that someone says or does. In general, Gen Z is more inclined to refer to older generations as cringe, as indicated by the rise of “millennial cringe” videos mocking millennial humor. At the same time, though, some Gen Zers are pushing for people to embrace interests or behaviors others might deem as “cringe” with phrases such as “to be cringe is to be free.” Diva: While the term “diva” has historically been used as an insult to describe someone who is overly selfish or vain, Gen Z has collectively redefined the word as a compliment for someone beautiful, confident or otherwise admirable. Some Gen Zers use “diva” in a similar manner to “bestie, “ i.e., as part of an affectionate greeting such as “Hey, diva.” Relatedly, the phrase “diva down” is employed as a quippy, comedic response to someone’s downfall—or someone who literally fell. @enews Replying to @Amber D. 🇺🇸 Fernanda Torres shines at the #Oscars glambot. 🤩 #AwardsSeason ♬ Gorgeous International Really Lucky - Coco & Clair Clair Era: While Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” is over, the popularity of the term “era” on social media is still going strong nearly two years later. An “era” refers to a period of time in one’s life associated with or defined by a specific interest, behavior, relationship status, career or other characteristic. It’s often used as part of the phrase “in my ‘blank’ era,” such as “in my villain era” or “in my hot girl era.” Face card: For Gen Z, this term has nothing to do with kings, queens or other playing cards. Rather, it refers to the attractiveness of a person’s facial features. It’s typically used as part of phrases such as “Their face card never declines” or “Their face card is lethal,” which are, ultimately, just more convoluted ways to call someone beautiful. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jackie Asamoah (@jackieaina) Gagged: As an adjective, “gagged” indicates a state of shock or amazement, such as, “I was gagged by that album” or simply “I’m gagged.” “Gag” can also be used as a verb to describe the act of surprising or astounding someone, as in “That album gagged me.” Gaslight: The term “gaslight” has grown beyond its psychologically based definition of an abusive practice of manipulating another person to doubt their own beliefs or experiences. As a slang term, “gaslight” refers more broadly to any instance of someone twisting the truth or misleading another. Gatekeep: A person who “gatekeeps” on social media limits or withholds information from others, often by refusing to respond to questions about where they purchased something, such as an item of clothing or a makeup product. Those who decline to share details about the items they show in their social content are typically criticized and referred to as “gatekeepers,” though some netizens are pro-gatekeeping. @subwaytakes Episode 111: Gatekeeping is good! feat @Brian Park 🎤 @KAREEM RAHMA 🎥 @Anthony @Willem Holzer #nyc #newyorkcity #podcast #subway #hottakes #interview #conversations #subwaytakes ♬ original sound - SubwayTakes Gyatt: A slang term for a big butt, stemming from the phrase “goddamn” often said in reaction to seeing someone with a large rear end. Streamer and YouTuber Kai Cenat helped popularize the word “gyatt” among younger Gen Zers. Hold space: This phrase began to proliferate on social media after it was used in a viral interview during the “Wicked” press tour in which the interviewer informed actress Cynthia Erivo that people were “holding space” for the lyrics of the song “Defying Gravity.” Now, Gen Zers jokingly leverage the phrase to describe other things they’re setting aside time to appreciate, such as a set of “Calico Critter” toys or a matcha latte. @maccosmetics You don't have to work in queer media to know why @TracyEGilchrist is ✨holding space✨ for #MACVIVAGLAM Lipstick. #VIVAGLAM #HoldingSpace #HoldingSpaceInterview ♬ original sound - maccosmetics It’s giving: A phrase used to compare something, such as an event or piece of media, to another thing with similar characteristics. For example, someone might say, “It’s giving ‘Reputation’” if another person’s outfit matches the black-and-white aesthetic of Taylor Swift’s album “Reputation.” Ick/“The ick”: A term Gen Z uses to describe feelings of disgust or second-hand embarrassment they suddenly develop toward another person, typically someone they were previously attracted to. Saying someone “gives you the ick” or that you “got the ick” from someone is often used to describe that other person doing something gross or cringeworthy that changes your feelings toward them, while an “ick” is a specific action or behavior that gives you the ick. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prime Video UK & IE (@primevideouk) Locked in: To be “locked in” means to be fully focused on a task or activity, while to “lock in” is a verb phrase used to describe the act of preparing to concentrate on that project. For example, someone might “lock in” for a study session or an early morning workout. Manifest: Gen Zers are big on “manifesting” their dream futures for themselves through vision boards, journals and general positive thinking. On social media, they’ll often say that they’re manifesting something will happen in the future (such as SZA and Tate McRae collabing on a song) or that they manifested something that recently happened to them (such as buying their dream car). Mid: An adjective used to describe something mediocre or underwhelming, such as, “That movie was mid.” Mother: When Gen Z calls someone “mother,” they’re almost never referring to their parental figure. Instead, it’s a term they reserve for celebrities they deeply admire or idolize, no matter their age or gender (though Gen Z often calls male celebrities “father” instead). They may also use “mother” as a verb while gushing over their favorite celebrity, as in the phrase, “Mother is mothering.” @trixie We’re giving Mother on the YouTube channel today in partnership with @The Sims ♬ original sound - trixiemattel OOMF: Often used on X, formerly Twitter, and TikTok, OOMF stands for “one of my followers” or “one of my friends” and is used to refer to a specific social media follower or real-life friend without directly identifying them. Opp: “Opp,” a shortened form of the word “opponent,” is used to refer to someone or someone they view as an adversary, typically as a joke. Among Gen Z, the phrase “my opps” is effectively a new way of saying “my haters.” Pookie: A cutesy, gender-neutral nickname for one’s friends or romantic partner. Rizz: “Rizz” is a shortened form of the word “charisma” and refers to one’s charm or attractiveness, particularly concerning their ability to woo a potential romantic partner. The related verb “rizz up” means to flirt with or romance someone, while a “rizzler” is a charming and seductive person with a high level of rizz. “The Rizzler,” however, refers to a specific content creator—nine-year-old Christian Joseph. View on Threads Sigma: A “sigma” is someone, typically male, who is cool, confident and plays by their own rules—or, to borrow from a previous definition, someone with a lot of “aura.” The viral song “Sigma Boy” by two Russian tweens frequently accompanies social content about the term. Slay: Someone who “slays” or “is slaying” is doing something extremely well or achieving something impressive, similar to the phrase “killing it.” It can also take the form of a noun, in which case a person would describe someone’s accomplishment as “a slay,” or the word “slay” can be used on its own as an encouraging response to someone. For example, if someone told a Gen Zer they passed a difficult exam, that Gen Zer may simply reply, “Slay.” @nickelodeon You’re slaying #Dora ♬ original sound - Nickelodeon Tea: A slang term for gossip or a juicy story. It’s often used as part of a verb phrase such as “spill the tea,” which is a way to urge someone to share the gossip with you. Touch grass: A common internet insult, telling someone to “touch grass” means you think they’re spending too much time embroiled in social media drama and they need to spend some time offline. Yap: A verb used to lightheartedly refer to someone posting excessively on social media or being overly wordy in their social posts. Relatedly, the phrase “this and yap” is used to describe a person’s ideal way of spending time with a loved one, as in “[doing] this and yap[ping].” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brittany (@brittbites_tpa) Follow us on social media X Bluesky Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

Gen Z marketing glossary—key words and terms brands need to know in 2025

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