This Is the Most (and Least) Popular Slang for Each Generation.

Posted on by

Most of the time, language develops in subtle ways. New words and phrases enter our collective vocabulary thanks to pop culture and current events, such as “wardrobe malfunction” or “disguise.”

At the same time, terms that have been in use for decades or longer may fall out of regular use because they are, for example, disrespectful to a particular culture or describe a technology that is no longer in use (e.g., mimeograph, etc.).

However, slang is developing much faster. These random words and phrases go in and out of fashion all the time, each generation leaving its mark.

Using Google Trends data and surveying more than 1,000 Americans of all ages, the Preply team learned how Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers use and respond to slang. Here’s what they found.

The most popular slang words for each generation

According to a Preply survey , here are the slang words each generation uses most:

Baby Boomers

  • bummer
  • soft
  • imitator

generation X

  • Cold
  • lame
  • bummer

Millennials

  • MY GOD
  • Cold
  • lame

Generation Z

  • Selfie
  • MY GOD
  • Ghost

Meanwhile, every generation would most like to see these slang terms come back into fashion:

Baby Boomers

  • Far
  • The world is out
  • bummer

generation X

  • Right to
  • cool
  • Epic

Millennials

  • Cool cat
  • Cowabanga
  • Talk to your hand

Generation Z

  • YOLO
  • Glad
  • Wazzap

And here are the slang words they’d most like to include in their vocabulary, and where they learn most of those terms:

Baby Boomers

  • Shine
  • POV
  • Fire

Best source for learning new slang : younger family members.

generation X

  • Sksksk
  • CEO
  • POV

Best source for learning new slang : younger family members.

Millennials

  • Sksksk
  • CEO
  • Guap

Best source for learning new slang : YouTube.

Generation Z

  • Shish
  • Guap
  • Clap back

Best source for learning new slang : TikTok.

Least popular slang words for each generation

According to a Preply poll, these slang words are what every generation would most like to see go out of fashion:

Baby Boomers

  • Awoke
  • Gucci
  • Shish

generation X

  • Thirsty
  • Clap back
  • Kill

Millennials

  • Kill
  • Sus
  • Influence

Generation Z

  • Wild
  • Sksksk
  • POV

You can read the full survey report here .

More…

0
Life in General

Leave a Reply