Are you down with the kids, or beginning to show your age?
The answer may lie in which of these slang words and phrases you use.
This week, ‘vibe–coding’ was named word of the year by Collins Dictionary.
Used to describe an easy way for non–IT minded individuals to make computer code simply by telling AI programs to do it, this phrase came out on top, ahead of ‘aura–farming’, ‘clanker’, and ‘HENRY’.
At the same time, ‘LOL’ was declared an ‘ick’ in a survey of 2,000 Brits by Sky Mobile.
First added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011, this acronym for ‘laugh out loud’ has now been surpassed by phrases like ‘sending me’ and the skull emoji.
So, do you speak Gen Z?
Scroll down to see the full list of words of phrases that are in with the younger generations – and those that are making you seem old.
Slang words and phrases that are in
Vibe–coding – a term popularised by Andrej Karpathy, former Director of AI at Tesla and founding engineer at OpenAI – was chosen as word of the year by Collins Dictionary’s team of lexicographers.
Other words on the list include ‘biohacking’, defined as the activity of altering the natural processes of one’s body in an attempt to improve health and longevity.
Another is ‘clanker’, a derogatory term for computers, robots, or sources of AI, which was popularised by Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The word went viral on social media and is often used to express people’s frustrations with, and distrust of, AI chatbots and platforms.
Also a term of disapproval, the word ‘glaze’ has gained traction this year, meaning to praise or flatter someone excessively or undeservedly.
Another is ‘aura farming’ – described as the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive and charismatic persona – essentially the art of looking cool.
The owners of the biggest global technology companies, informally known as tech bros, were dubbed the ‘broligarchy’ after their high–profile attendance at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, with the word also earning a place on the list.
Vibe–coding – a term popularised by Andrej Karpathy, former Director of AI at Tesla and founding engineer at OpenAI – was chosen as word of the year by Collins Dictionary’s team of lexicographers
A ‘Gen Z stare’ is a blank or expressionless look given by a youngster when forced to interact with strangers
A rise in the use of the term ‘HENRY’, an acronym for ‘high earner, not rich yet’ also sees it named by Collins.
And ‘coolcation’, a holiday in a place with a cool climate, along with ‘taskmasking’, the act of giving a false impression that one is being productive in the workplace, make it on to the list.
Micro–retirement, described as a break between periods of employment in order to pursue personal interests, also features.
At the end of October, Dictionary.com also revealed its 2025 words of the year.
Topping the list was ’67’ – a term that has been making waves in schools across the UK.
According to the organization, the definition of ’67’ remains complicated.
It explained that some people see it as a word that means, ‘so–so,’ while other kids view it as a way to simply annoy their parents.
Other words that made the list of Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year Shortlist include ‘Gen–Z stare’ and ‘tradwife.’
The kiss cam, long a staple of sports arenas and concert venues, found new cultural life in the summer of 2025 after a viral moment that captured global attention
| If you’d use this | Use this instead |
|---|---|
| YOLO (you only live once) | DIFTP (doing it for the plot) |
| LMAO (laughing my a** off) | IJBOL (I just burst out laughing) |
| ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing) | Skull emoji |
| GR8 | That slaps |
| OMG (oh my god) | High–five emoji |
| KK | Bet |
‘Tradwife’ refers to the term for ‘traditional wife,’ which has been used to describe women who adhere to some of the more traditional gender roles, showing themselves creating meals from scratch, living off the land, and taking care of their many children.
‘Gen–Z stare’ refers to a blank stare that some members of Generation Z have, especially in the work place.
Slang words and phrases that are out
A survey by Sky Mobile this week revealed that Gen Z have taken aim at Millennials and Gen X for writing ‘LOL’ after every sentence.
Boms, an influencer with 113,000 followers from London, shared a rant about the use of the phrase, venting: ’10 marks to anyone who can tell me what value [LOL] adds to the conversation.
‘Let me release that shackle for you that you have for that word because we are tired, it’s nonsense.’
Meanwhile, a study by Currys last year warned that several popular abbreviations have been deemed ‘old’ by Gen Z.
YOLO (You Only Live Once) came up on top as the acronym Gen–Z respondents considered to be the most outdated.
A study by Currys last year warned that several popular abbreviations have been deemed ‘old’ by Gen Z
This was followed by LMAO (35 per cent consider outdated), G2G (34 per cent), LOL (32 per cent), and ROFL (31 per cent).
It’s not just words and phrases that can make you look old – your emoji and punctuation can also give away your age.
A poll of 2,000 youngsters aged between 16–29 by insights firm Perspectus Global found that 24 per cent said the thumbs up emoji was only used by people who were ‘ancient’.
Other emoji used by ‘old people’ that ranked in the top ten include the red love heart, the OK hand and grimacing face.
The humble full stop has also been blasted by Gen Z, who see it as ‘intimidating’ when used at the end of text messages.
Writer Rhiannon Cosslett tweeted: ‘Older people – do you realise that ending a sentence with a full stop comes across as sort of abrupt and unfriendly to younger people in an email/chat? Genuinely curious.’
If you want your messages to seem more friendly, linguistic experts advise trying to electronically break up your thoughts by sending each one as a separate message, rather than using a full stop.
In addition, GIFs have fallen out of fashion – with younger users describing them as ‘for boomers’ and ‘cringe’, according to GIF search engine, Giphy.
‘Using gifs is so millennial coded,’ one youngster vented on TikTok.
