100 American Slang Words & Phrases with Examples

Slang is an important part of everyday American English.

It can be fun to use and helps you sound more natural when speaking.

Here’s a list of 100 common American slang words and phrases, along with examples of how to use them:

Ace (verb): To do very well on something

Example: “I studied all night and aced my math test!”

All set: Ready or prepared

Example: “Are you all set for the party tonight?”

Awesome: Very good or impressive

Example: “That concert was awesome!”

Bail: To leave or abandon something

Example: “This party is boring. Let’s bail.”

Beat: Tired or exhausted

Example: “I’m beat after working all day.”

Binge-watch: To watch many episodes of a TV show in one sitting

Example: “I binge-watched the entire season of Stranger Things last weekend.”

Blow off: To ignore or skip something

Example: “He blew off his homework to go to the movies.”

Bombed: Failed terribly

Example: “I bombed my driving test and didn’t get my license.”

Bounce: To leave

Example: “It’s getting late. I’m gonna bounce.”

Bro: A male friend (short for “brother”)

Example: “What’s up, bro? Want to hang out later?”

Bummer: Something disappointing or unfortunate

Example: “It’s raining on our picnic day. What a bummer!”

Bust: To make fun of someone

Example: “Don’t bust my chops about my new haircut!”

Catch you later: Goodbye (I’ll see you later)

Example: “I’ve got to go now. Catch you later!”

Chill: Relaxed or easygoing

Example: “Don’t worry about it. Just chill and everything will be fine.”

Crash: To sleep at someone’s place

Example: “Can I crash at your place tonight? I missed the last bus.”

Creep: A strange or unpleasant person

Example: “That guy at the bar was such a creep!”

Digs: Living space or home

Example: “Check out my new digs! I just moved in yesterday.”

Ditch: To abandon or avoid someone/something

Example: “Let’s ditch class and go to the beach instead.”

Dog: A close male friend

Example: “What’s up, dog? I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Down: Willing or ready to do something

Example: “Are you down for pizza tonight?”

Dude: A man (often used to address a friend)

Example: “Dude, did you see that awesome car?”

Dunno: Don’t know (shortened version)

Example: “Dunno what time the movie starts. Can you check?”

Fam: Family or close friends

Example: “I’m spending the weekend with my fam.”

Flake: To cancel plans at the last minute

Example: “Sorry I flaked on dinner last night. I wasn’t feeling well.”

Fly: Attractive or cool

Example: “Your new shoes are so fly!”

FOMO: Fear of missing out

Example: “I have FOMO, so I always say yes to party invitations.”

Freak out: To become very angry, scared, or excited

Example: “Don’t freak out, but I accidentally broke your favorite mug.”

Ghosted: When someone suddenly stops communicating with you

Example: “We went on one date, and then he ghosted me.”

Gig: A job or performance

Example: “I have a gig playing guitar at a local bar this weekend.”

Goat: Greatest of all time

Example: “Michael Jordan is the GOAT of basketball.”

Gonna: Going to (shortened version)

Example: “I’m gonna hit the gym after work.”

Grub: Food

Example: “Let’s get some grub. I’m starving!”

Hang out: To spend time with someone

Example: “Want to hang out at the mall this afternoon?”

Hella: Very or a lot

Example: “That roller coaster was hella scary!”

Hit me up: Contact me

Example: “Hit me up when you’re free, and we’ll grab coffee.”

Hooky: To skip school or work

Example: “Let’s play hooky and go to the beach instead of school.”

Hot: Attractive

Example: “Did you see that hot guy at the gym?”

I’m down: I agree or I’m willing

Example: “Pizza for dinner? I’m down!”

It’s all good: Everything is okay

Example: “Don’t worry about being late. It’s all good.”

Janky: Of poor quality or not working properly

Example: “My old car is so janky. It barely starts anymore.”

Kick it: To relax or hang out

Example: “Let’s kick it at my place and watch some movies.”

Legit: Legitimate or genuine

Example: “This pizza place is legit. They make the best pies in town!”

Lit: Exciting or excellent

Example: “The party last night was lit!”

LOL: Laugh out loud

Example: “That joke was hilarious! LOL!”

Munchies: Snacks or the desire to eat

Example: “I’ve got the munchies. Let’s order some chips and dip.”

My bad: My mistake

Example: “Oops, I spilled your drink. My bad!”

Nada: Nothing

Example: “What did you do this weekend?” “Nada. Just stayed home.”

No biggie: It’s not a big deal

Example: “Don’t worry about breaking the glass. No biggie.”

On fleek: Perfect or flawless

Example: “Your makeup is on fleek today!”

On point: Perfect or exactly right

Example: “Your presentation was on point. Great job!”

Peanuts: A very small amount of money

Example: “They’re paying me peanuts for this job.”

Peeps: People or friends

Example: “I’m going to the movies with my peeps tonight.”

Piece of cake: Very easy

Example: “The math test was a piece of cake!”

Pig out: To eat a lot of food

Example: “We pigged out on pizza and ice cream last night.”

Pissed: Angry or upset

Example: “I’m pissed that he lied to me.”

Pop: Father (usually used in the Midwest)

Example: “My pop taught me how to fish when I was young.”

Props: Proper respect or recognition

Example: “Props to you for getting that promotion!”

Psyched: Very excited

Example: “I’m so psyched for the concert tonight!”

Rad: Excellent or cool

Example: “Your new bike is totally rad!”

Rip-off: Something overpriced or a scam

Example: “That tourist shop is a total rip-off. Everything is so expensive!”

Salty: Upset or angry

Example: “Don’t be salty just because I beat you at chess.”

Screw up: To make a mistake

Example: “I really screwed up on that job interview.”

Shady: Suspicious or dishonest

Example: “That used car salesman seems really shady.”

Sick: Impressive or cool

Example: “Did you see that skateboard trick? It was sick!”

Simp: Someone who does too much for someone they like

Example: “He’s such a simp. He always buys her expensive gifts.”

Slammed: Very busy

Example: “Sorry, I can’t hang out tonight. I’m slammed with work.”

Slap: To be excellent (usually referring to music)

Example: “This new song slaps!”

Spill the tea: Share gossip

Example: “Come on, spill the tea! What happened at the party?”

Stoked: Very excited or enthusiastic

Example: “I’m so stoked for our vacation next week!”

Suck up: To try to gain favor by flattering someone

Example: “Stop sucking up to the boss. It’s obvious what you’re doing.”

Sweet: Cool or awesome

Example: “You got tickets to the game? Sweet!”

Take a rain check: Postpone for another time

Example: “I can’t make it to dinner tonight. Can I take a rain check?”

Throw shade: To criticize or disrespect someone

Example: “Did you hear her throw shade at the new girl?”

Tight: Close friends or cool

Example: “We’ve been tight since high school.”

TL;DR: Too long; didn’t read

Example: “Can you give me the TL;DR version of that long email?”

Trash: Very bad

Example: “That movie was absolute trash. Don’t waste your money.”

Trip: To overreact or get too excited about something

Example: “Don’t trip. It’s not as bad as you think.”

Turnt: Very excited or wild

Example: “The party got turnt when the DJ started playing.”

Vibe: A feeling or atmosphere

Example: “I’m not feeling the vibe at this club. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Wack: Strange, bad, or unfair

Example: “The new school rules are totally wack!”

Wasted: Very drunk

Example: “He got wasted at the party and passed out on the couch.”

Whack: To hit or kill

Example: “In the movie, the gangster threatened to whack his enemy.”

What’s up?: How are you? or What’s happening?

Example: “Hey man, what’s up?”

Wheels: A car

Example: “Check out my new wheels! I just bought this car yesterday.”

Wicked: Very or extremely (commonly used in the Northeast)

Example: “That roller coaster was wicked fast!”

Word: I agree or Okay

Example: “Want to get pizza for dinner?” “Word.”

Yada yada yada: And so on (used to skip boring details)

Example: “We went to dinner, saw a movie, yada yada yada, and now we’re dating.”

Yeet: To throw something with force

Example: “He yeeted the ball across the field.”

You bet: Certainly or Of course

Example: “Can you help me move this weekend?” “You bet!”

Zonked: Very tired

Example: “I’m totally zonked after that long hike.”

Zip: Nothing or zero

Example: “How much money do you have?” “Zip. I’m broke.”

Zoned out: Not paying attention or daydreaming

Example: “Sorry, I zoned out during the meeting. What did I miss?”

Bae: A term of endearment (Before Anyone Else)

Example: “I’m going on vacation with my bae next week.”

Basic: Someone who follows mainstream trends without much originality

Example: “She’s so basic with her pumpkin spice latte and Ugg boots.”

Bet: Okay or Sure

Example: “Want to go to the movies tonight?” “Bet.”

Cap: A lie or to lie

Example: “No cap, this is the best pizza I’ve ever had.”

Fire: Very good or exciting

Example: “His new album is straight fire!”

Glow up: A dramatic improvement in appearance or style

Example: “Wow, she really had a glow up since high school!”

Salty: Upset or bitter

Example: “Don’t be salty just because you didn’t win the game.”

Yolo: You only live once (used to justify risky behavior)

Example: “I’m going skydiving this weekend. YOLO!”

Final thoughts:

Slang words and phrases can change really fast, and some might be more popular in different places or among certain age groups.

Using slang can make your English sound more casual and friendly, but be careful not to use it too much, especially in serious situations.

Learning American slang can be a lot of fun and can help you get a better grasp of everyday chats and pop culture.

Still, it’s super important to know when it’s okay to use slang. In work or formal settings, it’s usually better to stick with standard English.

As you keep learning English, pay attention to how native speakers use slang in various situations.

This will help you figure out when and how to use these phrases naturally in your own talks.

Enjoy your learning journey!