Deciphering the Language of Gen Z

As the world becomes increasingly connected through the internet and social media platforms, generational gaps become more evident. One platform, in particular, has left older generations scratching their heads: TikTok.

With its own unique language and fast-paced trends, TikTok has introduced a whole new set of words and phrases that can leave many adults feeling out of touch.

A new study by education website Quizgecko dug through the piles of Google data to find out that rizz is the most confusing Gen Z word with 673,000 searches seeking its meaning every month.

On TikTok and other social media platforms, ‘rizz’ denotes a talent for seduction and comes from the word 'charisma'.

Simp ranks third on the list with 328,00 people searching for its meaning every month. Simp describes a boy or man who tries “too hard” with women, with little romantic return. On TikTok you'' frequently see “simp,” along with the verb, “to simp,” and the proper noun, “Simp Nation”.

The term “simp” began trending on TikTok courtesy of a user named Marco Borghi. The influencer uploaded TikTok’s first “Simp Nation” video to his 2 million followers, simply saying: “If she rants to you about her relationship problems and you comfort her, welcome to the Simp Nation”.

ICK is another word that often pops up in discussions which in turn prompts 270,000 Americans to search for its meaning.

Coquette, Preppy, Gyat, Yeet, NPC and Moots are other words that make the list as the most confusing Gen Z terms.

Here's the full list of the most trending/confusing Gen-Z slang words and phrases along with their meanings:

Rizz: Anopther word for spitting game/how good you are with pulling and sustaining bit (673,000 Searches)
Pookie: A nickname which you call your best friend of someone you really love (466,280 Searches)
Simp: A male who is overly submissive to a femail and gains nothing from it (328,000 Searches)
Ick: Something someone does that is an instant turn-off for you, making you instantly hate the idea of being with them romantically (270,000 Searches)
Coquette: Coquette is mainly an aesthetic based on reclaiming girlhood and embracing a fun-loving, bubbly personality. (246,930 Searches)
Preppy: A preppy girl is a girl who wears the 'preppy aesthetic' style (152.730 Searches)
Yeet: To violently throw an object that you deem to be worthless, inferior or just plain garbage (94,160 Searches)
No cap/capping: The use of the prase 'no cap' is meant to convey authenticity and truth (98,110 Searches)
NPC: Short for non-playable character. It means the opposite of a main character, usually a background character in your life who does not have significant importance (88,400 Searches)
Moots: Short for mutuals. It's when you follow someone and they follow you back. (61,500 Searches)
GRWN: A GRWN video is a vlog where you film everything that you do in your morning, night, ECT routine (49,380 Searches)
Delulu: A delusional fan girl/boy who believes they can/will end up with their favourite idol or celebrity and invest an unhealthy amount of time and energy into said idol (49,125 Searches)
Cheugy: The opposite of trendy (42,870 Searches)
Bussin: What you would say if something was really good (34,720 Searches)
Opps: Anyone in competition or against you (30,300 Searches)
Sus: Giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest, short for suspicious (22,670 Searches)
PFP: Short for picture perfect (22,160 Searches)
OOMF: Something that's neitherer good nor bad but makes you pause for a minute when you notice it and then you just continue on, something odd (21,300 Searches)
Beige flag: Something that's neither good nor bad but makes you puase for a mintue when you notice it and then you just continue on, something odd (19,100 Searches)
Sheesh: A word used as a substitute for 'Daaaamn' (12,160 Searches)
OK Boomer: A slang term used as a response to a statement made by a person from the Baby Boomer generation (10,890 Searches)
Heather: When someone says that you're Heahter, they mean that everybody can't help but like you (9,200 Searches)
Mid: Used to insult or degrade an opposing opinion, labeling it as average or poor quality (8,610 Searches)
Locked in: Rather than saying 'on point' when someone is really doing/dressing well, young folks now de3scribe that as being 'locked in' (7,560 Searches)

A spokesperson from Quizgecko commented on the findings:

"Every generation comes up with its own set of slang terms. However, keeping up with the latest slang can be tough, more so with social media's power to turn phrases into overnight sensations. On the other hand, this is also good becuase signs of a healthy lkanguage include new words being created, words being borrowed from other languages, and new meanings being given to existing words."

Methodology: Quizgecko analyzed Google data to find out which TikTok phrases are searched online for their meanings. Researchers compiled a list of over 150 trending slangs and ranked the top 24 with the most searches.They then analyzed the number of searches for each slang combined with terms like “Slang meaning,” “what does Slang mean,”“what does Slang stand for” and “Slang definition.”