Romantic Stages & Status, Sexual Interactions, Rejections & Breakups and 6 More Topics · English Slang: Social Interaction

the early phase of interaction with someone, often involving texting, flirting, or casual meetups, before a relationship becomes official

"The talking stage lasted two weeks."

"The talking stage lasted two weeks and neither of them wanted to define the relationship yet."

in a romantic relationship; coupled with a partner, often in an affectionate or cozy way

"They are boo'd up."

"She's been boo'd up with her boyfriend since they met at university last year."

a public reveal of a romantic relationship, typically through posting couple photos or other clear evidence online

"They hard launched their relationship on Instagram."

"They hard launched their relationship on Instagram with a photo of them kissing at sunset."

a subtle or indirect reveal of a romantic relationship, usually by posting subtle hints without showing the partner directly

"The soft launch hinted at the romance."

"The soft launch hinted at the romance with a blurry photo of two shadows holding hands."

to receive no romantic or sexual attention in return

"He tried to flirt but got no play."

"The shy guy got no play at the club because he was too nervous to talk to any girls."

a relationship where one or both people hold unrealistic or overly idealistic beliefs about it

"The fan had a delusionship with the actor."

"The fan had a delusionship with the actor and believed they had a real connection through his Instagram posts."

the person one used to be married to or have a relationship with

"My ex called me."

"She ran into her ex at the supermarket and pretended not to see him while she quickly finished her shopping in another aisle."

(typically of an unmarried couple) to live together and have a sexual relationship

"They will shack up."

"After dating for a year, the couple decided to shack up and share a living space."

to become someone's husband or wife during a special ceremony

"They got hitched last summer."

"After dating for five years, my sister and her boyfriend finally got hitched in a beautiful ceremony."

a man who is the father of someone's child, typically outside of marriage

"Her baby daddy pays child support."

"Her baby daddy pays child support and visits their daughter every other weekend."

a woman who is the mother of someone's child, typically outside of marriage

"His baby mama lives in another state."

"His baby mama lives in another state and they share custody of their son during school holidays."

a romantic or sexual relationship that lacks clear labels, commitment, or long-term expectations

"The situationship ended badly."

"The situationship ended badly and she was left confused about whether they were ever really together."

in a committed romantic relationship

"He is cuffed to his girlfriend."

"He is cuffed to his girlfriend and they have been together for three years now."

the fall and winter months when people are more likely to seek committed relationships

"He is looking for a partner during cuffing season."

"He is looking for a partner during cuffing season to have someone to cuddle with through the winter."

describing a romantic relationship that has been publicly confirmed on Facebook

"Their relationship is Facebook official."

"Their relationship is Facebook official and they changed their status to in a relationship last week."

an ideal romantic couple, either real or fictional, often considered perfect by fans or admirers

"Harry and Hermione are my OTP."

"Harry and Hermione are my OTP and I will always believe they should have ended up together."

a game or phrase used to indicate whether someone finds a person sexually attractive enough to have sex or not

"They played smash or pass with celebrity photos."

"The group of friends played smash or pass by rating the celebrities on the television show."

the total number of people someone has had sexual intercourse with

"He lied about his body count."

"He lied about his body count and she was upset when she found out the truth later."

a relationship where two people are friends but also engage in casual sexual activity without romantic commitment

"They are just friends with benefits."

"They are just friends with benefits and neither one wants a romantic commitment."

a person, often a casual sexual partner, with whom one meets secretly

"The sneaky link texted at 2 AM."

"The sneaky link texted at two AM and she knew he only wanted to see her late at night."

a playful or euphemistic term for sexual intercourse, often used online to bypass content moderation

"The conversation about seggs was awkward."

"The conversation about seggs was awkward and they avoided saying the word sex directly."

the person who wraps around or cuddles the other from behind in the spooning position

"She wants to be the big spoon tonight."

"She wants to be the big spoon tonight and hold him from behind while they sleep."

the person who is held from behind in the spooning position

"He slept as the little spoon."

"He slept as the little spoon and felt safe and comforted in her arms."

a late-night call or message intended to arrange casual sexual activity

"The late text was a booty call."

"The late text was a booty call and she declined because she was tired and had work in the morning."

to make a sexual or romantic advance toward someone, often flirtatiously

"He came on to her."

"He was unsure if she was genuinely interested or just trying to come on to him as a joke."

to act wild, adventurous, or sexually uninhibited, often in a playful or intimate context

"They got freaky."

"After a long week, they decided to get freaky and explore their adventurous side together."

pregnant

"She is knocked up."

"She is knocked up and the baby is due in the spring so they are preparing the nursery."

to make out or engage in sexual activity without full intercourse

"They will screw around."

"The couple decided to screw around a bit before heading home from the party."

to have a brief sexual relationship with a person

"They hook up."

"Many young adults today are open to hook up with someone they meet at a party."

to have sexual intercourse, often used casually or graphically

"They want to smash."

"After weeks of intense flirting, they finally decided to smash."

(of a person, particularly a woman) overly willing to engage in sexual activity with little effort or restraint

"She is easy."

"The rumors painted her as an easy target for manipulation, which was unfair."

someone who habitually flirts or dates multiple people, often without serious commitment

"He is a player."

"Known as a notorious player, he moved from one relationship to another without any commitment."

to engage in romantic or sexual activities inside a stationary vehicle

"They will park."

"They decided to park in the secluded lot to discuss their future plans."

to have sexual intercourse

"They will lay."

"After a long and arduous journey, they finally found a quiet place to lay."

sexual activity or intercourse, often used with a quantifier

"They want action."

"The couple desired more action in their relationship, seeking excitement and adventure."

to abruptly cut off communication with someone, especially online, without explanation

"He decided to ghost her."

"She decided to ghost her colleague after he lied about completing the entire project alone."

to read a message without replying, often implying disinterest or rejection

"I texted her, but she left me on read."

"She saw his message but decided to leave him on read because she did not want to reply."

to deliberately leave someone's text message on read without replying

"Don't R-bomb me."

"She was upset when he chose to R-bomb her text, ignoring her messages completely."

kept as a backup romantic or dating option while the other person pursues someone else

"He was benched."

"He realized he was being benched when she always canceled their dates for other plans."

to suddenly reappear in someone's life after having previously ghosted them

"He will zombie her."

"After weeks of no contact, he decided to zombie her by sending a casual text message."

(of a person) dumped, rejected, or discarded abruptly or harshly

"He was kicked to the curb."

"She felt completely kicked to the curb when her boyfriend ended their relationship without explanation."

to place someone in a category of friendship only, ignoring their romantic interest

"She friend zoned him after two dates."

"He was disappointed when she friend zoned him after they had been dating for several weeks."

to gradually reduce communication with someone; to end a relationship indirectly

"He slow faded instead of breaking up directly."

"Instead of breaking up directly he decided to slow fade and gradually stop answering her texts and calls."

completely finished, over, or no longer continuing, often used for relationships or situations

"Our vacation is donezo."

"After a long and difficult negotiation, the business deal was finally declared donezo by both parties."

to end a relationship with someone

"She will ex him."

"It's time to ex him because he never listens to your feelings anymore."

overly preoccupied, worried, or obsessed with someone or something

"He is hung up."

"She's still hung up on her past mistakes and can't move forward with her life."

a dismissive way to say goodbye to someone unimportant, annoying, or unwelcome

"Bye Felicia, go away."

"When he started complaining about the minor inconvenience, I just said 'bye Felicia' and walked away."

to end a relationship that one was romantically involved in, often in a way that is unexpected or unfair

"He will dump her."

"She was heartbroken when her boyfriend decided to dump her without any explanation."

to reject or turn down someone's romantic or flirtatious advance

"She will curve him."

"Despite his persistent advances, she managed to curve his attempts at flirtation gracefully."

a sudden feeling of disgust or loss of attraction toward someone, often due to a minor behavior or trait

"His chewing gave her the ick."

"His chewing gave her the ick and she could no longer see him as attractive after that."

to remove, reject, or cut someone or something out of your life, often due to disapproval

"Cancel that plan."

"She decided to cancel her subscription after receiving consistently poor service."

to cheat on or be unfaithful to a romantic partner

"He will run around."

"His partner suspected he was running around, leading to a serious confrontation."

to ignore, dismiss, or intentionally skip someone

"Blow off the meeting."

"He decided to blow off the important meeting to attend his friend's wedding."

used to greet someone get their attention

"Yo! What is up, my friend?"

"Yo! What is up, my friend? How has your day been so far? Tell me everything."

a friendly greeting or gesture involving a fist bump

"The teammates exchanged a brofist."

"The teammates exchanged a brofist after winning and bumped their knuckles together in celebration."

used to bid farewell or to say goodbye in a relaxed and casual manner

"Peace out! I am leaving now. Bye!"

"Peace out! I am leaving now. Bye, because I have to go to my next class."

a casual greeting used to ask how someone is or what is happening

"Hey, what's good today?"

"When I saw my friend at the party, I walked up and said what's good, just to check in and see how he was doing."

used to ask what is happening or what is going on

"Yo, what's popping tonight, friend?"

"I haven't seen you in a while, so I wanted to check in and ask what's popping these days."

an informal greeting using a handshake, fist bump, or hand gesture

"Give me some dap."

"The two friends exchanged a quick dap before heading off in separate directions."

a casual greeting used to ask how someone is or what is happening

"Wassup? What are you doing tonight?"

"Wassup? What are you doing tonight? I was thinking we could hang out and watch a movie."

used to reassure someone that there's no problem

"All good in the hood! Everything is fine."

"All good in the hood! Everything is fine and peaceful in the neighborhood today."

to take it easy and calm down, often after stress or excitement

"I need to chillax this weekend."

"After finishing all of his exams the student decided to chillax at home for a few days."

relaxing in a carefree, easygoing way; enjoying leisure without stress

"He was chillin' like a villain on his yacht."

"The cool teenager sat on the couch chillin like a villain without a care in the world."

to relax and take things easy

"Just hang loose and relax."

"The best advice for the job interview is to hang loose and try not to appear too nervous or tense."

used to express that some people will always criticize or be negative, regardless of your actions

"People who dislike something will always dislike it — haters gonna hate."

"No amount of positive press changed the critics' minds — haters gonna hate."

to fully relax or take it easy, often after stress or activity

"I will max out."

"After a stressful week, he just wanted to max out and relax on the weekend."

to remain calm, alert, and composed, especially in stressful or tense situations

"The soldier told his team to stay frosty."

"The soldier told his team to stay frosty and remain alert because danger could come from anywhere."

used to indicate that something is easy, simple, or not a problem

"No sweat. It was very easy."

"No sweat. It was very easy for me to do because I have done it many times before."

used to say that something is not important or is not a problem

"No biggie. It is not a problem."

"No biggie. It is not a problem, so do not worry about it. Everything is fine now."

a casual or ironic way to say something is not important or not a problem

"No bigs. It is not a problem."

"No bigs. It is not a problem at all, so do not worry about it. Just relax."

used to say it is okay or do not worry, usually in response to thanks or an apology

"No prob. I can help you."

"No prob. I can help you with that task. Just tell me what you need me to do."

used as a farewell

"Peace out, everyone! Take it easy."

"Peace out, everyone! Take it easy and have a wonderful rest of your day today."

used to emphasize that something is genuine, serious, or not a joke

"For real? Is that actually true?"

"For real? Is that actually true, or are you just pulling my leg right now?"

used to introduce a serious or honest statement

"Real talk. Let us be honest now."

"Real talk. Let us be honest now because I think it is time to tell each other the truth."

a farewell expression urging someone to remain genuine, authentic, and true to themselves

"Keep it real, bye."

"Keep it real. Stay true to yourself and do not pretend to be someone you are not."

used to stress that one is telling the truth

"No cap! I am telling the truth."

"No cap! I am telling the truth. I swear on my life I did not do it."

to share with someone all one's feelings, most private thoughts, and secrets

"She spilled her guts to her best friend."

"The suspect finally spilled his guts to the police and confessed everything about the crime he committed."

to say something true or accurate in a blunt, emphatic way

"She always spits facts only."

"I really respect how he spits facts without sugarcoating anything, even when the truth might be hard for others to hear."

the true facts or full, reliable information

"He told me the straight dope."

"He told me the straight dope and the honest information helped me make the right decision."

speech that comes out without thinking, often excessive, awkward, or triggered by nerves, alcohol, or strong emotions

"That was word vomit."

"His word vomit embarrassed everyone and he could not stop himself from blurting out the secret."

used to preface a statement when admitting honesty or truthfulness

"I have to be honest — I can't lie."

"I can't lie — that was not our strongest presentation and the client noticed."

to speak truthfully without holding back

"Let me keep it a buck, that plan is terrible."

"My best friend always keeps it a buck with me even when the truth is hard to hear."

having one's idealistic views replaced by the harshness of real life

"He was mugged by reality."

"The dreamer was mugged by reality when he realised his business idea would never make any money."

something false or untrue

"That is cap."

"His claim that he saw a unicorn was clearly cap."

to share with someone all one's feelings, most private thoughts, and secrets

"Let's spill our guts."

"After years of holding back, she finally decided to spill her guts to her best friend about her deepest fears."

to accept, believe, or trust something as true

"Do you buy that?"

"It's hard to buy the politician's promises when his past actions suggest otherwise."

exceptionally talented or the best at a particular skill or activity

"He is the goated player."

"He is the goated player and everyone agrees that he is the greatest of all time."

remarkably talented, skilled, or capable in a way that sets someone apart from others

"She is built different."

"She is built different and can run faster and jump higher than anyone else on the team."

fully committed, loyal, or unwavering in support

"He is ten toes down for his family."

"He is ten toes down for his family and will do anything to protect and provide for them."

a genuine, loyal, or trustworthy person

"He is a real one."

"He is a real one and you can count on him to show up when you need help."

having or projecting a distinctive, appealing, or cool atmosphere, mood, or energy

"The song is vibey."

"The new coffee shop has a vibey atmosphere with soft lighting and relaxing lo fi music playing."

to perform or present something so perfectly that there is nothing to criticize or improve

"Her performance left no crumbs."

"The chef managed to leave no crumbs with his flawless presentation, leaving the judges with absolutely nothing to criticize or improve."

used to describe someone who excels at or dominates a particular skill, activity, or area

"She is CEO of baking."

"With his impeccable style and confident demeanor, he is the undisputed CEO of fashion."

to take charge of one's life or situation, often improving it with confidence and authority

"She decided to boss up this year."

"She decided to boss up and take control of her career instead of waiting for opportunities to come to her."

to recognize when it is wiser to quit, step back, or withdraw from a risky or unproductive situation

"He knew when to fold 'em and quit the business."

"The gambler knew when to fold em and walked away from the poker table before losing all his money."

to accept blame or punishment, especially for one's own actions or for someone else's wrongdoing

"His friend took the rap for the crime."

"The loyal friend took the rap for the crime even though he was completely innocent."

used to describe someone exceptionally talented or accomplished

"He is a goat."

"The legendary athlete is considered the greatest of all time, a true goat in his sport."

a person who is confident, in control, or exceptionally skilled

"She is the boss."

"With her strategic mind and decisive actions, she is clearly the boss of this operation."

bold, fearless, or impressively blunt, often used as playful praise

"That was savage!"

"His brutally honest assessment of the situation, though harsh, was refreshingly savage and accurate."

a person, typically female, who is confident, glamorous, and excels in their style, talent, or presence

"She is a diva."

"The pop star arrived in a dazzling gown, embodying the confident and glamorous diva."

a person, typically female, who is admirable, impressive, or deserving of praise

"She is a queen."

"Her grace and resilience in overcoming adversity made her a true queen in everyone's eyes."

a person, typically male, who is respected, admirable, or praiseworthy

"He is a king."

"The respected elder, known for his wisdom and fairness, was truly a king in his community."

confidently true to oneself; not influenced or concerned by others' opinions

"He is based."

"His unapologetic stance on the issue, completely based on his convictions, was admirable."

relaxed, easygoing, or calm in manner or attitude

"The vibe is chill."

"The vibe at the beach party was very chill and everyone relaxed under the warm sun."

to talk excessively or continuously, often in a way that is annoying to others

"The small dog yapped at the mailman."

"The tiny dog would not stop yapping at the mailman every single morning making it impossible for anyone in the house to sleep late."

the act of pretending to have skills, knowledge, or confidence in order to impress others

"Stop fronting and be yourself."

"Stop fronting and be yourself because everyone already knows you are not that tough."

to subtly insult or undermine someone to lower their confidence, often to manipulate or gain favor

"Do not neg your date."

"Some pick up artists advise men to neg women by giving them backhanded compliments to lower their self esteem."

to complain or express dissatisfaction about something

"Don't gripe about the weather."

"People often gripe about long commutes, but they rarely take action to change their daily routines."

a person or thing that ruins the enjoyment, excitement, or positive mood of a situation

"The serious comment was a buzzkill."

"The serious comment was a buzzkill and the lively conversation died immediately after he spoke."

showing spite, malice, or subtly mean behavior, often in social interactions

"Her remark was catty."

"The catty comments from her coworker made the office feel hostile and she dreaded going to work."

to waste time or behave in a silly, playful, or careless way

"The kids goof around after school."

"The children were goofing around in the backyard instead of doing their homework."

a statement that seems modest or self-critical but is intended to highlight something impressive

"His humblebrag annoyed everyone."

"His humblebrag annoyed everyone and he pretended to complain while actually showing off his wealth."

to speak rudely or disrespectfully, often with sarcasm

"Don't smart off."

"The student was sent to the principal's office for continuing to smart off to the teacher."

to anger, irritate, or annoy someone

"You tee me off."

"His constant interruptions during the meeting really began to tee off the presenter."

to insult, belittle, or make a fool of someone, especially in public

"They mug him off."

"The comedian's routine was so offensive that he seemed to deliberately mug off the entire audience."

to mock or ridicule someone, often playfully but sometimes harshly

"We rip on friends."

"The brothers would often rip on each other's fashion choices, but it was all in good fun."

to act with flashy self-confidence

"He tried to swag it out in his new clothes."

"The confident rapper walked onto the stage to swag it out in front of his adoring fans."

feeling jealous or envious of someone or something

"I am jelly of your vacation."

"She was totally jelly when she saw her friend's new car because she could not afford one."

to speak rudely or disrespectfully, especially to someone in authority

"Don't mouth off."

"It is never wise to mouth off to your superior, especially when you are in the wrong."

to bother, provoke, or antagonize someone

"Don't mess with me."

"If you continue to mess with him, you will regret provoking such a formidable opponent."

overly upset, annoyed, or preoccupied with something

"He is pressed about the comment."

"Why are you so pressed about a small mistake that anyone could have made?"

to become upset, angry, or agitated, especially over something minor

"Don't get bent out of shape."

"I wish he wouldn't get bent out of shape over such small mistakes that really don't matter in the end."

to suddenly become enraged and uncontrollably angry

"He saw red and shouted."

"When she discovered the betrayal, she saw red and immediately confronted her so-called best friend."

to make a reckless, impulsive, or regrettable decision, often fueled by anger or frustration

"He crashed out angrily."

"Fueled by anger, he made a regrettable decision and crashed out of the competition."

extremely angry or upset; very irritated

"My dad was big mad when he saw the damage."

"The football coach was big mad when the referee made a bad call that cost his team the game."

to become extremely angry, agitated, or uncontrollably violent, typically in a workplace

"He went postal at the office."

"After months of stress, he finally went postal and shouted at his boss."

feeling irritable or angry due to hunger

"I feel hangry."

"I get hangry when I skip lunch and become irritable and short tempered with everyone around me."

to lose control of one's emotions, typically from anger or stress, often in a dramatic or explosive way

"He hulked out when he got angry."

"The normally calm man hulked out when he saw someone trying to break into his car."

a state of lacking calm, self-restraint, or composure

"He has no chill at parties."

"He has no chill at parties and gets overly excited about every little thing."

to react with anger or frustration, often through an outburst

"The toddler pitched a fit in the store."

"The toddler pitched a fit in the supermarket because his mother refused to buy him candy."

annoyed, upset, or angry

"She is torqued off at him."

"The customer was torqued off because the store refused to refund his money for the defective product."

behaving or speaking in a wild, extreme, or inappropriate way, often crossing social norms

"That was out of pocket."

"His outburst at the wedding was completely out of pocket and made everyone feel very uncomfortable."

annoyed, bitter, or upset, often over something minor

"He is salty."

"She became quite salty after losing the game, complaining about every little perceived injustice."

to suddenly start expressing anger, ranting, or confronting someone verbally or physically

"He will pop off."

"When the injustice was revealed, the activist began to pop off with a passionate speech."

extremely wild, crazy, or overexcited

"He went ape."

"The fans went ape when their team scored the winning goal in the final minute of the game."

extremely angry or enraged

"He went ballistic."

"When he discovered the betrayal, he went absolutely ballistic, shouting and throwing things everywhere."

to suddenly lose control of one's emotions, usually out of anger or frustration

"She will flip out."

"If she finds out you broke her favorite vase, she's going to completely flip out."

feeling extremely angry or irritated

"He was steamed up."

"After being falsely accused, she felt completely steamed and ready to confront her accuser."

to subtly insult, criticize, or express contempt for someone, often in a clever or indirect way

"She loves to throw shade."

"Instead of confronting her directly, she chose to throw shade at him during the meeting with a clever remark."

a sharp or witty reply to criticism or insult

"Her clapback went viral."

"Her clapback went viral and she shut down the troll with a perfectly worded insult."

proof or evidence, often screenshots or messages, used to back up claims or accusations

"She posted the receipts online."

"She posted the receipts online and the screenshots proved that he had lied about everything."

to publicly shame, embarrass, or expose someone, often on social media

"She put him on blast yesterday."

"After he lied to everyone, she decided to put him on blast during the meeting."

to post a message on Twitter that indirectly criticizes or calls out someone without tagging them

"She subtweeted about her ex."

"She did not mention him by name but everyone knew she was subtweeting about her ex boyfriend."

to tell others about what has happened to someone, especially about things that are private or controversial, in the person's absence

"She loves to spill the tea."

"She loves to spill the tea about celebrity gossip during our coffee breaks."

to observe drama or gossip without getting involved

"We got together to sip tea and gossip."

"The gossip lovers sat together to sip tea and talk about all the drama happening in their friend group."

used to tell someone to stop bothering, annoying, or interfering

"Hop off! Get away from me."

"Hop off! Get away from me because I do not want to talk to you anymore today."

to mock, tease, or criticize someone in a humorous or often harsh way

"We roast him often."

"The comedian's job was to roast the celebrities with witty and sometimes biting humor."

to openly criticize someone's unacceptable behavior

"Call out bad behavior."

"It is important to call out discriminatory remarks whenever you hear them, no matter how uncomfortable."

to criticize, insult, or call out someone harshly, often in a humorous or exaggerated way

"He will drag you."

"The comedian proceeded to drag the politician mercilessly for his controversial statements during the show."

a disagreement, argument, or ongoing conflict between people, often involving hostility or rivalry

"They have beef."

"A long-standing beef between the two rival companies eventually led to a merger."

to criticize, point out, or call out someone's flaws, often in a clever, witty, or cutting way

"I will read you."

"Her sharp wit allowed her to read his weak arguments with precision and undeniable logic."

to publicly reject, boycott, or withdraw support from someone, usually due to problematic or offensive behavior

"They will cancel you."

"After his offensive comments surfaced online, the public decided to cancel him entirely."

to decisively defeat, outmatch, or expose someone, often in a verbal or competitive context

"I will smoke you."

"In the debate, she masterfully dismantled his flawed arguments, making it clear she would smoke him."

to speak out, protest, or complain loudly, often in a disruptive or attention-getting way

"Don't squawk."

"Instead of just squawking about the problem, he decided to propose constructive solutions to the committee."

gossip, secrets, or juicy information, often used in contexts involving drama or personal matters

"She spilled the tea."

"The friends gathered to share some delicious tea about their recent romantic encounters."