The New Gen Z Slang Making Boomers Feel 200 Years Old
According to a report by the Impact 360 Institute, nearly half of Gen Z (46%) feels misunderstood by older generations. And honestly, that tracks, especially once language enters the chat. Because if you’ve spent even ten minutes listening to Gen Z speak, you’ve probably had a moment where you nodded politely while thinking, what was that all about?
It’s not that Gen Z slang is wrong or lazy, it’s just incredibly fast. Linguistic researchers have long noted that the internet speeds up how quickly words are created, shared, and discarded. Sometimes in months, even weeks. So consider this a gentle translation guide, not to give you rizz (it’s on the list!) but to help you feel slightly less confused at the next family event.
1) Rizz
Short for charisma. If someone “has rizz,” they’re smooth. For example, “He has serious rizz; everyone likes him.” If they don’t, well… that’s a different conversation. Interestingly, “swag” has even made a small comeback in 2025 as a kind of nostalgic cousin to rizz, which will be deeply upsetting to anyone who remembers swag the first time around.
2) Mogging
This word causes immediate alarm for Boomers, who understandably hear “mogging” and assume it’s a violent offence, possibly involving a balaclava. In reality, it’s often used jokingly used by Gen Z when someone is outclassed in looks, fitness, confidence, or general presence. For example, “I was trying to look good, but my mate totally mogged me.”
3) Touch grass
No, this is not a suggestion for a wholesome countryside walk or a nice day out in the Peak District. “Touch grass” is both an insult and a genuine piece of advice, aimed at people who are too online. It’s shorthand for: log off, look up, and reconnect with real life. For example, “You’ve been arguing on X for six hours, please go touch grass.”
4) Aura farming
This has nothing to do with tractors, crops, or actual farms, which already puts Boomers at a disadvantage. Aura farming means doing things purely to look cool, mysterious, or enviable, usually in public or on social media. It’s Instagrammable coolness to boost your “aura points,” like wearing a unique, stylish outfit, but not making a big deal about it.
5) Sigma
A “sigma” is someone highly independent, self-reliant, and emotionally detached, the lone wolf archetype. Older generations often assume sigma is either a tech job, a Greek letter (fair), or something to do with spreadsheets. In Gen Z terms, it’s more about quiet confidence and not needing validation. For example, “He just does his own thing. Proper sigma.”
6) Unc status
Short for “uncle,” but not in a family sense. Having “unc status” means you’re officially old or out of touch (usually late 20s or early 30s) but often in an affectionate way. You’re respected, calm, and slightly removed from the chaos. Boomers, naturally, think this sounds quite nice and would love to have unc status, which unfortunately proves the point.
7) Ate (and left no crumbs)
If someone “ate,” they didn’t just do well, they dominated. The phrase suggests total confidence, effortlessness, and the kind of success that makes everyone else quietly reconsider their own attempt. “And left no crumbs” simply reinforces the point. Boomers tend to get stuck on the food metaphor and assume this is all about eating.
8) Cooked
If you’re “cooked,” you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or experiencing burnout. It’s the word Gen Z uses when they’ve pushed past coping and straight into acceptance. Boomers may assume this refers to food preparation, but it’s really just the modern equivalent of saying, “I cannot deal with this anymore.”
9) No cap
Means “no lie,” “I’m serious,” or “I’m telling the truth,” used to add emphasis or credibility to a statement. It often appears at the end of a sentence, just in case you were tempted to doubt them. Boomers tend to hear it and search for the missing baseball cap.
10) It’s giving…
A catch-all expression used when something has a very specific feel, even if explaining it properly would require far too many words. “It’s giving” lets Gen Z gesture broadly at a vibe and move on, trusting that everyone else understands the reference point. For Boomers, this can feel infuriatingly vague.
The bottom line
Language has always evolved, rotated, and reinvented itself, but now it’s online and moves at lightning speed. Keeping up can feel exhausting, but that’s the point at which every generation realises time has quietly moved on without them. One day, Gen Z will hear teenagers using phrases they’ve never heard before, and they too will enter unc status.
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