If you have a kid between about 8 and 16, you've probably heard a word at dinner lately that made you stop and say umm what?!?! Maybe it was rizz. Maybe it was skibidi, which, it turns out, can mean almost anything.
Gen Alpha slang: how to get rizz with your kids, no skibidi required
A parent's guide to the Gen Alpha slang kids use most, with what each word means and how it's used.
So we spoke to some kids to up our rizz and wrote a quick Gen Alpha slang guide for what you're most likely to hear, with what it means, how kids actually use it and where it came from.
Who is Gen Alpha?
If you have a kid between about 8 and 16, you've probably heard a word at dinner lately that made you stop and say umm what?!?! Maybe it was rizz. Maybe it was skibidi, which, it turns out, can mean almost anything.
Gen Alpha is the generation after Gen Z. Research firm McCrindle defines them as kids born from 2010 to 2024, so today's tweens and young teens are the oldest. Pew Research Center starts Gen Z with kids born in 1997, which is why so many Gen Alpha words are borrowed from older siblings and spread through YouTube, TikTok and gaming streams.
Gen Alpha slang words and what they mean
Rizz
Charm or charisma, especially when flirting. It's thought to be short for charisma, and the streamer Kai Cenat helped make it mainstream. "Rizz someone up" means to charm them.
Example: "He talked to the whole table and had everyone laughing. Serious rizz."
Source: Dictionary.com
Skibidi
A nonsense word that can mean cool, bad, weird or nothing at all. It took off from a 2022 TikTok and the YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, where cartoon heads pop out of toilets and sing.
Example: "What the skibidi is this homework?"
Source: Dictionary.com
Mid
Mediocre, just okay. Often used as a playful insult for something other people love.
Example: "The first movie was great, but the sequel was mid."
Source: Dictionary.com
Delulu
Short for delusional, used jokingly about unrealistic hopes, like a superfan sure they'll marry their favorite pop star. It started in K-pop fan communities.
Example: "She thinks she's getting a pony for her birthday. Delulu."
Source: Dictionary.com
Bet
Okay, sure, I'm in. It can also mean "yeah, right" when said with an eye roll.
Example: "Pizza tonight?" "Bet."
Source: Dictionary.com
Slay
To do something really well, especially an outfit, a performance or a big moment.
Example: "You slayed that piano recital."
Source: Dictionary.com
Brain rot
What happens when you spend too long scrolling low-value videos. Oxford named it the 2024 Word of the Year, and it's older than you'd think: the first recorded use is in Thoreau's Walden, in 1854.
Example: "I watched videos for two hours. Total brain rot."
Source: Oxford University Press
Main character energy
Acting with confidence, as if you're the star of your own story.
Example: "She walked into the first day of school with main character energy."
Source: Dictionary.com
Yeet
An excited shout, often while throwing something.
Example: "Yeet!" (as the dirty sock flies toward the hamper and misses)
Source: Dictionary.com
What parents should know
Most of it is harmless, and it changes fast. Asking your kid to explain a word is one of the easiest conversation starters there is, and they'll love being the expert.
A few words started with grown-up meanings. Rizz is about flirting, and Dictionary.com notes that mid began as slang for average-quality marijuana before it meant "meh." Your kid probably doesn't know either, and that's fine.
Watch for "mewing." It's the trend of pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to shape your jawline, and kids sometimes do a "shh" finger plus a jawline point to show they're mewing. Dictionary.com describes it as part of looksmaxxing, a controversial online subculture, mostly of young men, that promotes sometimes extreme ways to change how you look. If your kid is into it, it's worth a calm talk about where that advice comes from.
Using the slang yourself is allowed. Just know that hearing a parent say "slay" may be the most embarrassing thing that's happened to them all week.
Test yourself
Think you've got it? Take our 8-question Gen Alpha slang quiz, then try our Gen Z slang trivia. For the older-sibling version, read our guide to Gen Z slang, written by actual teens.
Frequently asked questions
What years is Gen Alpha?
Research firm McCrindle defines Generation Alpha as kids born from 2010 to 2024. Pew Research Center starts Gen Z with kids born in 1997, so Gen Alpha are mostly today's elementary and middle schoolers.
What does skibidi mean?
Skibidi is a nonsense word that can mean cool, bad, weird or nothing at all. It spread from a 2022 TikTok and the YouTube series Skibidi Toilet, so kids often use it just to be silly.
What does rizz mean?
Rizz means charm or charisma, especially when flirting, and it's thought to be short for charisma. To "rizz someone up" is to charm them.
Is brain rot a real word?
Yes. Oxford named "brain rot" its 2024 Word of the Year, for the effect of too much low-quality online content. The first recorded use is in Henry David Thoreau's Walden, from 1854.
Should parents use Gen Alpha slang?
Go ahead, but expect an eye roll. It's usually more fun to ask your kids what a word means and let them explain it.
