English is one of the most spoken languages in the world, with one the most spoken variant being American English. To sound like a native, you’ll want to learn American slang words. These are the best!
Last week, we covered the best (and most used) British slang words. Today, we will cover the best and most commonly used American slang words.
15. To Have a Blast – To Have a Good Time
Throughout the years, there have been hundreds of different ways to say you’ve had a good time. Chances are that your way is different from your parent’s, and you parent’s different from your grandparent’s.
When you talk about a blast, you expect to be talking an explosion of some kind. However, it has been reinvented to say how great of a time you’re having and how much fun you’re having.
This is actually quite self-explanatory when you look at the definition of blast– the energy coming off from an explosion. This is basically the same thing tat happens when you’re having fun.
14. Basic – Unsophisticated
Up until recently, I had personally never heard of the American slang word basic. However, I am told that it is one of the most commonly used slang terms in American English.
Basic is often used to describe how simple something is. Americans have sort of kept that meaning true. In slang, basic is often used to describe how unsophisticated or how boring they are, but meant as an insult.
Often, you’ll find the term basic, being used as an adjective, usually followed by some form of curse word. However, you’ll also just hear things just being described as “basic” in one way or another.
13. Hit me up – Contact me
If you were to hear hit me up out of context, or for some reason didn’t understand American slang words, you’d think that someone was literally looking for a fight. However, it is something much more innocent than that.
Whilst it may sound threatening, hit me up is actually another way to say “contact me” or “get in touch with me”. This can be used for either a phone call/Skype call or by email (or even snail mail!)
Hit me up actually has a fairly self-explanatory origin. During the days of Blackberry, you had to physically type the number in by hitting little buttons, thus, hitting someone up was born.
12. Busted – To Get Caught
Busted is perhaps one of the most common American slang words. Due to criminals extensively using slang, with TV and films documenting them, there are several ways to say that you’ve been caught in slang.
Perhaps the most common is busted. Literally, busted is used to describe something that is broken. In slang, it is used to explain that someone has caught you doing something you shouldn’t.
For criminals, this is the police (American slang word: cop). Children has taken this term, with the same meaning, but have used it for when their teachers, parents and even friends catch them doing something they shouldn’t.
11. Clink – Prison
Throughout all English dialects, and other languages, there are several slang terms for prison. American English is no different. For American English, this word is “Clink”, although other slang words are used.
Just as how the phrases “prison” and “jail” are different, but used in the place of one another, clink is also used for both prisons and jails. Thanks to American crime dramas, this has become used in other countries too.
Clink actually has an interesting origin- the name of a prison in Southwark, England. This prison’s name was The Clink, and was known for being almost impenetrable. Many of these prisoners later found themselves in the US.
10. Badass – Ultra-Cool
When it comes to the best and most common American slang words, cool often makes it on there. However, if you want to say someone or something is more than just cool, you’d probably use…
Badass is used to describe someone or something who isn’t just cool, but super or ultra-cool. Often, this is used in a surprising way, like finding out your nerdy math teacher is actually an undercover FBI agent!
Thanks to the internet, badass has become almost universal. Due to badass‘ widespread use in media and pop culture, there have even been movies named after the slang phrase, most notably, the Badass franchise.
9. Chillin’ – Hang Out
The phrase “To hang out” is only a relatively new slang term, also being coined by an earlier generation of Americans. However, it too has become antiquated, and has gained its own slang term.
Chillin’, otherwise spelled as chilling, literally describes something being cold, usually in the refrigerator or freezer. However, in terms of slang, it just means to hang out and have a good time.
Despite it often seeming as though you are hanging out with friends, it can also be used in another way: Netflix and Chill. You “hang out” and watch some Netflix with your girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife/partner.
8. Cheesy – Cheap/Tacky
Some things are just cheap, tacky and not very good quality. Throughout the years, there have been different ways to say that someone or something is that, in the modern era, we have cheesy.
When you’re talking about something being cheesy, you’re talking about something having the texture or taste of cheese. However, in slang, it is used to say how cheap or tacky you find something or someone.
There is also another way the slang term cheesy can be used, popularized by Hollywood movies and TV shows- cute or overly sentimental. For instance, you misquoting you’re new wife’s favorite character to ask her to marry you, that’s cheesy.
7. Babe – Loved One
Personally, I don’t 100% understand why people use this. With that being said, in almost every language there is an equivalent of babe, such as Schatz being a common German love word.
Babe is a shortened form of the word baby. Instead of being used to describe an actual baby, Americans have used it to describe the person that they arguably love more than a child- their partner.
Due in part to American TV and films, babe has become quite well used. Today, you will find that most English speakers, regardless of dialect will at least know its meaning. In fact, it has even entered other languages too!
6. To Have a Crush [On Someone] – To Like Someone (Romantically)
Since the dawn of time, humans have had thousands of different ways to say that they secretly like someone else romantically. 100 years ago, people would say they were infatuated with someone else, today, we have a crush.
In Standard English, crush means to press on something very hard until it breaks. However, in American slang, it is used to describe the fact that you like someone romantically.
It is most commonly used by children or teenagers. As such, it is often used to tease your friends, for instance “John has a crush on Sarah” or “You have a crush on her!”
5. To Dump [Someone] – To Call Off (a Relationship)
In almost all languages, there is some equivalent of to dump. The Italian slang word that means the same is mollare. Thanks to American media, the phrase to dump has become almost universal in the English language.
Literally, the verb to dump means “to dispose” of something, usually solid waste, usually by dropping it somewhere. However, Americans have taken it, and used it to describe a relationship breakup.
Oddly, Americans have also used the phrase to dump in another slang phrase. Some Americans use the phrase to dump in reference to defecating. So if you’re lucky, you might hear someone use it twice, in two different contexts!
4. Loser – Bad Person
In English, there are quite literally hundreds of insults you could use, many aren’t slang, but many are. Perhaps one of the most common non-vulgar insults you could use is loser.
The Standard English definition of loser is “someone who has lost a game, sport or other type of competition”. However, a loser in American slang is someone who has a rude or otherwise annoying attitude.
But, in reality, you could use the word loser to describe just about anyone- from Donald Trump, to Barack Obama to your high school bully. It is truly that versatile!
3. Looker – Attractive
American English is full of different ways to call someone attractive. Many of these have existed for hundreds of years, such as hot. However, the most recent is looker.
Looker literally means “someone who looks”. However, younger generations of Americans have reinvented the term to mean anyone who is quite attractive or good looking (it can be used for both males and females).
When you think about it, the origin of looker is actually self-explanatory. Looker is just a shortened down version of gook looker, as in good looking, itself a slang term for someone who is attractive.
2. Sick – Amazing
Amazing itself is only a relatively new slag word, entering popular vocabulary in the early 2000’s. Thanks to the internet, most English speakers have heard of, or use the word amazing.
However, it now has its own slang word equivalent: sick. Literally, sick is used to describe you being ill, or rather, vomiting. However, in slang, sick is used to say how cool or amazing something is.
Most commonly, you’ll hear teenage boys saying it, although hearing it from girls is not uncommon. The most common slang phrase involving sick is probably something along the lines of “Oh sick!”
1. Ripped – Muscular
English is full of different slang terms to say that someone is fit or that they exercise a lot. One of the more common is ripped. This has actual entered many dictionaries and has even been adopted by the weightlifting community.
In Standard English, ripped can be used to say that something is torn. But in slang, it can be used to say that someone is muscular. Or more accurately, someone who has a low body fat concentration.
Another slang term you could use in place of ripped is jacked. Both essentially mean the same thing. However, jacked is more commonly used to mean just muscular, where ripped is more to do with fat.
Which are your favorite American slang words? Tell me in the comments!