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List of top slang terms of 2023 include ‘sheesh,’ ‘bet’ and ‘sus’

Knowing these terms will have your kids ‘shook’
By Ebony Williams
Dec 4, 2023

Your teenager might be a little “salty” when they discover you’ve deciphered their slang. Preply, an online language learning platform, has released its list of the most commonly used slang terms among teenagers.

According to the platform, only 3 in 5 parents said they “tried to keep up” with the terminology, often relying on Google to explain slang. Of the 600 parents surveyed, only 2% knew every word on the list.

While slang is constantly evolving, Preply found around 30 terms that were used across broad swaths of teenagers. “Sus” — from suspicious, meaning questionable, suspect or dishonest — was the top slang terms among teens.

Here are some of the others from this year’s list:

Preply also shared some slang terms that appear to be on their way out, including:

“We found nearly 6 in 10 Americans (59%) are annoyed by slang, and certain phrases definitely bother them more than others. After a few years, COVID-related slang (like “Rona” or “zoom fatigue”) has become especially grating — 2 in 3 Americans said they’re annoyed by these terms,” noted Preply.

About the Author

Ebony Williams is a writer, indie producer and director, and journalist for a variety of magazine outlets. Her career has led her to create content for entertainment, sports, lifestyle, local breaking news and more.

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