TikTok Slang Words, Phrases, Abbreviations and Emojis, Explained

TikTok slang often emerges from the creative interplay between users, trends, and pop culture references. The short video format of TikTok encourages brevity and creativity, leading to the rapid spread of catchy terms. Many slang expressions have roots in abbreviations, wordplay, or the repurposing of existing words. In this guide, we’ll explore the captivating realm of TikTok slang, explaining and giving examples for some of the popular expressions.

TikTok Slang Words Meanings, Explained (Phrases, Acronyms, Abbreviations and Emojis)

Below are tables of TikTok Slang by different categories:

1. TikTok Slang Words/Phrases/Terms

TikTok Slang	Meaning	Example/How to Use
Big yikes	It’s similar to saying “Ouch,” “Aw man,” or “Bummer.”	Forgot to save my TikTok video after hours of editing—big yikes!
Extra	Over the top or excessive.	She’s always so extra with her makeup.
Gag	The ultimate praise, expressing awe and enthusiasm	Just wait until you hear her sing. You’ll gag!
Yeet	Expressing enthusiasm or excitement.	Yeet! I aced my exam!
Big Mood	Expressing a relatable feeling or attitude.	Waking up late on a weekend, big mood.
Vibing	Enjoying a good mood or atmosphere.	Just vibing to this catchy tune.
Slay	Doing exceptionally well at something.	She slayed that performance on stage.
Flex	Showing off or boasting about one’s achievements.	He loves to flex his new car on TikTok.
Ship	Rooting for a romantic couple.	I totally ship Hermione and Ron.
Cringe	Feeling uncomfortable due to awkwardness.	Watching that video made me cringe.
Clout	Fame or popularity.	She gained a lot of clout after her video.
Stan	Being an enthusiastic and devoted fan.	I’m a huge Taylor Swift stan.
Bop	Referring to a catchy and enjoyable song.	This track is a real bop.
Face card	To indicate that someone is consistently and undeniably attractive. Users often share selfies accompanied by captions like “face card always valid” or “face card never expired.” This suggests that the person’s attractiveness remains constant.	Feeling good in my outfit, and the mirror agrees. Face card never expired!
No Cap	Emphasizing the truth of what’s being said.	His cooking skills are top-notch, no cap.
Cringey	Describing something awkward or uncomfortable.	That dance move was so cringey.
Doughnut	Zero likes on a post, resembling the shape of a doughnut.	My video got a doughnut; no likes yet.
Caught in 4k	Used to describe capturing someone’s reaction or behavior in a situation on camera, with high clarity and detail.	I pranked him and caught his shocked expression in 4k! His face was priceless.
Bless Up	Expressing gratitude or positive vibes.	Passed my exam, bless up!
Snatched	Looking exceptionally attractive or put together.	Her outfit is snatched today.
On Fleek	Perfectly done or looking great.	Her makeup is on fleek today.
Simp	Being overly attentive or affectionate for someone.	He’s such a simp; he wrote her a love poem.
Baka	A Japanese word that means “idiot,” “stupid,” “fool,” or “dumb.” Its level of rudeness depends on the context and tone used.	Tried to open the door that said ‘push,’ but pulled instead… Baka moment!
Sheesh	Used to convey a sense of being impressed, expressing disbelief, or showing exasperation.	Wow, that dance move was amazing! Sheesh, you’ve got some serious skills!
Ghosting	Ignoring someone’s messages or disappearing suddenly.	He totally ghosted me after our date.
Pick Me Girl	Describe a girl who seeks attention, especially from guys. They try hard to get noticed and may not stay true to themselves.	She’s always trying to impress guys. She’s a real pick me girl.
Facts	Acknowledging the truth or agreement.	Facts, that movie was incredible.
Karen	Used to criticize someone who displays unreasonable behavior, particularly when making unreasonable requests or complaints.	Don’t be such a Karen, the restaurant is busy and they’re doing their best.
Woke	Being aware of social and political issues.	She’s so woke; she’s always advocating for change.
Savage	Remarkably impressive or fierce.	Her dance moves are absolutely savage!
Clap Back	Responding to criticism with a sharp comeback.	She didn’t hesitate to clap back at her haters.
VSCO Girl	Referring to a trend of using VSCO app’s filters and aesthetic.	She’s dressed like a VSCO girl with her scrunchies and Hydro Flask.
Drama	Unnecessary conflict or attention-seeking behavior.	I can’t deal with all this drama.
Gucci	Everything’s good or okay.	You all set? Yeah, I’m Gucci.
Glow Up	Transformation or improvement in appearance over time.	Her glow up from high school to college is amazing.
Bussin	Used to suggest that something is incredibly delicious. While it’s commonly used to describe food, it can also be applied to anything enjoyable.	This new dessert at the bakery is absolutely bussin! The combination of flavors is out of this world.
Bae	Term of endearment for a romantic partner.	Date night with bae.
Snack	Attractive person.	That guy is a total snack.
Salty	Bitter or resentful.	Why are you so salty about losing?
Sus	Suspicious or questionable.	His alibi seems sus; I’m not sure I believe it.
Cray	Short for “crazy,” describing something wild or exciting.	That roller coaster was so cray!
Squad	A close-knit group of friends.	Out with the squad for a movie night.
Vibe	Atmosphere or feeling of a situation.	The beach vacation had such a chill vibe.
Dead	Expression of shock, amusement, or disbelief.	I can’t believe he said that, I’m dead.
Lowkey	Expressing something subtly or discreetly.	Lowkey want pizza for dinner.
Highkey	Openly or strongly expressing something.	Highkey excited for the weekend.
Cheugy	Used to describe something that is no longer on-trend or considered outdated.	Her fashion choices are a bit cheugy, but she loves the vintage style.
Lit	Exciting, fun, or impressive.	The concert last night was lit!
Mood	Relatable feeling or attitude.	Waking up late on a Saturday is a total mood.
Hundo P	Short for “100 percent,” indicating agreement.	You’re hundo P right about that.
CEO of…	Playfully claiming expertise in a certain area.	I’m the CEO of procrastination, no doubt.
Spill the Tea	Sharing gossip or revealing information.	Spill the tea on what happened at the party!
Pookie	Used to describe something cute or adorable. It’s often used in comments or captions to express affection towards someone or something.	She posted a video of her new kitten with the caption “Meet my little pookie! 😻✨” to show off the adorable and endearing nature of her pet.

2. TikTok Abbreviations/Acronyms

Abbreviation	Meaning	Example/How to Use
FYP	“For You Page,” where personalized content appears.	Guess what? My video landed on the Fyp!
OOMF	One Of My Followers	Just got a sweet message from OOMF about my latest post!
LOML	Love of My Life	Celebrating our anniversary today with the LOML.
BBL	“Brazilian Butt Lift,” a widely sought-after cosmetic procedure embraced by numerous celebrities. It involves enhancing hip curves and achieving a fuller buttocks appearance.	“Her curves are impressive.” “True, but it’s definitely all BBL.”
POV	Point of View	In this video, I’ll share my POV on the current situation.
IRL	In Real Life	We’ve been chatting online for months; I can’t wait to meet you IRL!
BMS	“Broke My Scale,” used to convey that someone is exceptionally attractive.	Every time you walk into the room, BMS! You’re like a walking work of art.
Fam	“Family” or close friends.	Out with the fam for brunch.
TBT	“Throwback Thursday,” used for sharing old memories.	TBT to that amazing vacation last year.
GRWM	“Get Ready With Me,” often used to indicate a routine of getting ready.	Join me for a GRWM session before the big party tonight!
NVR	Never	I would NVR have thought of that idea on my own!
OOTD	Outfit Of The Day	Loving my new OOTD; what do you think?
TTYL	Talk To You Later	Got to go now, TTYL!
W	Sign of approval, similar to “winning.”	Just aced my test, W!
IYKYK	Stands for “If You Know, You Know.” It’s used to hint that something is an inside joke or has a deeper meaning that only those familiar with the context will understand.	Our conversation was filled with IYKYK moments; we couldn’t stop laughing.
ATM	At The Moment	I’m working on a project ATM, can we catch up later?
OTP	On The Phone	Can’t talk right now, I’m OTP with my friend.
BTW	By The Way	BTW, did you hear about the new restaurant opening downtown?
WTV	Whatever	If you don’t want to go, WTV, we can do something else.
DC	“Dance Credit,” to acknowledge the originator of a dance or challenge by attributing it to them. This is often accompanied by tagging the user they want to give credit to.	DC: @DanceQueen for creating such a fun and energetic dance routine.
WBU	What About You	I’m thinking of trying a new recipe tonight. WBU, any dinner plans?
FIT	Outfit	Check out my new FIT for the party tonight!
SMH	Shaking My Head	He left his phone at home again. SMH, some things never change.
IDC	I Don’t Care	You can choose the restaurant tonight; IDC where we go.
WDYM	What Do You Mean	You said you’ll be late. WDYM by ‘late’?
NGL	Not Gonna Lie	NGL, that new movie was pretty awesome!
POG	Play of the Game	That headshot was a total POG!
FOMO	Fear Of Missing Out	I can’t skip this party; I have serious FOMO.
FWIW	For What It’s Worth	FWIW, I think you should go for it.
DNI	“Do Not Interact.” It’s used to indicate that certain content is not intended for certain group of individuals.	DNI if you are under 18.
HML	Hit My Line	When you’re free, HML so we can catch up!
GOAT	Greatest of All Time	He’s the GOAT when it comes to basketball.
IB	Inspired By	Created this makeup look IB @MakeupArtistJane.
1437	Used as a numerical code to represent “I Love You Forever.”	Sending you a quick 1437 to remind you how much you mean to me.
#xyzbca	Often used on TikTok to increase video views without carrying any particular meaning.	#xyzbca

Read also: What Does ISO Mean on Facebook?

TikTok Emoji Expressions

Emoji	Meaning	Example/How to Use
🧢 / 🚫🧢	“Cap” has the same meaning in both written and emoji language. “Cap” and “no cap” mean “lie” and “no lie,” respectively.	I’m definitely going to conquer my to-do list today 🚫🧢.
👉 👈	The “two fingers touching” emoji sequence means ‘shy’. Often combined with the watery eye emoji for extra nervousness.	I’m really hoping they like my surprise party idea 👉👈💦.
✨__ ✨	Used to emphasize a word or phrase, often with a humorous tone.	Just got my hands on the last piece of pizza at the party ✨nabbed it!✨
💀 / ⚰️	Represents finding something funny, like “dying from laughter”.	Your hilarious story had me in stitches 💀, I couldn’t stop laughing!
🤡	Used to call someone out for doing something foolish or silly.	I locked myself out again 🤡. At least it’s a consistent talent.
🪑	Part of an “inside joke” where the chair emoji replaces the laughing emoji.	That pun was so clever 🪑, it deserves a standing ovation.

Pro Tip: Do you know TikTok allows you to download its videos? Learn how to download or save TikTok videos easily so that you can watch the videos offline.

Becoming Fluent in TikTok Slang

To master TikTok slang, actively engage with the content. Follow popular creators, explore trending hashtags, and immerse yourself in viral challenges. This involvement ensures you’re well-equipped to understand and participate in the dynamic language of TikTok.

Read also: The Meanings of Various TikTok Symbols and Icons (Explained)

Conclusion

TikTok slang is a fascinating linguistic playground that invites users to embrace their creativity and connect through shared expressions. With a comprehensive list of trendy terms above, you’re well on your way to becoming fluent in the language of TikTok. So, as you explore the platform, remember that each term represents a piece of its dynamic and ever-evolving culture.