Top 100 American Slang Words for Students in 2025
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This guide will get you up to speed on the coolest everyday American slangs used by college students in the USA. Explore some of the popularly used American slang and expand your vocabulary with new lingo.
If you are an international student going to study in USA for higher education, then here’s your guide to American slang. Students who are going to US universities first need to understand American culture and, most importantly, their language. This will help students to be able to interact easily and, secondly, not feel left out of the conversations. Check out the list of 100 American slang with their meanings and use in examples.
- What is a Slang?
- Essential Reasons to Learn American Slangs
- List of 100 American Slangs with Examples
- Travel Slangs in America
What is a Slang?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, slang is,
‘A type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people.’
Thus, slang is a word or set of words used in less formal interactions. Since communication in America is quite informal, the use of slang is a common practice. American slang differs from the slang of other languages and holds a specific meaning in a particular context. While slang is commonly used for daily conversations in the USA, applicants looking to study in the USA must learn a few phrases to use at their disposal.
Language Used in USA
In the USA, American English is used quite informally, usually, and not in formal settings. Have you heard these popular American slang like cool, ASAP (as soon as possible), cappuccino, off the hook, yeah! and BRB? These are American slang terms, commonly used by teenagers, college students and youngsters in USA. Indian students going to study in America will come across these terms or slang while interacting with classmates or Americans in general.
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Essential Reasons to Learn American Slangs
There are multiple reasons why an Indian or any international student should be aware of the informal language usage in USA. There are a few reasons why you must include learning American slang to your checklist before flying to the US:
- Knowing American slang will help you interact with fellow students more easily and also help you build friendships easily.
- Communication in USA will generally will flow easily once you know slangs.
- Once you know how casual interactions happen, using correct American slang will be easy.
- You will not offend anyone if you are aware of the slang in some way or the other.
- Finally, learning and understanding American slang is not difficult; it's a cakewalk, you can use it at all times.
List of 100 American Slangs with Examples
Excited to learn American slang? Let's get going, following is a list of 100 American slang terms curated for students like you, who would need to keep it handy when you land in the US:
General American Slangs
| General American Slangs |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| 24x7 |
Non-stop, 24 hours |
The store is open 24x7, we can get things anytime. |
| ASAP |
As Soon As Possible |
We have to get this ASAP. |
| Awesome |
Very good, impressive |
Its not good, its awesome! |
| Big Deal |
Anything important or exciting |
Getting into Harvard was a big deal for him. |
| Blown Away |
To be shocked about something. |
I was blown away when he got the scholarship in US for his study. It was a difficult one. |
| BRB |
(abbr) Be right back |
Hold on! I’ll BRB! |
| Break the Ice |
Make a beginning. Initiate a conversation. |
Good communication skills are important to break the ice. |
| Bummer |
Unpleasant experience |
That workshop on time management skills was such a bummer. |
| Blast |
Having a good time |
We had a blast at the party last night. You missed it. |
| Cop |
American slang for a policeman |
The cops are usually patrolling this area of our university exit. |
| Cop-out |
Not accepting responsibility |
It was easy for you to cop out and because of you we were framed. |
| Cut it |
Stop it |
Cut it and focus on the work. |
| Fall for |
Also to be fooled or tricked |
He always falls for scamming deals. |
| Hang On |
American slang commonly used to wait for a short while |
Hang on! We will issue you this book in a bit. |
| Hold Up |
Delay in doing something |
Hold it up for now, we can discuss this topic later. |
| Hold your horses |
American slang means to hold on / wait |
Hold your horses, don’t panic! We’ll get out of this situation. |
| Jammed up |
Stuck or immobile |
Its all jammed up, i cannot open it. |
| Jinx |
Cause bad luck |
This is the second time I lost the game. There is definitely a jinx. |
| Luck Out | Doing well when you least or don’t expect |
I completely forgot to study for the test, but I ended up lucking out and getting a good grade! |
| Play It By Ear |
To respond to circumstances as they arise |
We'll just play it by ear and see what the weather is like tomorrow before deciding on the picnic. |
| Pull Strings |
Use of influence to get something |
The politician was accused of pulling strings to get his friend a high-ranking job. |
| Through The Grapevine |
Something heard through informal channels or gossip. |
I heard through the grapevine that they might be hiring for a new position in marketing. |
Campus or Student Life American Slangs
| Campus or Student Life American Slangs |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| Ace |
Get perfect scores on a test or assignment |
Let’s ace this project! |
| All-nighter |
Studying or working through the entire night |
We’re planning to pull an all nighter to finish the assignment. |
| At One's Fingertips |
Something that can be easily recalled |
With the help of mnemonics, we can have the info at our fingertips. |
| Bombed |
To fail badly on a test or assignment |
I was bombed in the test. I guess I will have a backlog this semester. |
| Brainiac |
An intelligent person |
Learn to boost your brainiac from him. He’s very intelligent! |
| Buckle down |
Start studying seriously |
I need to buckle down else I will lose my scholarship at the university. |
| Cram |
To study a lot of information in a short period. |
Let’s cram the information and present it in our research paper tomorrow. |
| Curve |
An adjustment is made to a test's scores to account for difficulty. |
Let this task act as a learning curve for y’all. |
| Cut Class |
Similar to "skip out" or "skip class" |
Cut the class and meet me in the library, there’s some news. |
| Drop a class |
Officially withdraw from a course |
I don’t think I will be able to do this elective. I will request to drop a class tomorrow. |
| Elective |
An optional course |
Choosing electives for this semester was a task. |
| Extra credit |
Optional work that can improve your grade |
Hopefully, my internship certificate will earn me an extra credit. |
| Finals |
The last examinations of the semester. |
After the finals, I will go visit my parents in Italy. |
| Flunk |
To fail a test or a course |
I hope I don’t flunk the test. My plans for the holidays will get ruined. |
| GPA |
(abb) Grade Point Average |
My GPA calculation has fared well for this semester. |
| |
Find something on Google or Google search |
You can Google it if you cannot find the meaning of a term. |
| Hit The Books |
American slang for studying hard |
Let's hit the books this week and prepare for our exams. |
| Hit The Sack |
To go to sleep |
She was tired so she hit the sack. |
| Hot |
American slang for good-looking |
That’s a hot group of people. |
| Huffy |
American slang for angry |
Don’t be huffy. Let’s re-try the process. |
| Hung Up |
To be in conflict over a problem |
I hung up on the problem for now. Because my problem-solving skills are also failing. |
| I feel you |
I understand you, commonly used American slang |
I feel you sis, done this and been through it already. |
Friendship & Relationship American Slangs
| Friendship & Relationship American Slangs |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| Bae |
A term of endearment |
That’s my bestfriend and my bae. |
| Bestie |
Best friend |
That girl over there sitting at the counter is my bestie. |
| Bro |
A close male friend |
Hi bro! wassup? |
| Dude |
American slang for a guy |
Hey dude! That’s my bag. |
American Slangs for Emotions or Reactions
| American Slangs fo Emotions or Reactions |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| Chill |
To relax, and calm down. |
We can chill, we can ace the exam this time. |
| Cool |
American slang for nice, good |
This is a very cool room! I like the interiors. |
| Cool It |
Calm Down |
Cool it, you guys. There’s no point stretching the topic. |
| Dope |
Stupid or sick |
He’s such a dope. He understands nothing. |
| Down |
To feel depressed or sad |
I am not feeling well, I am down with the thought of the surprise test. |
| Drive Me Up The Wall |
Making someone very nervous, upset, or annoyed |
I will drive up the wall till the sem results are released. |
| Fed Up |
Disgusted with, or tired of something or someone |
I am fed up with this tiring schedule. I desperately need a break. |
| Feeling blue |
Sadness |
Its a long day, we are already feeling the blues. |
| FOMO |
(abb) Fear of Missing Out |
I am afraid I will have FOMO if I don’t go to the party tonight. I cannot miss all the fun. |
| Go bananas |
Go crazy |
I will go bananas learning the rules of present tense someday. |
| GOAT |
(abb) Greatest of all time |
The BTS is GOAT! |
| Gripe |
American slang for complaint |
Don’t gripe, it's useless. Let’s take up the matter to the higher authorities. |
| Hang In There |
Another American slang meaning - keep trying. Don’t get discouraged. |
Hang in there! You will eventually get the solution right. |
| Hassle |
American slang for problem |
We will all be hassled if we are unable to submit the project within the set deadline. |
| Have Cold Feet |
To be nervous, uncertain, or anxious |
Today’s presentation with the board. I have cold feet. |
| High Five |
A common American slang or phrase used when two people hit their right hands in mid-air, is used to celebrate or congratulate each other. |
We gave each other a high five when the professor applauded our assignment. |
| Hinky |
Something that doesn’t seem right |
A hinky guy, it seems something is fishy. |
| Legit |
Slang for good or worthwhile |
The class for learning French was legit amazing. |
| Lit | American slang for exciting or fun |
This place is lit! |
| Make-up |
To apologize after a fight or disagreement |
After our argument, we both needed some time to cool down before we could make up. |
| On fleek |
American slang for something amazing |
She always looks good. This is why her fashion sense is on fleek! |
| Out of It |
Somebody whose mind is far away or preoccupied |
During the lecture, the professor could tell I was out of it because I kept doodling in my notebook. |
| Out of Question |
Unthinkable or impossible |
I am scared of heights, going on the roller coaster is out of the question. |
| Psyched |
Be mentally prepared for something exciting |
I'm so psyched about the upcoming vacation, I can't wait to relax on the beach! |
| Slay |
American slang for the expression of something great |
She slayed in the red dress. |
| Spill the Tea |
Share juicy gossip |
Come on, spill the tea! What happened between you and Sarah? |
| Swag |
Stylish |
She walked into the party with so much swag, that everyone's heads turned to look at her. |
| TFW |
(abb) That Feeling When |
TFW you finally finished the project, it's such a relief! |
| That hits the spot |
Exactly what was needed |
After a long day, that cold glass of lemonade really hit the spot. |
| Under The Weather |
American slang for sick |
I'm feeling a little under the weather today, so I think I'm going to stay home from work. |
| YOLO |
(abbr) You Only Live Once |
YOLO, let's go skydiving this weekend, we won't regret it! |
| Yeet |
American slang for showing enthusiasm or approval |
I accidentally yeeted my phone across the room, thank goodness it didn't break! |
Finance American Slangs
| Finance American Slangs |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| Ballin' |
Spending money lavishly (informal, might be boastful). |
He won the lottery and started ballin', buying expensive cars and designer clothes. |
| Broke |
Having no money |
I am broke, and will wait for my part-time employer to give me a paycheck. |
| Buck |
U.S. dollar |
Lend me a buck, please! |
| Budget |
Planning how to spend your money |
Let’s make a budget this month so that we don’t overspend. |
| Side hustle | A secondary job to earn extra income |
Doing a part-time job in USA is a side hustle. |
| Take a Raincheck | To postpone an invitation |
I'd love to go to the concert with you, but I can't tonight. Maybe we can take a raincheck for next weekend? |
Food American Slangs
| Food American Slangs |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| All-nighter |
Junk food is typically eaten while studying late. |
We’ll study all night, let’s order from an all-nighter. |
| Bar |
A place where alcoholic beverages are served. |
We can go to the bar nearby to meet our friends. |
| Cafeteria food |
Food served in a large dining hall on campus. |
The cafeteria food has good lunch options on Wednesdays and Thursdays. |
| Caffeine fix |
A strong need for coffee or caffeinated drink. |
I need a caffeine fix to finish my work. |
| Grab a bite |
To eat a quick meal |
Let’s quickly grab a bite before the lecture begins. |
| Grub |
American slang for food |
After studying all night, my stomach rumbled for some grub. I decided to raid the vending machine for a snack. |
| Junk |
American slang for junk food |
There is a new food truck, let’s go have some junk from there. |
| On the House | American slang for free |
Since it was my birthday, the dessert was on the house! |
| Pig Out |
To eat excessively |
We pigged out on pizza and ice cream after watching the whole movie marathon. |
Travel Slangs in America
| Travel American Slangs |
||
|---|---|---|
| American Slangs |
Meaning |
Example Sentence |
| Bail |
Leave an event or plan unexpectedly. |
I bailed out of the auditorium when the professor called me. |
| Cabbie |
A short form for a cab driver |
Lost in the city, I relied on the friendly cabbie's knowledge of backstreets to get me to my appointment on time. |
| Crash |
To stay at someone's place unexpectedly |
He’s crashing at my place because there’s renovation going on in his house. |
| Dorm |
A residence hall on campus |
There are benefits to choosing a student dorm in the university. You’ll enjoy your stay and study. |
If you are planning to study in the USA soon, consider learning some of the popular American slang. By learning typical American slang, applicants will not feel alone and can easily interact with classmates from the United States and other countries. If looking at admissions in the USA, sign up at Shiksha Abroad Counselling and get free counselling from our expert team of counsellors. Also you can get in touch with us in the comments below.
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