- S
Slang Words Starting with S
Below is a complete list of Gen Alpha slang words beginning with S that are used or popularized to help people understand the way the younger generations communicate. These slang words are constantly evolving and being updated, and their meanings may change as the way young people communicate changes.
| Slang Word | Definition | Examples | Variations | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Salty | Used to describe someone who is behaving or expressing themselves in a resentful, bitter, or irritated manner.. | "I don't know why she's being so salty." | Originally referred to "racy" or "vulgar" sailors in the 1800s. | |
Sigma | An independent male on top of the social hierarchy.. | "He is so sigma""What the sigma?" | From the Greek letter, sigma (Σ), often used above A (as Latin S) in numerical tierlists. | |
Simp | Sycophancy, being overly affectionate in pursuit of a sexual relationship.. | "Stop simping for that girl, she doesn't even know you." | Simper, Simping, Simped | Originally short term for simpering; first used to describe those who were "soft" and "overly affectionate" in the 1980s by West coast rappers. Has been a popular slang on the Internet since the late 2010s on Reddit and Twitter. Adopted by the manosphere community before appearing on TikTok. |
Skibidi | Nonce word, is often used for a comedic or exaggerating effect. | "That was so skibidi of you.""This song is so skibidi." | skibdi, skibiri | First known usage was in 2018 when the song "Skibidi" by Little Big was popularized. In 2022, TikToker Yasin Cengiz renewed the trend with belly dancing videos to a remix inspired by "Dom Dom Yes Yes", created by Bulgarian artist Biser King, before exploding in popularity with the creation of Skibidi Toilet in 2023, which uses a mashup of the song and Give It to Me by Timbaland as the main theme of its titular antagonists. Has since been adopted by Gen A. |
Slay | To do something well.. | "She slayed in her new album." | Slaying, Slayed | Possibly a 19th-century term for being fashionable, slay's modern origin stems from Black and Latino queer culture from the 1970s, which was used to describe when one's appearance was "flawless." The term was popularized by American singer Beyoncé in 2016. |
Sheesh | To praise someone when they are doing something good. The vowels are often emphasized, as in "sheeesh". The one being praised is to do the "ice in my veins" pose popularized by Basketball player D'Angelo Russell.. | "Sheesh, those shoes are stylish." | Shee, Sheeesh | Believed to be a variation of another word such as "jeez," "Jesus," or "shit." First used in 1955 as a word to express "disappointment, annoyance or surprise." |
Sus | Short term for suspect/suspicious.. | "You're acting pretty sus." | Sussy, Sussy Baka[b] | Popularized in 2018 by players of the online video game Among Us and received mainstream usage with the game's explosion in popularity in mid-2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Merriam Websters, the term has been in use among English speakers since at least the 1960s. |