41+ Terms That Defined the Decade

Alright; an expression of agreement or general acceptance

“You coming to the party tonight? Aiight, see you there.”

Something or someone considered especially impressive — above and beyond

“She thinks she's all that and a bag of chips since she made varsity.”

An expression of disbelief or rejection — indicating something is absurd or impossible

“He asked for my number. As if!”

Excellent, impressive, or very attractive

“That new Biggie track is straight bangin'.”

Flashy, expensive jewelry or an ostentatious lifestyle

“Check out all that bling bling on him — he must've signed a deal.”

Not genuine; unfair, wrong, or disappointing

“You got grounded for a week? That's totally bogus, dude.”

An exclamation of triumph, excitement, or celebration

“I aced the test — booyah!”

To leave a place or situation

“This party is dead — let's bounce.”

Acting crazy, being overly dramatic, or losing your composure

“She was totally buggin' when she found out he was going to prom with someone else.”

Relaxing or hanging out with no particular agenda

“What are you doing this weekend? Just chillin' at home.”

An exclamation of joy or excitement; originally a surfing term, popularized by TMNT

“Pizza and a new Nintendo game? Cowabunga, dude!”

One's home or residence

“We're heading back to my crib after the game.”

The absolute best; something or someone truly excellent and impressive

“Her mixtape was da bomb — everyone was bumping it.”

To disrespect or insult someone, often publicly

“He totally dissed her in front of everyone at lunch.”

Excellent, cool, or impressive

“That new track by TLC is totally dope.”

Lower something quickly; also a dance move; act completely unfazed

“When the bass dropped, everyone started dropping it like it's hot.”

A defiant expression telling someone you don't care or to leave you alone

“You want me to apologize? Eat my shorts!”

Stylish, attractive, and cool

“You are looking mad fly in that outfit.”

For sure; absolutely; definitely — Snoop Dogg-style verbal affirmation

“Are you coming to the game tonight? Fo shizzle!”

Pretending to be something you're not; acting fake or putting on a false persona

“Stop frontin' like you know all the words to that song.”

Extremely good or extremely bad depending on context; used to describe something intense

“That wipeout was gnarly — are you okay?”

Exciting, energetic, or overly promoted

“The new Biggie album was so hype everyone pre-ordered it.”

Excellent, impressive, or very skilled

“His freestyle was ill — the whole crowd went crazy.”

Stylish, in a good mood, dancing freely; popularized by Will Smith

“Everyone got jiggy at the homecoming dance.”

Very, extremely, or a lot of

“That concert was mad hype — the whole city was there.”

An expression indicating something is completely obvious

“Of course the movie was good, it had Leo in it — no duh.”

A reversal of a statement, indicating the opposite is true; ironic negation

“I totally love doing homework... not!”

A casual farewell; leaving with style

“Alright, I'm out — peace out, everyone.”

Friends, close companions, or one's social circle

“I'm heading to the mall with my peeps this afternoon.”

Cool, excellent, or attractive

“Those kicks are straight phat — where'd you get them?”

No longer cool; outdated or overused to the point of embarrassment

“Wearing flannels unironically is totally played out by now.”

Extremely impressive, exciting, or cool

“Dude, that skateboard trick was totally radical!”

An exclamation of sexual attraction or strong approval, from Wayne's World

“Did you see the new transfer student? Schwing!”

A dismissive gesture and phrase meaning 'I'm not listening to you'

“Save it — talk to the hand.”

Cool, excellent, or finely executed

“Those new Jordans are tight — where'd you get them?”

Expression of strong agreement; that's absolutely right

“The 90s was the best decade for music. True dat.”

Outstanding, wonderful, or excellent — surf/skate term that went mainstream

“That concert was totally tubular, man.”

Bad, lame, or of embarrassingly poor quality

“That movie was straight-up wack — I want my money back.”

A dismissive reply showing total indifference; often paired with a W-shape made with fingers

“He told me to clean my room and I was like, whatever.”

Expression of agreement, acknowledgment, or affirmation; can also mean 'truth'

“That party last night was insane. Word.”

Indicating that boring or predictable details are being skipped over

“He gave this whole speech about responsibility, yadda yadda, I stopped listening.”