Will this year’s word of the year be another slice of Gen-Alpha slang?

Street art in London, under Waterloo station. Image by Tim Sandle.

One of the fun things that pops up towards the end of each year is the major dictionaries providing their ‘word of the year’. Last year, the word ‘Rizz’ was awarded Word of the Year by the Oxford University Press, with the term gaining popularity from the social media application TikTok.

Other first slang terms that have won the award, including chav and selfie.

This year there are several candidates for new words and deciphering these, for outsiders, has seemingly become more complicated than ever before.

The firm QuillBot has rounded up some of the strangest slang terms now being used by the so-termed Gen-Alpha (a reference to the first people to be born entirely in the 21st century) and explained to Digital Journal what they mean and how to use them.

Sigma

Sigma: The term by definition is often used to describe a letter of the Greek alphabet and commonly used in mathematics, but for Gen-Alpha, the term means something entirely different.

In 2024, sigma means being a dominant leader, cool and popular all at the same time and is also often paired with alpha to give off pretty much the same definition.

Rizzler

First gaining popularity in the last year, Rizz is essentially a shortened slang version of the word charisma (often used towards someone who can charm someone else).

The term “Rizzler” is a slang term that has emerged from the concept of “rizz,”. The term “rizzler” takes this concept a step further, typically referring to someone who is exceptionally good at using their “rizz.”

Skibidi

Arguably the most Gen-Alpha term out there is the term skibidi. Although the word has no set meaning, it generally refers to something bad, evil, or has negative connotations.

Mewing

“Mewing” is a term that originated from a specific technique used to improve one’s jawline. In recent months, the term “mewing” has evolved into a non-verbal gesture among Gen Alpha that essentially means, “I don’t want to talk to you.” The gesture involves a “shushing” motion followed by tracing the jawline with a finger.

Aura points

The concept of “aura points” is a playful way of assessing someone’s overall vibe, energy, or presence.

Tweaking

With ‘tweaking’ this typically refers to someone overreacting, acting erratically, or being overly dramatic, often in a way that seems irrational or out of proportion to the situation.