We live in a world dominated by social media, memes and a mind-boggling lingo that is ever changing. Even though slang words have been in existence for centuries, and unique to particular groups of people, the rate at which new words and phrases enter people’s vocabulary has increased tremendously over recent years thanks to the internet. Here are some of the popular slang words that have been doing the rounds in 2020:

1. Extra

This is a word used to describe a person or situation that is overly dramatic,needlessly exaggerated or just plain over the top. If someone spends hours on end gossiping about others only to follow it up with “but hey, who am I to judge?”, you can say that they’re just being way too extra.

2. Flex

To flex means to knowingly boast about, flaunt or show off something - can be a possession, a skill or a status symbol - to feel good about it. ‘Flexing’ on people is widely considered to be insincere and arrogant. 

3. Cap/no cap

The word ‘cap’ in this context is used to imply a lie or an untruth. If someone follows up a statement with “no cap” it means they’re trying to convince you of its authenticity, whereas if someone wants to point out that a specific person is lying, they can say “don’t fall for his cap”.

4. Lit

The word ‘lit’ is used as an adjective to describe something that is exciting or awesome or just plain old enjoyable. If you had a good time at a party, you can say “that party was lit!”

5. Basic

Referring to something as basic means it is way too common or mainstream. The word is also used to refer to people who do things that are stereotypical and unoriginal. For example, “She’s so basic, everytime she buys coffee from Starbucks she uploads a selfie with her cup on Instagram!”

6. Salty

To be salty about something means to be unnecessarily irritated, upset or bitter over a minor issue. For example, “he’s just salty because I beat him at poker.”

7. Lowkey

This word is used to imply slightly, secretly, discreetly, modestly or quietly. If someone says “I lowkey hate his guts” it means they don’t like this person’s brazenness but they’d rather keep such an opinion to themselves or prefer not to assert it openly.

8. Thirsty

Being thirsty refers to behaviours that are characterised by an intense and often shallow need for attention, approval, validation or affection or all of them combined. For example, “he’s so thirsty he’s spamming his selfies in all the group chats he’s in.”

9. Simp

A simp is a person who goes overboard trying to please or impress others. The term is typically used to refer to men who become overly submissive to women in the hope of getting her attention and/or affection in return.

10. Yeet

The word ‘yeet’ is used to express excitement or surprise. It is also used to refer to the act of throwing something at a high velocity. Examples: “I got 10/10 in the test. Yeet!”, “watch me yeet this Coke can into the dustbin!”