Young People English Slang That You Should Know in 2022

Based

Something is based when you respect the other person’s opinions or ideas, or you recognize them for being themselves. So it’s like saying ‘oh you like this thing? I don’t necessarily like it, but it’s cool that you like it, nice’. It’s often used sarcastically though so it is a tricky one. You can think of it as a synonym to ‘cool’.

Oh you actually like Daddy Yankee? based… i think he’s mid but… based that you like him

Mid

This is a synonym for average or not really very good. For instance a hip-hop song that sounds like every other hip-hop song might be mid, it’s mid, it’s nothing special. Or maybe a movie that you saw recently that you didn’t hate, but you didn’t like either, you can say it was mid.

I saw Ghostbusters on the weekend, you know, with that kid from stranger things... it was mid…. it wasn’t cringe… it was just mid

Cringe

To cringe is a verb, and it’s not slang, it’s the facial expression that you make when someone else does something awkward or embarrassing, it’s like second hand embarrassment… your so embarrassed for someone so you make that facial expression. As slang it’s used as an adjective.

Have you seen the way Kanye is instagramming about Kim Kardashian, it's disrespectful and cringe.

Bruh

If someone says something stupid then you can say ‘bruh’ to try to let them know they’re being ridiculous. It can also be used to express surprise, bruh.

Are you really going to tell me how to do my job? bruh... seriously... bruh i can't with you right now.

I can't with you right now

You can do this when someone is obviously losing an argument, but to use it… you better be right.

So you’re trying to tell me that the government is creating conspiracies left right and centre…. bruh, I can’t with you right now?