The most popular slang in the 90s includes ‘fly,’ ‘as if,’ ‘yo,’ ‘boo,’ ‘dodgy,’ ‘chillax,’ ‘dip,’ etc.
Remember the pretty old days when phrases like “rad,” “phat,” and “fly” were considered cool, and millennials were crazy about these quirky terms?
Sometimes building the communication bridge with the younger generation is not about learning their language, but it also means introducing them to the expressions that were once very popular among your generation.
Come along and take a stroll down memory lane and revisit the most hyped 90s slang.
So, whether you want to bond with your little fellow or simply want to impress them with the 1990s slang phrases. This 90s slang words list will help you blend the 90s nostalgia into your Gen Z kid’s conversations.
This 90s slang words list will take you deeper into the comprehensive spectrum of popular slang from the 1990s. So come along as I take you back to the 90s nostalgic lingo.
| S. No. | Slang | Meaning | Examples |
| 1. | Rad | It is shorthand for ‘radical’ and used for describing something cool or really impressive. | Damn, that skateboard trick was rad!! |
| 2. | Fly | Means stylish, attractive, and impressive, mainly in terms of fashion. | Wow, her outfit is looking fly today. |
| 3. | Yo | A casual way of greeting. | Yo, how are you doing, man? |
| 4. | Bangin’ | Refer to something really delicious, tasty, or exciting, and is typically used for food and music. | This pasta and garlic bread combo is bangin’. |
| 5. | All That | Used sarcastically for someone who thinks he/she is an impressive or charismatic person. | Just because she’s learning ballet, she thinks she’s all that. |
| 6. | Aiight | It’s the slang version of ‘alright’ and means ‘okay,’ ‘fine,’ or ‘agreed.’ | I’ll meet you there at 7pm, aiight? |
| 7. | Butt Munch | A playful tease and insensitive insult often used between friends and siblings. | Stop being such a butt munch and share the sandwich with me. |
| 8. | As If | Sarcastic way to reject something that is absurd. | He believes I’ll go out with him, as if I’m actually going to show up. |
| 9. | Cool Beans | It means ‘great,’ ‘awesome,’ and ‘okay’ and is used particularly to show approval towards a plan. | Cool beans, you got the tickets to the movie. |
| 10. | Da Bomb | Used to refer to something excellent and really impressive. | This video game is a bomb! I wonder why we never played it before. |
| 11. | Buggin’ | It is used for someone who is acting irrational, panicked, or overreacting. | Why are you buggin’ out over a simple Olympiad? |
| 12. | Dibs | Used to make a quick claim on something before anyone else calls it first. | I call dibs on the first seat. |
| 13. | Crunk | It’s a mix of crazy and drunk that means a state of high energy and excitement, often used in the context of partying. | He gets crunk very easily! He’s a real party animal. |
| 14. | Boo | Originating from ‘bae,’ it’s a term of endearment used to lovingly refer to a girlfriend or boyfriend. | My boo and I are planning for a movie night. |
| 15. | Scrub | Used for a guy who is generally perceived as lazy or broke and is not worth dating. | He’s a total scrub! I’ll never go out with him. |
| 16. | Dip | Means to leave or bounce from a place quickly. | This party is lame; let’s dip to the club. |
| 17. | Booyah | An exclamation, generally used for showing excitement, victory, or triumph. | Booyah! We finally won the game. |
| 18. | Dodgy | Mean suspicious, sketchy, and untrustworthy. | The guy selling branded shoes for half the price seems dodgy. |
| 19. | Bling Bling | Used to refer to flashy and expensive jewelry, etc., that shows wealth. | Check out all the bling-bling she’s wearing on her neck and wrist. |
| 20. | Ditto | It is generally used for saying ‘same here’ or to agree with something. | I’ve a ditto dress but in red. |
| 21. | Butt-Head | Similar to ‘butt munch,’ it is also used as a playful insult for someone who is acting annoying or dumb. | Stop being a butt-head and help me assemble this table. |
| 22. | Duh | Used for pointing out something that is obvious. | Duh, you need an umbrella, it’s raining cats and dogs. |
| 23. | Home Skillet | A term for buddy, it is used to refer to a close friend. | What’s up, home skillet? |
| 24. | Chillin’ | Means relaxing, or hanging out without doing anything in particular. | I’m just chillin’ at Dave’s house. |
| 25. | Cowabunga | It’s an exclamation, popularized by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and is used for showing approval. | Cowabunga, let’s hit the beach this Sunday. |
| 26. | Cha-Ching | Got into the limelight by the FRIENDS show; it’s a term used to indicate success or making money. | Cha-ching! We’ve finally closed the deal. |
| 27. | Foopah | Misspelled from the French word Faux Pass, Foopah is used to indicate a social mistake or awkward error. | Wearing white at someone else’s wedding is a total foopah. |
| 28. | Funky Fresh | It means extremely cool, stylish, or original. | Those sneakers are funky fresh. |
| 29. | I’m Outtie | It’s a casual way of saying I’m leaving. | It’s too late now, I’m outtie. |
| 30. | Chillax | Originating from combining ‘chill’ and ‘relax,’ chillax is an informal way of saying ‘calm down’ or ‘take it easy.’ | Just chillax bro, this pimple is not that bad. |
| 31. | Dweeb | Used to refer to a socially awkward or nerdy person. | He didn’t talk to anyone the entire flight, so dweeb! |
| 32. | Wassup | Shorthand for ‘what’s up,’ it’s a casual way of greeting someone and asking about their life. | Wassup, bro? |
| 33. | Crib | Used to refer to someone’s home or place of living. | Let’s chill at my crib after school. |
| 34. | Dope | Means really impressive, cool, or awesome. | Taylor Swift’s new song is dope. |
| 35. | Homie | Casual way of referring to a close friend or someone from your neighborhood. | My homies and I are hitting the club Saturday night. |
| 36. | Lame | It means boring, uncool, and weak. | You are skipping the party to study, so lame. |
| 37. | Hella | A very popular slang in West Coast, which means ‘a lot of.’ | That dinner party was hella crazy. |
| 38. | Fresh | Used for indicating something is stylish, new, and clean. | You look fresh in this outfit. |
| 39. | Kickin’ | It means something is really good, fun, and exciting. | This party is kickin’. |
| 40. | Gig | Refers to a job or performance especially for musicians. | Finally got a new gig at a coffee shop downtown. |
| 41. | Mondo | It used to refer to something intense or huge. | That pizza was mondo delicious. |
| 42. | Eat My Shorts | Popularized by The Simpsons, it means ‘rebellious’ or ‘dismissive.’ | You don’t like jazz? Eat my shorts! |
| 43. | My Bad | Fun way to say ‘my mistake’ or ‘sorry.’ | I forgot your birthday. My bad! |
| 44. | Sketchy | Used to describe someone suspicious, shady, or untrustworthy. | This alley looks sketchy. Let’s take the other route. |
| 45. | Not | It is generally added after a statement to sarcastically negate it. | Damn, you’re so cool, not! |
| 46. | Trippin’ | Used to refer to someone who is overreacting or acting irrationally over minor issues. | Stop trippin’. It’s just a small, innocent mistake. |
| 47. | Sick | Typically used as a compliment in a positive way to describe something as really cool or impressive. | H&M’s new collection is very sick! |
| 48. | Oh Snap | It’s an expression of surprise, excitement, and realization. | Oh Snap! You actually did the paragliding adventure. |
| 49. | Psyche | Generally used to trick someone and said after pretending something is true and then revealing it’s not. | I got you a new phone. Psyche! |
| 50. | Bing | It’s an exclamation similar to ‘boom’ and ‘tada.’ | Bing! I did the project in just a night before the deadline. |
| 51. | Word | A 90s slang word, generally used to express agreement or understanding over something. | You’ll come on our trip to Udaipur?Word!! |
| 52. | Sup | It’s a shorthand for ‘what’s up’ and is a casual way of greeting someone. | Sup, bro, all well? |
| 53. | You Go, Girl | Mainly used for women, it’s a word of encouragement or praise to show you support. | Damn, you got promoted again!! You go, girl. |
| 54. | Wack | Used to describe something as lame, uncool, or weird and not worthy of trying. | Conjuring: The Last Rites movie is totally wack. |
| 55. | Schwing | Originating from Wayne’s World, the Saturday Night Live Sketch schwing is 90s slang for showing excitement. | Schwing! You walked in like a queen. |
| 56. | Bite Me | It’s a strong, defiant, and dismissive comeback to an insult. | You really think I care about your stupid rumors, bite me! |
| 57. | Diss | Generally means to insult, disrespect, or roast someone in a sarcastic and non-serious way. | He dissed Alberto in front of the entire class. |
| 58. | Blow Up | Another prominent 90s slang term used for someone who suddenly became popular or successful. | Well, that band blew up just after one viral video. |
| 59. | Take a Chill Pill | A casual way of telling someone to calm down or stop overreacting. | It’s just a game! You need to take a chill pill. |
| 60. | Wicked | 90’s slang, generally used for describing something really cool or awesome. This slang from the 1990s is especially popular in New England. | This PS5 trick is wicked cool. |
| 61. | Beeotch | It’s a playful and exaggerated way of saying ‘b*tch,’ often in a joking and mocking way. | Get out of my seat, beeotch! |
| 62. | Tight | A popular slang from the 90s that means really cool and excellent. It is also used to refer to close-knit friends. | The juice mix you made last night was tight. |
| 63. | Dude | Another casual 90’s slang term used for a person, generally male. | Dude, where is my car? |
| 64. | Phat | It means stylish, excellent, or cool and is often used as a shorthand for Pretty Hot And Tempting. | These new shoes of yours are phat. |
| 65. | Spiffy | Generally used for describing something that is stylish or neat. | This new jumpsuit on you looks so spiffy. |
| 66. | Clutch | A popular 90’s slang that means timely, essential, or came through at the perfect moment. | That last-second goal of yours was clutch. |
| 67. | Buffy Speak | It’s a quirky, sarcastic, and clever slang mainly used for witty and culturally aware teenagers who know how to manipulate language. This slang was popularized by the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. | Bro, your comeback was total buffy speak. |
| 68. | Buzzkill | Used to refer to a person or thing who instantly ruins the mood. | He turned on the news in the party. Such a buzzkill! |
| 69. | Say What? | It’s an expression of confusion and disbelief to show surprise at something someone has said. | You failed Math again. Say What? |
| 70. | Puh-lease | A famous 90’s slang term that shows a sarcastic way of saying Please, to show disbelief and annoyance at something. | You really think she’s talented? Puh-lease!!! |
| 71. | Scrilla | It is used informally as a noun to refer to money in African American Vernacular English | Andrew got mad scrilla from his last gig. |
| 72. | Talk to My Hand | Another popular dismissive phrase that means you are not listening. | Damn, this science talk is boring me. Talk to my hand! |
| 73. | Busted | Typically used when someone is caught doing something wrong or looking bad. | You were sneaking snacks? Totally busted! |
| 74. | Baller | Originating from the Basketball culture and is used to refer to someone who lives large. | He’s driving a Lambo now. What a baller! |
| 75. | Shut Up | It is similar to ‘no way’ or ‘you’re kidding,’ shut up is an expression of surprise and disbelief. | You met The Rock yesterday in the mall. Shut up!! |
| 76. | Supersize It | Usually popularized by McDonald’s, “supersize it” means to make something better, bigger, and more extreme. | Don’t worry about this party. We are going to supersize it with our creative ideas. |
| 77. | Rock On | This is a phrase of encouragement or celebration and is often related to music. | You finally got the job, girl; rock on! |
| 78. | Smokin’ | Mainly related to fashion, smokin’ is used to refer to someone attractive or very impressive. | You look smokin’ in this body-con dress. |
| 79. | Off the Hook | Another popular phrase from 90s slang that means ‘amazing’ and exceptionally good. | Sabrina Carpenter’s latest concert was off the hook. |
| 80. | Dank | Originally used for potent weed, it means high-quality, excellent, or impressive. However, since 2013 it has been adopted to mean ‘cool’ or ‘awesome.’ | Those memes are really dank, dude. |
| 81. | Chill Out | It means to calm down or relax. | Chill out, man. It’s just a game. |
| 82. | Gag Me With a Spoon | An expression of disgust or annoyance used to express strong disgust, dislike, or disapproval. | Gag me with a spoon, before I hear to this absurd song. |
| 83. | What’s the 411? | Casual way of asking for the info or the latest news about something. | Hey buddy, what’s the 411 on that party? |
| 84. | Catch You on the Flip Side | This is a very casual expression of saying ‘see you later’ or ‘goodbye.’ | Gotta head out now. Catch you on the flip side! |
| 85. | No Diggity | Popular 90s slang to say ‘no doubt’ or show complete agreement. | No diggity, this track is fire. |
| 86. | I Pity the Fool | Popularized by Mr. T, ‘I pity the fool’ is used for expressing disapproval and mockery. | I pity the fools who think they can beat me in cooking. |
| 87. | Wiggin’ Out | It’s another way of saying ‘freaking out,’ ‘panicking,’ or ‘acting irrational.’ | She’s wiggin’ out over the pop quiz. |
| 88. | Mint | General slang phrase that means ‘excellent,’ ‘perfect,’ ‘flawless,’ ‘high quality,’ or ‘in great condition.’ | That drawer is in mint condition. |
| 89. | Doofus | Used to refer to a goofy, stupid, foolish, or clueless person. | Don’t behave like such a doofus; just read the instructions. |
| 90. | Props | Another famous slang phrase that means respect, praise, and recognition highly deserved by someone for an achievement or good deed. | Props to you for acing the national-level Olympiad. |
| 91. | Righteous | It’s an enthusiastic adjective that means something is excellent, great, and genuinely wonderful. | Helping her with the gas refilling thing is a righteous act. |
| 92. | No Soup for You | Popularized by the TV show Seinfeld, this expression is often used in a strict or playful way to deny someone something they want. | You didn’t prepare for the exam; no soup for you. |
| 93. | All That and a Bag of Chips | It means something is very special, excellent, or impressive, emphasizing extreme high quality. | He thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips. |
| 94. | Fo’ Shizzle | Got into the limelight by Snoop Dogg’s show. Fo’ Shizzle is typically used for saying ‘for sure,’ ‘definitely,’ ‘certainly,’ or ‘without a doubt.’ | Are you going to her party tonight? Fo’ Shizzle man!!! |
| 95. | Illmatic | Became a trendy phrase from Na’s iconic album and means something is really good and next level. | That beat is illmatic. You’re totally killing it. |
| 96. | Def | Highly influenced by Hip-Hop culture, it’s an informal abbreviation for “definitely” and is used to say great or cool. | These high-rise pants of yours are def girl. |
| 97. | Let’s Bounce | It’s an informal slang that means ‘let’s go’ and ‘let’s leave’ for suggesting a quick departure from a location. | There’s nothing fun to do here; let’s bounce. |
| 98. | Shiznit | This 90s slang refers to the best of its kind and is used to indicate something of the best quality or top-tier. | The Range Rover is the shiznit. |
| 99. | Veg Out | It means to relax completely and not do anything, often by lying down or sitting and watching television. | Just going to veg out and watch cartoons. |
| 100. | Hasta La Vista, Baby | Popularized by Terminator 2: Judgement Day. This 90’s slang phrase means goodbye and see you later. | I’m out for home now. Hasta La Vista, baby! |
| 101. | Sweet | This phrase is used to express that something is really good, awesome, and great. | You finally got the tickets, sweet! |
| 102. | Shorty | It’s a term of affection mainly used for a girl and a kid. | That’s my shorty in the pretty pink dress. |
| 103. | Gucci | Derived from the name of the luxury fashion brand Gucci, this phrase means something is good, cool, or excellent. | Don’t worry about us; we are Gucci. |
| 104. | Get Over It | It means to accept something that has happened, move on, and stop dwelling on a negative situation. | He cheated on you a year ago. Get over it now, girl! |
| 105. | It’s all Good | An informal way to ask or express that everything is fine or acceptable and there’s nothing to worry about. | You forgot your keys today; is it all good now? |
| 106. | Ex-Squeeze Me | Popularized by the Wayne’s World movie, ‘ex-squeeze me’ is a playful and humorous way of saying ‘excuse me.’ | Ex-squeeze me, you are pronouncing my name the wrong way. |
| 107. | Major | It is used to refer to something really big or important. | It was a major win for our team. |
| 108. | Jinkies | Used mainly as an exclamation of surprise or amazement popularized by the Scooby-Doo animated series. | Jinkies, I finally found my Grandma’s wedding ring. |
| 109. | Off the Hizzy | A popular 90s slang phrase that means ‘off the hook’ and is used to describe excellent, amazing, cool, or exciting. | Taylor Swift’s concert was off the hizzy. |
| 110. | So Not Cool | It means lame, cool, or not socially acceptable. | You wore socks with sandals, so not cool, girl; that’s a fashion crime. |
| 111. | Totally Tubular | Originating from surfing slang for riding a wave in a tube, this phrase means something is not really cool, awesome, or excellent. | That wave was totally tubular. |
Mastering the 90s slang will bring back the nostalgia. This 90s slang words list will help you embrace the carefree spirit of the 90s lingo.
The expressions “fly” and “phat” might look outdated to today’s generation, but these phrases hold a unique charm that hits the spot even today. So whether you’re looking for a retro flair or want to mix some 90s phrases into your kid’s Gen Z vocab, this 1990s slang words list and the Slang Text Dictionary are your way to go.
The most popular slang in the 90s includes ‘fly,’ ‘as if,’ ‘yo,’ ‘boo,’ ‘dodgy,’ ‘chillax,’ ‘dip,’ etc.
The term “crusty” is used to refer to someone who is a member of a subculture of nomadic, generally isolated young people with an unkempt appearance.
‘Fine’ slang phrase is used to describe the effortlessly charismatic, confident, and emotionally intelligent presence of someone, mainly men, which makes them uniquely attractive.
In 90s slang words, the word “phat” generally means ‘excellent,’ ‘attractive,’ ‘wonderful,’ and ‘great’ and is used to describe something cool, stylish, or appealing.
There are several words that mean “cool” in the 90s; some of them are ‘da bomb,’ ‘fly,’ ‘fresh,’ ‘phat,’ ‘ill,’ etc.
