In the big 2026, vocabulary is all out the wahzoo, with new hip words everywhere. It’s important to be up to date with the latest trends. For teachers or parents, or just anyone over the age of 40 who doesn’t go on social media, THIS will be your comprehensive guide to “Modern” vocab, whether it’s rude, Nonsense, or an actual word (hardly ever).
What words?
Well, “Modern words” is very broad, so I’ll be sticking to mostly recent words you might hear from youngins, as well as some old ones just to clarify, but mostly when it comes to words, they fall into 3 categories.
Category 1 Nonsense: Words that are pure nonsense. All your “67s” or “skibidi” or whatever.
Category 2 Abbreviations: stuff like ig, tbh, or pmo, even ts. These are all just abbreviations you use during texting.
Category 3 Name-calling: These words are mostly used to name-call someone, like calling someone a chud or an NPC.
So without further ado, here are some wacky words that some people are confused about!!
Definitions
Let’s start with some basics. For example..
idk= I don’t know. Pretty much just used as a response.
IG = Really depends on how you use it. It can mean either “InstaGram” OR “I Guess.” So if you wanna say “Give me your IG” it would mean Instagram, but as a response, it would be, “Or we could do that IG”
Ig bro= Now THIS combo is different. This one refers to when someone makes a take so out of pocket, the only thing to say is “I guess bro” in an exhausted manner.
Folk= an also be used in two ways. One is another way of calling someone. “Hey folk” and another being used the same way as “Ig bro,”; however, this one is more so laughing at what someone said, if it was cringe.
Chud= This is a mean way of insulting someone, pretty much calling them a bum.
Larper= You are a “larper” if you try to act like you know something but are just lying, so you are being fake.
Js= Easy way to shorten “Just” there
Ts=Mainly used as “This ██” while some people use it as “This”. However, this version is wrong.
PMO= Another way to “convey” emotion. Used as “Piss me off.” A little milder but not too bad to say if you’re getting annoyed.
NPC/Bot=: The name comes from video games that have Non-Playable Characters or Bots. These guys are used in the background of games, so used to describe someone who’s just in the background every day without personality
These are some of the words you’d use if you’re in a text conversation, and only in a text conversation. Do not ever say these words as their abbreviations out loud for your own sake; you might end up looking a bit foolish.
Nonsensical nonsense
Not everything Modern means something; there are some words people say just to say. For example, recently, it was a trend to say “67!” While making a hand motion. Words like these don’t mean anything, or are part of any gang. People just say these as a way of embracing “turning your brain off” and acting like an idiot.
If you wanna be hip.. PLEASE don’t say these things;-;. Most kids now say words like Niche (Meaning something that’s not well known) because they’re easy to say and convenient. Like, if you found a trick that you can use but don’t want anybody else to know, you tell them to “Keep it niche.” Words like these always come out every year, the “vocab” getting shorter and shorter.
How can I (I as in YOU) be hip?
When you’re older, it can seem hard to be hip, but actually being “hip” is more of a standard. For example, kids are fine with adults not using these words 24/7. Most of the time, using these words in every sentence can cause you to look like you’re trying too hard. It’s good to use them here and there, but mostly just remember what they mean.
