slang

¹

[slang]

noun

1. very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language, as Hit the road.

2. (in English and some other languages) speech and writing characterized by the use of vulgar and socially taboo vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.

3. the jargon of a particular class, profession, etc.

4. the special vocabulary of thieves, vagabonds, etc.; argot.

   Synonyms: cant

verb (used without object)

1. to use slang or abusive language.

verb (used with object)

1. to assail with abusive language.

slang

²

[slang]

verb

Nonstandard.

1. simple past tense of sling.

slang

/ slæŋ /

noun

1. 1. vocabulary, idiom, etc, that is not appropriate to the standard form of a language or to formal contexts, may be restricted as to social status or distribution, and is characteristically more metaphorical and transitory than standard language

   2. ( as modifier )

      a slang word

2. another word for jargon 1

verb

1. to abuse (someone) with vituperative language; insult

slang

1. Expressions that do not belong to standard written English. For example, “flipping out” is slang for “losing one's mind” or “losing one's temper.” Slang expressions are usually inappropriate in formal speech or writing. (See jargon.)

Usage

See informal.

Other Word Forms

• slangily adverb
• slangy adjective
• slanginess noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of slang¹

First recorded in 1750–60; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of slang¹

C18: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

“Pancho started giving us these very specific, not only slang, but also Quechua words and things that would make it feel very specifically Ecuadorean,” Cordova says.

From Los Angeles Times

Many social media users accused the slang term, which has grown in popularity on apps like TikTok, of being thinly veiled racism and an opportunity to say slurs without consequences.

From Salon

"Skibidi", "tradwife" and other slang terms popularised on social media are among thousands of new words to be added to the Cambridge Dictionary this year.

From BBC

While a majority of his peers were feeding from reggaeton’s roots in Puerto Rico, he decided to bring his paisa, or Medellín-born slang and style to breed a more personal brand of perreo.

From Los Angeles Times

In the slang, “mid” means disappointingly mediocre, forgettable, uninspiring.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• argot 
• jargon 
• lingo 
• patois 
• vernacular 

When To Use

Where does slang come from?

Every single person uses slang in one form or another.Defined as "very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language," slang is sorta like the rebellious teen of our vocab.Appropriately enough, the origin of the word slang is unruly as well. The word is first recorded around 1750–60, and was used early on for the special, secret lingo of the underground, often referred to as thieves' cant.One now obsolete theory connected slang to sling, imagining slang as the kind of language that's tossed or thrown around. Another theory links slang to another sense of slang, meaning a "narrow strip of land," which became associated with the territory that hawkers traveled and their unique speaking style.Slang ain’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."