Gen Z Perplexes Colleagues With New Slang. Here Are the Ones to Know.

It can be challenging to keep up with all of the slang your Gen Z coworkers use.

Employees who are part of Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — are introducing coworkers to a variety of new phrases in the workplace.

The new generation of workers is bringing their personalities into the office, and thus, their jargon.

“We now take our work home readily and easily, basically in our pockets with our phones,” Carrie Bulger, an industrial-organizational psychologist at Quinnipiac University, told Business Insider’s Emily Stewart in June. “The lines are blurred no matter what. Why wouldn’t they blur in the other direction as well?”

Ultimately, Gen Z wants to be understood in the office. Four out of 10 Gen Zers say their primary job is central to their identities, coming in second to their friends and family, according to a 2025 Deloitte survey of more than 14,000 adult-aged Gen Z professionals. The same survey found that clear communication is important to them.

As more young people come into the working world, one Gen Z worker suggested that they use some caution.

Kevon Martin, a 25-year-old human resources coordinator, told BI there’s a time and a place for slang.

“Older colleagues can benefit from being more adaptable and relatable to their younger coworkers, so they know how to appeal to a younger consumer base,” Martin said. “However, Gen Z must also recognize you can’t come to work and use whatever slang words you’d use with each other because it’s not the same environment.”

Below is a list of phrases a Gen Z colleague might use and what they (usually) mean. While some of these phrases originated from Black and LGBTQ+ creators, they are wide-ranging in their origins and references.

Chokehold

When you can’t get enough of an item, person, or idea, one might say that it has you “in a chokehold.” For example, the restaurant you frequent for lunch could have you in a chokehold if you visit every day.

Crash out or crashout

“Crash out,” as a verb, essentially means to respond dramatically to something. When a person is at their wits’ end or a stressful event occurs, they may crash out by yelling, crying, or some other over-the-top response.

For example, getting in trouble at work may prompt your coworker to crash out by being really upset about it.

If they respond to such events with that sort of behavior often, they can be labeled a “crashout.”

IJBOL

Think of “IJBOL” as a more intense acronym than “LOL” that’s more work-appropriate than “LMAO.”

It stands for, “I just burst out laughing,” and it’s the way a Gen Zer might let you know they found something funny or cringe. It’s unclear who coined the acronym, but it can be used sincerely to express that you’re laughing or ironically to demonstrate how chronically online you are.

Rizz

It’s short for charisma. Someone with “rizz” is a smooth talker who knows how to navigate conversations like a pro. Those with “zero rizz” are awkward or have poor conversation skills.

Aura

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, aura is defined as “an energy field that is held to emanate from a living being,” and Gen Zers on TikTok have not transformed that meaning much.

Everyone has aura, but the kind your young coworker might be referring to represents someone’s swagger, cool points, or some undefinable X-factor that makes them intriguing.

Someone who demonstrates an impressive skill or unmatched “rizz” might gain aura points. Meanwhile, someone who does something embarrassing might lose them. If you’re constantly in awkward situations, you might be labeled as someone with negative aura points.

Roman Empire

The “Roman Empire” trend began online when someone asked, “How often do men think about the Roman Empire?” Cue viral videos of women asking their dads, husbands, and brothers how often the ancient society crosses their minds. The answer: more than you’d think.

As sayings do, the phrase “Roman Empire” has transformed to mean a topic or scenario that someone can’t stop thinking about. In one TikTok, a Garage Clothing employee said that Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce’s relationship is their Roman Empire.

Ick

The term “ick” has long been used to describe something gross or unpleasant, but it has taken on a new meaning thanks to a current trend on TikTok. At first, “give me the ick” was used by Gen Zers to refer to traits or habits that turned them off from a person they’re dating, but now many are sharing “icks” in all aspects of life.

In December, a group of Atlanta-based nurses was publicly ridiculed for sharing their “icks” about patients in a TikTok video. The caption read “Icks, Labor & Delivery (Edition),” and the video featured multiple nurses sharing things they didn’t like about patients.

The employees appear to have since lost their jobs, based on an apology posted to Facebook by Emory Healthcare, which referred to them as “former employees.”

Stories, like those of the hospital workers, may give young people pause when considering more casual behavior around the office. But Martin told BI it can work if executed appropriately — and not disparagingly — in an environment of open communication between colleagues of multiple generations. 

Naur

Simply put, “naur” means no or know. It is a more dramatic way of saying “no” or “know” and sounds like “no” with an Australian accent. 

Slay

To “slay” anything means someone is doing an exceptional job at their work or a task at hand. 

Understood the assignment

If a coworker says this, they mean a task has been completed exactly as it was meant to be done.

Say less

A shortened version of “say no more.” It’s used when you completely agree or understand what someone has just said.

Unserious

This is a more fun way of saying that something or someone is ridiculous or cannot be taken seriously.

L or W

Although referring to wins and losses as “Ws” or “Ls” probably didn’t start with Gen Z, the youngsters do like to use it to describe a positive or negative experience. 

Your colleague might tell you your opinion is an “L take” if they disagree with you.