Keeping up with Gen Zs: Top 10 most slay slangs and Singlish terms in Singapore for 2024, according to this survey

In the 2010s, slangs like 'on fleek' - which means to be flawlessly styled - and 'catfish' - which is to deceive someone with a false identity - were all the rage. 

While some of these slangs are still used today, some new ones by Gen Z have popped up.

If you're from the older generation and have been hearing strange terms like 'slay', 'situationship' and 'rizz', congratulations, you've encountered Gen Z slangs!

So, what are the new and most popular Gen Z slangs in Singapore?

Recently, Preply, an online language-learning marketplace from the US, surveyed more than 1,500 Singaporeans to reveal which Gen Z and Singlish slang words are the most popular across the country in 2024.

The top 10 most popular global slangs are terms like 'sus', 'G.O.A.T' and 'shook'. 

Out of the lot, 'slay' was found to be the most popular Gen Z slang word in Singapore and more than a third (35 per cent) of Singaporeans say they know or understand the term. 

The term was made popular by RuPaul’s Drag Race, an American reality competition television show featuring drag queens. 

And though most Singaporeans use the word 'slay' frequently, it surprisingly also tops the lot as the most annoying Gen Z slang in Singapore, with 13 per cent of the surveyors finding it "irritating".

The other two most annoying Gen Z slangs are 'purr' - a way to express approval or contentment - and 'zaddy' - an attractive, charismatic older man - with 11.8 per cent and 10.5 per cent votes respectively. 

Preply also found that half of Singaporeans actually prefer using Singlish to Gen Z slangs. The following are the top 10 Singlish slangs: 

Rank	Slang word	Meaning	Percentage of population that can Use the word in a sentence
1.	Alamak	An expression to display dismay, shock or alarm	65.8 per cent
2.	Makan	To eat	60.9 per cent
3.	Lah, lor, leh, meh	To add emphasis after an expression after a statement	57.9 per cent
4.	Paiseh	Shy, embarrassing, or to have a sense of shame	57.0 per cent
5.	Kaypoh	Nosy	56.5 per cent
6.	Steady	Sounds good	56.1 per cent
7.	Shiok	To describe something delicious or simply good	55.4 per cent
8.	Bo liao	Being in a situation of idleness	54.3 per cent
9.	Kiasu	Afraid of losing out	54.2 per cent
10.	Atas	Luxe or upper class	52.9 per cent
Source: Preply

'Alamak' was found to be the most popular Singlish slang and two-thirds (66 per cent) of surveyors said they know how to use it in a sentence. 

The next popular slang should come as no surprise because we Singaporeans love food — 'makan'. 

Terms like lah, lor, leh and meh (57.9 per cent) are also some of the slangs most Singaporeans are familiar with and use frequently. 

Strangely enough, like the Gen Z slang 'slay', 'alamak', which is the top most popular Singlish slang in Singapore, happens to be the most irritating slang word too. 

Based on the survey, 17 per cent of those living in Singapore admit they can't stand it. 

Another word in the top 10 most popular Singlish slangs that many aren't a fan of are terms like lah, lor, leh and meh, with 16.4 per cent of participants calling it "annoying". 

ALSO READ: New York bar called Singlish amuses Singaporeans, serves drinks called BTO and Chiobu

melissateo@asiaone.com