What Are Some Antonyms For Top Slang Words?

Just like the words you’d traditionally find in the dictionary, there are so many slang words that not only have synonyms, but antonyms as well!

For example: have you ever noticed that someone can’t be thirsty while also having swag? Or that netflix and chill and spotify and sidehug sound similar but describe either rejecting someone or inviting them over?

Thanks to sites like Twitter and Instagram, where slang abounds, it’s easy to find exactly what you need to say … or the opposite of it.

Or on sites like this one, because we’ll just keep building these lists for you 😉.

WATCH: Words That The Internet Has Changed

boujee | basic

Boujee, sometimes spelled bougie, is used especially in rap music to describe someone who leads or likes a luxurious lifestyle. Think expensive cars, champagne by the bottle, and nice jewelry. If you’re thinking of the French word bourgeoisie, you’ve discovered where this word comes from. The boujee spelling implies that the person never lost their roots and is still humble. Take it from the rap group Migos’ song “Bad and Boujee”!

WATCH: When Did "Boujee" Become A Good Thing?

But if someone isn’t boujee, they might be basic. The word basic came about at the same time as boujee; people started to use both slang words in the 1970s. Calling someone basic definitely isn’t a compliment. It means they’re unoriginal, kind of boring, and only mainstream.

While these words are on opposite sides of the spectrum, they’re not necessarily strictly good or bad. Boujee can also mean high maintenance, while basic is sometimes exactly what you need.

keep it 100 | sus

We all have that one friend who is a real one. They always keep it 100, or keep it straight. Even when the truth hurts, they’re always going to tell you what you need to hear. This is a slang phrase that came from the Black community, particularly hip-hop. The phrase was popularized by a segment on The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore called Keep It 100.

However, there’s also going to be someone who is just a little bit sus. Calling someone sus is to say they can’t be trusted or there’s something off about them. This slang, which is short for suspicious, was logged on Urban Dictionary in 2009 and has been a mainstay in Black slang since then. It’s an adjective that you can use to describe someone’s actions or character. For example: I wonder what’s up with Ben, he was acting so sus last night.

clout | juice

This word can take on quite a few meanings, depending on how you use it. Clout, slang for influence or power, isn’t always a good thing. A clout chaser, for instance, is someone who gets close to people only to absorb their influence, or only does things for recognition. It’s the modern day’s answer to a social climber. The meaning hasn’t changed much over time either. In the 1860s, people were using clout to say someone had political influence.

But when someone has the juice ... well, that can’t be taken away. That’s because juice, which means very much the same thing as clout, also includes the added layer of respect. We can thank the 1992 film Juice staring Tupac Shakur for popularizing this word as we know it today.

The difference between these is subtle, but enough to make a distinction between someone who can only hold a mic and someone who can keep a room’s attention.

humblebrag | flex

We’ve all done a humblebrag. It’s showing off in its most minute form, like throwing in the fact that you once had the best coffee you ever had on your trip abroad when casually talking with your friends. The term has been used since the early 2010s, thanks to a Twitter account that spotted and retweeted examples of humblebrags.

If you’re advanced, throw a humblebrag into a self-deprecating comment: “I went through the trouble to get $1,000 from the ATM when I only needed $100. I’m so stupid!” The humblebrag here is that you had $1,000 to pull out of your bank account on a whim!

But if you’re going to flex, on the other hand, you’re going all out. Although flex has been in the rap lexicon since the 1990s, it entered popular usage, thanks to the internet, in 2014. A flex is an Instagram post where you tag the maker of the expensive watch you just bought, or outright say what you’ve got going on for you.

After reading this … it might be better to steer clear of doing either of these; no one likes a braggart!

throwing shade | throwing hands

Part of having close friendships is gossiping. Gossip gets a bad reputation, but it can be positive or neutral. Even the best of us have to throw shade, however.

When you throw shade, you’re subtly disrespecting someone. You can throw shade between friends, or subtweet the person you’re shading. Ballroom culture from the 1990s gave birth to this phrase, as well as other slang used today in the drag community. Like the slang implies though, it’s done in the shadows and isn’t always overt.

If you’re going to throw hands, you might as well be engaging in fisticuffs. This doesn’t have to be physical. Throwing hands can be metaphorical or verbal, as long as it’s some kind of direct confrontation. According to Urban Dictionary, this slang has been used since 2009. It’s definitely the opposite of throwing shade!

wavy | lit

How will you describe the party you’re going to tonight?

Both of these slang words are positive, but are vastly different in tone. Wavy, or “chill,” was popularized by hip-hop, especially by New York-based rapper Max B. It holds two other meanings: “excellent” and “cool.” So, if your party is going to be wavy, you might send your friend a text like this: Are you going to come through? It’s supposed to be wavy, we’re going to chill and watch a movie.

Lit is slang for intense, fun, or super exciting. So sometimes you’ll want to use lit: This is going to be so lit! There’s going to be a fireworks show and so many people! This slang actually has a longer history than its date of popularization in 2015. People were using it to describe someone who was “intoxicated” back in the 1910s!

These words are all about what kind of vibe you’re going for, but both are a good time.

VSCO girls and VSCO boys | e-girls and e-boys

While these are two characterizations of people found online and not necessarily slang, it’s important to note they’re complete opposites. If you’ve spent any amount of time on the video sharing site TikTok, you’ve run into both of these people.

VSCO girls are known for saying sksksk and carrying an impossible amount of scrunchies. VSCO girls appeared in 2017 and 2018 with the rising popularity of TikTok and were everywhere by 2019. They’re cutesy, preppy, and care about the environment. Their male counterpart, VSCO boys, hold the same interests and aesthetic.

On the other end of the high school clique spectrum are e-boys and e-girls. The e-boys and e-girls owe their popularity to TikTok as well, in particular one which spawned the E-girl factory meme in 2019. Very active online, these two have a grungier, more emo look, and tend to like gaming or anime.

cancel | stan

Cancel culture is talked about a lot on the internet, as it can do both harm and good. To cancel someone is to not support anything they do because of something bad they’ve done. This meaning has been in use since 2016. Sometimes it can be justified, like when a celebrity makes a bigoted comment, but it’s been used frivolously since gaining popularity.

WATCH: What Does It Mean To Cancel Someone?

The opposite of cancelling someone is to stan them (even if they’re a problematic fave)! Stan is a popular word in fandom culture and is reserved for superfans only. To stan is to buy their merch, go to every show they put on, and constantly hype them up on social media. Stan has been around since 2000 and was gleaned from a song by rapper Eminem. The more you know!

you're doing amazing, sweetie | the struggle is real

No better words have been spoken as encouragement since Kris Jenner used you’re doing amazing, sweetie to pep up her daughter and social media star Kim Kardashian during a photoshoot. The whole event was immortalized in a 2007 episode of reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The internet was quick to adopt the phrase and helped its spread. This is great to text a friend who is going to do something nerve-racking!

But if you’re decidedly not doing amazing, sweetie, it’s OK to say the struggle is real. When the struggle is real, you’re just going through a hard time at life. Can’t find your matching socks? The struggle is real. Your paycheck didn’t go through and you need to put gas in the car? The struggle is real. We’ve been using the phrase in this way since 2011, but it’s been used by Black Americans since the 1990s.

But don’t despair, if your struggle is real, you’ll be doing amazing soon, sweetie.