Countless people around the world look back fondly on the 80’s. The 80’s were a time of great movies, great music, and memorable fashions with voluminous hair that we love to look back on.
Like everything else in the 80’s, the slang was also incredible. We’ve created this list of 80’s slang words and phrases with meanings so you can either enjoy the nostalgia or learn some new words if the 80’s were before your time.
Let’s jump right into it…
80s Slang Words and Phrases (in Alphabetical Order)
A
Airhead
Meaning:
- (Noun): A thoroughly 80’s insult that means someone is an idiot.
- Example: “Leroy is an airhead, but I still love him.”
Amped
Meaning:
- (Adjective): To be really excited for something.
- Example: “I’m so amped for the show this weekend.”
Awesome
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Phrase that can be used to refer to anything that’s good, whether it’s a person or thing.
- Example: “Stephen is such an awesome guy.”
B
Bad
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Don’t get confused by this one – if something was “bad” in the 80’s, it was actually good. Keep in mind that the reverse isn’t true – good didn’t mean bad.
- Example: “The band’s new album was totally bad.”
Bad to the Bone
Meaning:
- (Expression): An 80’s phrase that meant something was trendy or cool.
- Example: “That outfit is bad to the bone!”
Bag Your Face
Meaning:
- (Expression): Insulting phrase that implies someone is ugly. When you say this one, you are effectively telling someone that they should be hiding their face behind a bag.
- Example: “Bag your face – you look awful today.”
Barf Me Out
Meaning:
- (Expression): Say this when something has grossed you out or disgusted you.
- Example: “I caught Tanner staring at my chest – barf me out!”
BFF
Meaning:
- (Noun): Acronym that stands for “best friends forever.” This is a title reserved only for your closest friends.
- Example: “Sofia is my BFF. I know I can always trust her.”
Big Time
Meaning:
- (Expression): Phrase that means something definitely happened or is an accentuating sentiment.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Did you go on a date with Alejandra?”
- Person 2: “Oh, yeah – big time!”
Bitchin’
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another way of saying something is great. See awesome.
Bite Me
Meaning:
- (Expression): An expression of defiance against another person.
- Example: “My mom told me to do my homework, so I told her to bite me.”
Bod
Meaning:
- (Noun): Slang term for someone’s body.
- Example: “Dakota has an awesome bod.”
Bogus
Meaning:
- (Adjective): You can use this word to refer to anyone or anything that’s unpleasant or bad.
- Example: “He gave me some bogus excuse for blowing us off.”
Bombdiggity
Meaning:
- (Adjective): If something was good in the 80’s, you’d probably hear someone call it the “bombdiggity.” It’s essentially another way of saying awesome.
Book
Meaning:
- (Verb): No, this doesn’t refer to something you’d read. Booking means going somewhere, usually in a hurry.
- Example: “I slept in late, so I had to book it to school.”
Boy Toy
Meaning:
- (Noun): A word you might use to describe a casual boyfriend in the 80’s.
- Example: “Cristian is my new boy toy. He’s so cute.”
Brill
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This was more common in the UK, but it’s an adjective for “really good.”
- Example: “That movie was totally brill.”
Burned
Meaning:
- (Verb): To insult someone or someone who has been proven wrong.
- Example: “Haha, you got burned!”
Butt Ugly
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Extremely unattractive.
- Example: “Ugh, Peter is butt ugly. He needs to stop hitting on me. Barf me out!”
Buttmunch
Meaning:
- (Noun): Another insulting term for a stupid or annoying individual.
- Example: “My little brother is such a buttmunch. He always hogs the TV.”
C
Cheesy
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something that is overly emotional, fake, or predictable. Usually applied to some kind of media.
- Example: “I saw a really cheesy movie last weekend. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Cheeuh
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Another way to emphatically say yes.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Want to go grab some grub later?”
- Person 2: “Cheeuh! I’m starving!”
Choice
Meaning:
- (Adjective): High in quality or really good. See Awesome.
Clutch
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another word for cool. You can use it similarly to how you’d say “awesome.”
Cool Beans
Meaning:
- (Expression): Yet another way to refer to something that’s positive. You can also sometimes use it to acknowledge that you heard a statement.
Couch Potato
Meaning:
- (Noun): A person who spends a disproportionate time lazing around at home. As the phrase implies, usually this person sits on their couch a lot, typically watching TV or playing games.
- Example: “Darius is a total couch potato. I don’t even remember the last time he came out with us.”
Cowabunga
Meaning:
- (Expression): An excited exclamation that means you’re ready for something.
- Example: “Look at that huge wave coming in! Cowabunga!”
D
Def
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Abbreviated way of saying “definitely.” It’s an emphasizing word similar in nature to “really.”
- Example: “John is def interested in you. I always see him checking your bod out.”
Dope
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See awesome.
Dweeb
Meaning:
- (Noun): Insulting term for someone who might be into geeky pursuits or book smart but is otherwise socially awkward. Synonymous with nerd or dork.
- Example: “Ew, he’s such a dweeb.”
E
Excellent
Meaning:
- (Adjective): This one is pretty self-explanatory. It basically just means awesome.
F
Fantabulous
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See Awesome.
Fave
Meaning:
- (Noun): Shortened version of the word “favorite.” If you had a favorite thing, you’d just call it your fave instead.
- Example: “Shut up! My fave song is on the radio right now.”
For Sure
Meaning:
- (Expression): See Def.
Funky Fresh
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something that’s really stylish. Generally, this was used in reference to new and original music.
- Example: “Isn’t the new Paula Abdul song funky fresh?”
G
Gag Me with a Spoon
Meaning:
- (Expression): See Barf Me Out.
Gal Pal
Meaning:
- (Noun): The female equivalent of boy toy.
Gnarly
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Skater slang for something positive. See Awesome.
Goober
Meaning:
- (Noun): A person who’s being exceedingly silly.
- Example: “Stop being such a goober!”
Grody
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something or someone that is disgusting or gross.
- Example: “My room is so grody right now.”
H
Happenin’
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something that’s cool and trendy.
- Example: “That outfit is happenin’.”
Heinous
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Gross or bad. See Grody.
Hella
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Emphasizing word like “very.” See Def.
Homeboy/Girl
Meaning:
- (Noun): A close friend.
- Example: “Stacy is my homegirl.”
Hood
Meaning:
- (Noun): Your neighborhood.
- Example: “We wouldn’t dress like that back in my hood.”
Hoser
Meaning:
- (Noun): Insulting term that’s equivalent to loser.
I
I Kid You Not
Meaning:
- (Expression): A phrase that means you’re being serious about something. It’s used to show that you’re not joking.
- Example: “I kid you not, I saw Michael Jackson while I was shopping the other day.”
Ill
Meaning:
- (Adjective): No, this doesn’t mean being sick – it means that something is really good!
- Example: “Listen to this ill song I found!”
J
Jams
Meaning:
- (Noun): Music.
- Example: “This tape is full of some of my fave jams.”
Jonesing
Meaning:
- (Verb): To crave something.
- Example: “I’m jonesing for some burgers right now.”
K
Killer
Meaning:
- (Adjective): A word that doesn’t necessarily describe a killer in the criminal sense; it refers to something that’s good. See Ill.
L
Lame
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Anything that’s a bore or negative in some way. Usually said in reference to something or someone that kind of cramps your style.
- Example: “My mom is lame. She never lets me wear or listen to anything I want.”
Later
Meaning:
- (Expression): Another way of saying good-bye.
- Example: “Later, homeboy!”
Legit
Meaning:
- (Adjective): A word that’s short for legitimate. You can use it to describe anyone or anything that’s cool.
Like
Meaning:
- (Expression): A filler word like “uh” or “um.” Saying this word a lot was especially associated with the Valley Girl stereotype.
- Example: “That was, like, totally lame.”
M
M.A.S.H.
Meaning:
- (Noun): An acronym that stands for Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House. It’s a game that many girls in the 80’s played that would tell you what your life was going to be like by having you pick from a range of numbered choices.
- Example: “I played M.A.S.H. earlier and it said I was going to live in a shack…but at least I’d be married to John Stamos in my shack.”
Mad
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another emphasizing word like “very.” See also Def or Hella.
Mall Maggot
Meaning:
- (Noun): People who spent too much time hanging out the mall.
- Example: “Ugh, there are so many mall-maggots here today.”
Mallrat
Meaning:
- (Noun): See Mall Maggot.
Mega
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another emphasizing word that was generally used to highlight really good things.
- Example: “Dinner was mega tasty.”
Mental
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Someone or something that behaving poorly or annoyingly.
- Example: “Are you mental? You can’t throw rocks at passing cars.”
Motor
Meaning:
- (Verb): To leave a location.
- Example: “Will you look at the time? Looks like I gotta motor.”
N
Narc
Meaning:
- (Verb): To tell on someone.
- Example: “I’m not going to narc on my best friend.”
- (Noun): Someone who constantly tells on people they know.
- Example: “Don’t tell Ben anything, because he’s a narc.”
No Can Do
Meaning:
- (Expression): A phrase that’s a refusal. It means you won’t do something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Will you give me a ring later?”
- Person 2: “No can do. I’m grounded.”
No Doy
Meaning:
- (Expression): Perhaps an early predecessor to the 90’s phrase, “no duh.” You say this in response to an obvious statement.
- Example:
- Person 1: “I wish I was paid more.”
- Person 2: “No doy. Everyone wishes they were paid more.”
Not Even
Meaning:
- (Expression): A phrase that you can use to express disagreement with someone.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Nick is such a hottie.”
- Person 2: “Ew, not even. He’s grody.”
O
Ooglay
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something that’s ugly.
- Example: “Nick is totally ooglay.”
P
Posse
Meaning:
- (Noun): Your group of closest friends.
- Example: “I’m going to the movies with my posse later.”
Read Also: Slang Words for Friends
Primo
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Something that’s high in quality.
- Example: “Ethan is a real primo guy.”
R
Rad/Radical
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Skater-themed slang that’s the equivalent of saying awesome.
Ralph
Meaning:
- (Verb): Slang word for vomiting.
- Example: “I feel like I’m gonna ralph!”
S
Schweet
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Accented way of saying sweet. This applies to anything that’s cool.
- Example: “That outfit is schweet.”
Shred
Meaning:
- (Verb): To perform music mind-blowingly well. On a similar note, you can say this to indicate someone is skating or surfing really well.
- Example: “Look at him shredding on his guitar!”
Skillz
Meaning:
- (Noun): To have a high degree of competence in some task.
- Example: “He’s got some real skillz with the guitar.”
Smooth Move
Meaning:
- (Expression): This is said sarcastically when someone does something clumsy or stupid.
- Example: “Smooth move. Maybe you should watch where you’re going next time.”
Space Cadet
Meaning:
- (Noun): Someone who isn’t focused at all. They’re zoning out.
- Example: “That space cadet over there has been staring into the distance for the entire class.”
Stellar
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See Awesome.
Stoked
Meaning:
- (Adjective): The state of being excited for something. See Amped.
Stupid
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Another emphasis word. See also Def.
- Example: “Those tacos were stupid tasty.”
T
Totally
Meaning:
- (Adjective): A word you can use to accentuate another adjective. See Stupid.
Tough
Meaning:
- (Interjection): You can respond to someone who’s wrongfully or annoyingly complaining about something with this term.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Mom, you can’t ground me! I can’t miss the party tonight!”
- Person 2: “Tough.”
Trippin’
Meaning:
- (Verb): In a state of freaking out or behaving poorly.
- Example: “You need to stop trippin.’”
Tubular
Meaning:
- (Adjective): See Gnarly.
V
Valley Girl
Meaning:
- (Noun): A common stereotype in the 80’s. It referred to women who took on California styles.
Veg Out
Meaning:
- (Verb): To space or zone out.
- Example: “After all this work, I just want to go home and veg out.”
W
Wannabe
Meaning:
- (Noun): Someone who pretends to be something they’re not or like something that they don’t really like.
- Example: “He’s just a wannabe punk who likes pretending he’s bad.”
Wastoid
Meaning:
- (Noun): Derogatory term for someone you think is a waste of space.
- Example: “Step off, wastoid.”
What Gives?
Meaning:
- (Expression): You ask this question when you’re not sure why someone is doing or saying something.
- Example: “You’ve been trippin’ hard lately. What gives?”
What’s Crackalackin’?
Meaning:
- (Expression): A casual greeting in the 80’s. It’s like asking someone, “what’s up?”
- Example: “What’s crackalackin, homie?”
What’s Your Damage?
Meaning:
- (Expression): This is essentially a harsher version of, “what gives?” You ask this when someone is behaving strangely and it’s getting on your nerves.
- Example: “What’s your damage, wastoid? You’re starting to tick me off.”
Where’s the Beef?
Meaning:
- (Expression): Originated from an old Wendy’s commercial that showed contempt for how burgers from other chains used very little or no real beef. Similarly, you can say this to show contempt for something when you feel like you’re being scammed.
- Example: “They only gave me half a salad. Where’s the beef?”
Whoa
Meaning:
- (Interjection): An exclamation that indicates awe of something.
- Example: “Whoa! Look at how hard he’s trippin’!”
Wicked
Meaning:
- (Adjective): Extremely cool.
- Example: “Your new haircut is wicked awesome.”
Wigging Out
Meaning:
- (Verb): See Trippin’.
Word
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Short and pointed way of showing you agree with something.
- Example:
- Person 1: “Jane has such an amazing bod.”
- Person 2: “Word.”
Y
Yello
Meaning:
- (Expression): A sort of accented way of saying hello. It was common to answer your phone this way.
- Example: “Yello, who’s this?”
Yes Way
Meaning:
- (Interjection): Rebuttal to when someone disagrees with you by saying, “no way.”
- Example:
- Person 1: “That was one of the best movies ever!”
- Person 2: “No way! It was bogus!”
- Person 1: “Yes way!”
Yikes
Meaning:
- (Interjection): A phrase used to express when something scares or disgusts you. Pretty much any time something gives you a negative feeling, you can use yikes.
- Example: “That wastoid is totally trippin. Yikes!”
Yo
Meaning:
- (Expression): Casual greeting.
- Example: “Yo, homie, what’s crackalackin?”
Z
Zeek
Meaning:
- (Noun): Someone who’s really geeky.
- Example: “My brother is a total zeek.”
Wrap Up
The 80’s were excellent times for a variety of things. Pop culture really ballooned in this decade, including an abundance of delightful slang terms.
The next time you’re feeling a little nostalgic, feel free to try using some of these words and phrases to ramp up the nostalgia. These terms would also be excellent for an 80’s day at work or school.
