55 California Slang Words (Ultimate List)

The United States is such a large region, that each state has developed its own specific slang lexicon. This can make every single state feel like a different country entirely with a language you haven’t experienced the nuances of before.

California is different. It’s such an influential cultural behemoth that slang words in California have often circulated throughout the United States.

Today, we’re going to examine a slew of California slang words. See how many of them you’ve heard previously to understand just what we mean.


Table of Contents

California Slang Words (in Alphabetical Order)

A

Aight

Meaning:

  • (Interjection): A word that combines “all” and “right” into one syllable. You can say this in agreement with something or to indicate that something is okay.
  • Example:
  • Person 1: “How are you feeling?”
  • Person 2: “I’m aight.”
Aight

B

Bomb

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): This slang word has roots in 90’s slang. It doesn’t mean an explosive – it means that something is good.
  • Example: “That song was bomb!”
Bomb

Brah/Bro/Bruh

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Shortened version of “brother” that originates from skater slang. You can use this to indicate any male figure in your life, whether it’s a friend or guy you’ve just met.
  • Example: “What’s up, brah?”
Brah_Bro_Bruh

Brew

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Slang word that means beer.
  • Example: “I’m going to snag a brew after work. Want to come with?”
Brew

More Like This: Slang Words for Beer

Bum

Meaning:

  • (Verb): To borrow or get something from someone.
  • Example: “Mind if a bum a smoke off you?”
Bum

Butthurt

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): When one is needlessly offended or upset about something.
  • Example: “If you let yourself get butthurt so easily, you’re gonna have a bad time.”
Butthurt

C

Chill

Meaning:

  • (Verb): Relaxing or hanging out peacefully.
  • Example: “Want to chill with me tonight?”
Chill

Come in Hot

Meaning:

  • (Verb): Arriving somewhere fast or in a hurry.
  • Example: “Look, she’s coming in hot!”
Come in Hot

Come Up

Meaning:

  • (Verb): To receive something or to improve something.
  • Example: “She really came up after meeting her weight loss goal.”
Come Up

Coo

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): Abbreviation of the word “cool.” It’s just another way of saying something is good.
  • Example: “Don’t worry – it’s coo.”
Coo

Cruise

Meaning:

  • (Verb): Either coming or going. You can use it to describe leaving or arriving somewhere.
  • Example: “I’m pretty tired, so I’m going to cruise. See you tomorrow!”
Cruise

D

Dank

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): Dank is a word that is commonly used to describe quality marijuana, which is legal in California. However, nowadays, you can use it to describe anything that’s really good.
  • Example: “Dang, that dirty dog was dank!”
Dank

Dirty Dog

Meaning:

  • (Noun): A popular street food in Los Angeles. It consists of a hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with onions and peppers.
  • Example: “I know this food truck that makes the best dirty dogs.”
Dirty Dog

Down

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): To be willing or excited to do something.
  • Example:
  • Person 1: “Want to go grab dirty dogs with me for lunch?”
  • Person 2: “I’m down for that.”
Down

Drag

Meaning:

  • (Noun): An inhale of a cigarette. Taking a breath of cigarette smoke.
  • Example: “She took one long drag on her cigarette, then put it out on the sidewalk.”
Drag

F

For Real

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): When something is serious and true.
  • Example:
  • Person 1: “I saw Beyonce on the beach last night.”
  • Person 2: “For real?”
For Real

Fosho

Meaning:

  • (Interjection): An accented way of saying, “for sure.” You can say fosho in agreement with something.
  • Example:
  • Person 1: “Do you want the rest of my herb?”
  • Person 2: “Fosho!”
Fosho

Frisco

Meaning:

  • (Noun): A nickname for the city of San Francisco.
  • Example: “It’s impossible to buy a house in Frisco unless you’re loaded.”
Frisco

G

Gnarly

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): This is more skater slang that means awesome.
  • Example: “That song was gnarly!”
Gnarly

Greens

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Whereas you might say greens to describe vegetables somewhere else, greens in California means marijuana.
  • Example: “Did you bring any greens with you?”
Greens

Grip

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): You say this to describe when there’s a large amount of anything.
  • Example: “He brought a grip of greens with him.”
Grip

Grub

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Slang word for food.
  • Example: “He stopped to grab some grub on the way to school.”
Grub

H

Heavy

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): This doesn’t mean heavy in a physical sense. Instead, it means emotionally charged and serious.
  • Example: “Stop thinking those heavy thoughts and come chill with me.”
Heavy

Hella

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): An emphasizing word that means “really” or “very.”
  • Example: “That song was hella dank, bro.”
Hella

Herb

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Another word for marijuana.
  • Example: “She smokes herbs to unwind after work.”
Herb

Hyphy

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): To be in a really rambunctious or hyperactive state.
  • Example: “The kids were hyphy after eating too much sugar.”
Hyphy

J

June Gloom

Meaning:

  • (Noun): A weather pattern resulting in gloomy, gray days at the beginning of June.
  • Example: “The June gloom has got Becky feeling heavy.”
June Gloom

K

Killing It

Meaning:

  • (Verb): To be doing something really well.
  • Example: “He killed it at the show last night.”
Killing It

L

Legit

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): When something is authentic and real.
  • Example: “I legit saw Leo DiCaprio in LA today.”
Legit

Like

Meaning:

  • (Interjection): You’ve heard of the stereotypical Valley Girl speak, where you say, “like” every other word. In this sense, it’s kind of use like a filler, similar to “uh” or “um.”
  • Example: “Why don’t we, like, hang out later?”
Like

M

May Gray

Meaning:

  • (Noun): This one is like June Gloom, except in May. See June Gloom.
May Gray

Mental

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): Something that’s incredible or impossible to believe.
  • Example: “She did, like, twenty shots at the bar last night. It was mental.”
Mental

See Also: British Slang for Drunk: 122 Words with Examples

Mob

Meaning:

  • (Verb): See Cruise.

N

Norcal

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Abbreviation of the phrase “Northern California.” This region extends from the Bay Area all the way up to the Oregon border.
  • Example: “John says he’s from Norcal, but never says exactly where.”
Norcal

P

Pilot Season

Meaning:

  • (Noun): A certain time of year when statistically the most TV shows are being created, usually at the beginning of the year. This is when rookie actors and actresses try their hardest to get a role somewhere.
  • Example: “Ana has been waiting for pilot season so she can try to make her dream of being an actress a reality.”
Pilot Season

Post Up

Meaning:

  • (Expression): A command that tells someone to wait or hold on.
  • Example: “Post up – did you hear that weird noise?”
Post Up

Put on Blast

Meaning:

  • (Verb): To publicly call out someone or something. It can be done in a teasing manner or done as a form of serious criticism.
  • Example: “Ben put his workplace on blast after they fired him for going to his mom’s funeral.”
Put on Blast

S

Send It

Meaning:

  • (Verb): To finish something. Some also use it to cheer someone on when they’re in the middle of something.
  • Example:
  • Person 1: “I’m going to try asking Chris out this weekend.”
  • Person 2: “Yes, send it!”
Send It

SF

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Acronym for San Francisco. You can say it out loud or use it in a text.
  • Example: “I’m planning on taking a trip to SF this weekend. You in?”
SF

Shred

Meaning:

  • (Verb): Skater slang that typically refers to some kind of sport, like surfing or skateboarding. To shred means you’re doing really well at it.
  • Example: “You were shredding, bruh!”
Shred

Sick

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): More skater slang that means awesome.
Sick

SigAlert

Meaning:

  • (Noun): A traffic accident that results in a lane on the freeway being shut down for the time being. Often used as an excuse to explain why you were late.
  • Example: “Sorry I was late – I got held up by a SigAlert.”
SigAlert

Snag

Meaning:

  • (Verb): To get something, either legitimately or by theft.
  • Example: “She snagged some tickets to the show at a discount.”
Snag

Socal

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Southern California. This refers to LA and the regions south of it.
Socal

Stellar

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): See Sick.

Stoked

Meaning:

  • (Adjective): To be excited for something.
  • Example:
  • Person 1: “Are you ready for your vacation?”
  • Person 2: “Bruh, I’m stoked!”
Stoked

Swag

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Your clothing and accessories.
  • Example: “Look at that awesome swag she’s wearing.”
Swag

Swoop

Meaning:

  • (Verb): Another way of saying you picked up someone or something.
  • Example: “I swooped some ice cream on the way back.”
Swoop

T

The Bay

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Short way of referring to the Bay Area.
The Bay

The Emerald Triangle

Meaning:

  • (Noun): Three counties (Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity) that produce most of the state’s marijuana.
  • Example: “This dank herb comes from the Emerald Triangle.”
The Emerald Triangle

The Industry

Meaning:

  • (Noun): An infamous term that refers to the entertainment industry, which has a huge presence in California.
  • Example: “He’s been trying to get into The Industry since he graduated high school, but no luck.”
The Industry

The Orange Curtain

Meaning:

  • (Noun): The divide between LA and Orange County.
The Orange Curtain

Trees

Meaning:

  • (Noun): See Herb or Greens.

Tryna

Meaning:

  • (Verb): Slang for “trying to.”
  • Example: “I’m tryna get tickets to the show, but they’re all sold out.”  
Tryna

Y

Yadadamean

Meaning:

  • (Expression): Common slang that means, “You know what I mean.” You can say it at the end of a statement to see if others understand where you’re coming from. This is one you have to say fast, though, and people will look at you strangely if you say it slowly.
  • Example: “She’s got an interesting-looking face, yadadamean?”
Yadadamean

Yee

Meaning:

  • (Interjection): A quick, easy way to say “yes.”
Yee

Read More: Slang Words for Yes

Wrap Up

California has a powerful cultural influence in the United States. As the heart of the American entertainment industry, it’s as cutting-edge as you can get when it comes to being trendy. How many of these terms have you heard before?

If you’d like to learn more slang from states in the US, try looking at our list of Florida slang words and sayings.

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Written by Gabriel Cruz - Foodie, Animal Lover, Slang & Language Enthusiast

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