Language never stands still, and nowhere is this more evident than in British slang. In 2023, new terms emerged, old ones took on new meanings, and the mechanisms of linguistic spread continued evolving at remarkable pace. From TikTok trends to Multicultural London English, the UK’s informal vocabulary saw shifts reflecting broader changes in culture, technology, and society.
This article explores the trending slang of 2023, the forces driving its spread, and what it tells us about the direction of British English.
The Word of the Year: Rizz
No discussion of 2023 slang can begin without “rizz” — the word that Oxford University Press crowned as its Word of the Year for 2023. Defined as style, charm, or attractiveness, and specifically the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner, “rizz” became one of the most talked-about additions to the English language.
The word is believed to derive from the middle of “charisma,” in much the same way that “fridge” comes from “refrigerator.” It was popularised by YouTube and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat around 2021, but its usage exploded in 2023 — particularly after actor Tom Holland told a reporter that he had “no rizz whatsoever,” a clip that went viral and introduced the term to millions who had never encountered it.
“Rizz” can function as both a noun (“He’s got serious rizz”) and a verb (“She totally rizzed him up”). Oxford’s language experts chose it as an example of how language can be formed within online communities before being picked up more widely, reflecting the growing influence of Gen Z on mainstream culture.
The word beat out “Swiftie,” “prompt,” and “situationship” in a public vote involving over 30,000 participants, reflecting growing recognition that internet-born slang deserves serious linguistic attention.
TikTok’s Influence on UK Slang
TikTok has become the single most powerful engine for spreading new slang among young people in the UK. According to a 2023 report on British attitudes towards slang, 28 percent of people learn new slang from the internet and social media, with that figure rising to 41 percent among those aged 16 to 34.
Key TikTok-Driven Terms of 2023
“It’s giving” — Used to describe the vibe or energy that something projects. “That outfit? It’s giving main character energy.” The phrase can also stand alone as a compliment when something simply looks or feels right.
“Era” — A replacement for “phase” that frames personal interests or behaviors as dramatic chapters in one’s life story. Being really into a particular hobby means you are in your “cooking era.” Someone causing drama is in their “villain era.” The term gained particular momentum through Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which dominated cultural conversation throughout 2023.
“Delulu” — A playful shortening of “delusional,” used to describe someone who has unrealistic expectations, particularly about romantic prospects. “She thinks he’s into her? That’s delulu.” Often used self-deprecatingly.
“Brain rot” — Describes the effect of consuming too much mindless online content, or refers to content so absurd that watching it feels like your brain is deteriorating. Paradoxically, the term itself often appears in the very content it criticizes.
“Sigma” — Borrowed from internet culture’s obsession with social hierarchies, a “sigma” is someone who operates independently, is self-assured, and does not seek validation from others. While the concept originated in somewhat earnest “alpha male” discourse, by 2023 it was mostly used ironically or humorously.
“Skibidi” — A nonsense term originating from a viral YouTube series that became a cultural phenomenon among younger internet users. Largely meaningless in any traditional sense, its popularity illustrates how internet culture can elevate pure absurdity into mainstream awareness.
Multicultural London English: The Engine Room of British Slang
While TikTok drives the global spread of slang, much of the UK’s most distinctive new vocabulary continues to emerge from Multicultural London English (MLE) — the dialect that developed in London’s diverse, working-class communities from the 1990s onwards.
MLE draws on Caribbean patois, West African languages, Cockney traditions, and South Asian influences to create a distinctive way of speaking that has become the dominant youth dialect in London and increasingly across the UK. Terms that originated in MLE have steadily moved into mainstream British English, a process that accelerated significantly through 2023.
Key MLE Terms That Went Mainstream
“Bare” — Meaning “a lot of” or “very.” Originally London slang, it is now understood and used by young people across the country. “There were bare people at that concert.”
“Peng” — Meaning attractive or excellent, borrowed from Caribbean English. Originally used to describe people, it has expanded to describe anything appealing — food, music, experiences.
“Wagwan” — A greeting derived from Jamaican patois (“What’s going on?”), used casually among friends. Its mainstream adoption represents one of the clearest examples of Caribbean influence on British youth language.
“Allow it” — Meaning “leave it alone” or “let it go.” Used both as a request (“Allow it, yeah?”) and as a command to stop annoying someone.
“Peak” — Meaning unfortunate, unfair, or bad. “That’s peak” expresses sympathy or frustration at a negative situation. Notably, this is nearly the opposite of the American usage, where “peak” tends to mean the best or highest point.
“Fam” — Close friends or family. Used as both a collective noun (“the fam”) and a term of address (“You alright, fam?”).
“Mandem” — A group of male friends, derived from Jamaican patois. “The mandem are coming round later.”
The Spread Beyond London
What makes MLE particularly significant in 2023 is how far it has spread beyond its London origins. Researchers have documented MLE-influenced speech in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and even smaller towns and rural areas. This spread is driven largely by social media, music, and internal migration, but it also reflects the cultural prestige that London speech holds among young people nationwide.
This geographical spread is not without controversy. Some linguists celebrate it as evidence of a vibrant, evolving language reflecting Britain’s multicultural reality. Others express concern about regional dialect loss or question whether young people in Devon or Newcastle adopting London street slang represents genuine linguistic evolution or cultural imitation.
The Role of UK Music
British music — particularly grime, UK drill, and Afroswing — continues to be a powerful vehicle for spreading slang. These genres, which emerged from the same multicultural London communities that produced MLE, introduce vocabulary to audiences who might never encounter it in their daily lives.
Grime’s Ongoing Influence
Grime music, which originated in East London in the early 2000s, pioneered the mainstream adoption of MLE vocabulary. Artists like Stormzy, Skepta, and Wiley brought terms like “mandem,” “ends” (neighborhood), and “ting” (thing, or an attractive person) to national audiences. While grime’s commercial peak may have passed, its linguistic influence remains foundational.
UK Drill’s Vocabulary
UK drill, which became the dominant form of British street music through the late 2010s and into 2023, has introduced its own vocabulary while building on grime’s linguistic foundations. Terms spread through drill include:
- “Opp” — An opponent or enemy
- “Lacking” — Being caught without protection or awareness
- “Bando” — An abandoned building, particularly one used for illegal activity
- “Corn” — A weapon (used euphemistically in lyrics)
While much drill vocabulary relates to street life and may not enter mainstream usage, the genre’s massive YouTube viewership means these terms are at least passively understood by millions of young Britons.
Afroswing and Afrobeats
The growing popularity of Afroswing and Afrobeats in the UK has introduced West African-influenced vocabulary to British youth culture. Terms like “wahala” (trouble, from Yoruba) and “japa” (to flee or emigrate, also Yoruba) have entered youth discourse, reflecting the significant Nigerian and Ghanaian diaspora communities in London and other British cities.
Youth Slang Trends
Beyond specific words, 2023 saw several broader trends in how young Britons use language informally.
Ironic and Self-Aware Usage
One notable trend is the increasingly ironic use of slang. Many young people use terms like “sigma,” “NPC” (non-player character, meaning someone who seems to lack independent thought), and “main character” with full awareness of their absurdity. This meta-awareness — using slang while simultaneously commenting on the fact that you are using slang — represents a distinctly Gen Z approach to language.
Shortened Forms
The trend towards brevity continued in 2023, with longer words and phrases being compressed into punchy abbreviations. “Delulu” from “delusional,” “rizz” from “charisma,” “slay” used as a one-word exclamation, and “sus” from “suspicious” all reflect a preference for linguistic economy — likely influenced by the character limits and fast pace of social media platforms.
Phrase-Based Slang
Rather than single words, much 2023 slang takes the form of short phrases or sentence structures. “It’s giving…,” “Not the…,” “No, because…,” and “Tell me you’re X without telling me you’re X” are all frameworks that can be filled with different content. This template-based approach to slang is particularly well-suited to TikTok, where trends rely on repetition with variation.
Code-Switching
Young Britons in 2023 demonstrated remarkable fluency in switching between different registers — using MLE-influenced slang with friends, standard English in professional settings, and internet-specific language online. This ability to code-switch fluidly is itself a linguistic skill that reflects the multiple communities and platforms that young people navigate daily.
How New Slang Spreads in 2023
The mechanisms by which slang spreads have changed dramatically in the digital age. Understanding these pathways helps explain why certain terms catch on while others fade quickly.
The Social Media Pipeline
The typical journey of a new slang term in 2023 follows a recognisable pattern: it originates in a specific community (often a London neighborhood, a gaming community, or a music scene), gets picked up by content creators on TikTok or YouTube, goes viral through trends and challenges, crosses over to mainstream media when journalists write “explainer” articles, and eventually enters such wide usage that it begins to feel dated among the communities that originated it.
This cycle has accelerated dramatically. Terms that might have taken years to spread nationally can now achieve mainstream recognition in weeks.
Music as a Vector
Artists with large followings can single-handedly introduce vocabulary to millions. When a popular grime or drill artist uses a term in a track, it reaches audiences far beyond the artist’s immediate community. The visual nature of music videos on YouTube also helps, as viewers can pick up contextual clues about meaning and usage.
The Role of Influencers
British influencers and content creators serve as bridges between niche communities and mainstream audiences. A term used by a few hundred people in a specific London postcode can reach millions when a popular TikToker adopts it.
Mainstream Media Adoption
Newspapers, TV shows, and brands adopting slang often signals the beginning of the end of a term’s coolness. By the time a word appears in a marketing campaign or a news headline, the communities that originated it have usually moved on.
The Generational Divide
Older Britons (generally over 50) are often entirely unfamiliar with terms like “rizz,” “peng,” or “peak” in their slang senses. The pace of change has widened this gap, with implications beyond vocabulary — parents may struggle to engage with young people’s online lives, and employers may misinterpret informal communication.
Conclusion
The slang landscape of 2023 reflects a UK that is increasingly diverse, digitally connected, and culturally dynamic. From “rizz” being crowned Word of the Year to MLE spreading nationwide, 2023 demonstrated that British slang is a living system shaped by migration, music, technology, and the endless human desire to play with language.
Whether these terms endure or fade remains to be seen — slang is by nature ephemeral. But the creative energy behind them will continue shaping British English for generations to come.
