The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Slang, Lingo, and Terminology [2023]

Social media has given rise to an entire new vocabulary full of slang terms, acronyms, and jargon. For the uninitiated, this can seem like a foreign language. This guide covers most common social media terms to help you stay fluent in the language of social platforms.

Key Social Media Slang and Lingo

Slay

“Slay” is a term used to express admiration for someone who has done exceptionally well at something. For example: “Her new business launch totally slayed!”

Stanley

“Stan” refers to someone who is an extremely dedicated, loyal and enthusiastic fan of a celebrity, influencer or content creator.

Cheugy

“Cheugy” describes someone or something that is seen as outdated or trying too hard to be trendy.

Vibe Check

Asking for a “vibe check” is a way to check in on someone’s mood or assess the general atmosphere of a situation.

Simp

A “simp” is someone who shows excessive attention towards another person without receiving anything in return, especially on social media.

Sussy Baka

“Sussy baka” is a nonsensical phrase used humorously to express doubt or suspicion about something or someone.

Sheesh

“Sheesh” expresses amazement or awe at something impressive. For example: “This new song slaps, sheesh!”

ICYMI

“ICYMI” stands for “In Case You Missed It” and is used when recapping old information.

Finsta

A “finsta” or fake Instagram account is a secondary, private Instagram account where people share more personal content.

Aesthetic

Describes the intentional styling and visual presentation of content to achieve a certain look and feel.

DM Slide

“Sliding into someone’s DMs” means privately messaging someone, usually on social media.

Big yikes

Expresses disapproval of an embarrassing or disappointing situation.

Sus

Short for “suspicious.” Used to convey doubt or distrust about something.

Bet

Indicates agreement or approval. For example: “Want to grab pizza tonight?” “Bet!”

Common Social Media Acronyms

- IMO — In My Opinion

- ICYMI — In Case You Missed It

- TBT — Throwback Thursday

- FYI — For Your Information

- LMK — Let Me Know

- IRL — In Real Life

- TBH — To Be Honest

- IKR — I Know, Right?

- SMH — Shaking My Head

- BRB — Be Right Back

- Idk — I Don’t Know

- AMA — Ask Me Anything

- TMI — Too Much Information

- ILU or ILY — I Love You

- YOLO — You Only Live Once

- FOMO — Fear Of Missing Out

Social Media Profile Terminology

Handle

Also known as a username, this is the unique name that identifies an account on social media.

Profile Picture

The photo that represents a user’s account. Often abbreviated to “PFP”.

Bio

Short description on a user’s profile summarizing who they are.

Followers

Other users who subscribe to your account to see your content.

Following

Accounts that you subscribe to in order to see their content.

Verification

The blue checkmark badge indicating an account has been confirmed as authentic.

Avatar

Graphic icon or illustration representing a user.

Display Name

How a user’s name appears on their profile. Can be different from username.

Handle Mention

Referring to another user by their @username in a post.

Hashtag

The symbol is used to index keywords and facilitate search.

Content Types and Features

Stories

Ephemeral photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours.

Grid Post

Long-term uploads that appear on a user’s profile.

IGTV

Long-form vertical videos up to 60 minutes on Instagram.

Reels

Short videos with creative tools and music on Instagram and TikTok.

Tweets

Posts of 280 characters or less on Twitter.

Thread

A series of connected tweets on one topic.

Live Stream

Broadcasting video in real time.

Highlight

Collections of stories that are pinned to user profiles.

Link In Bio

Link on bios that leads to external site for more info.

Swipe Up

Feature that allows redirect from IG stories to external sites.

Filter

Graphics effects and tools used to edit photos and videos.

Geotag

Tagging a social media post with a location.

Caption

Text description that accompanies a post.

Hashtag

Metadata tag using to categorize content and facilitate search.

Tag

Identifying another user in a post via their @handle.

Sticker

Graphical overlays that can be added to stories.

GIF

Short animated video clips without sound.

Meme

Images, videos or text that are humorous, often using imagery with overlaid text.

Emoji

Small digital images or icons used to express ideas or emotions.



This covers the most important terminology used on major social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook. Learning this lingo will help you communicate effectively and understand what other users are talking about!

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