#TheTwentyTens: Millennial Slangs That “Shooketh” The Decade
The 2010s was a decade when “on fleek” meant something. As a millennial, you’d be “highkey shooketh” at the prospect of “adulting.”
Wait, what does this all mean? These are our best moments in millennial slang, so let’s enjoy them while they last, before the new words take over the world.
It’s almost the end of the decade, so we’ll cue you in on the most iconic slangs that had us shooketh.
2010 – “Bromance”
The word “bromance” has been cemented in our daily language, especially with an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. Bromance essentially referred to men, usually a pair, who are very close, intimate friends.
2011 – “Shade”
Throwing “shade” around started to become popular because of Hollywood’s most famous drag queen variety show, RuPaul’s Drag Race. The queens would criticize and express contempt for each other in public, which is what throwing shade is all about.
2012 – “Adulting”
Adulting is cleaning your room before going on a trip and feeling so satisfied walking in the door when you return
— Likely (@wearelikely) December 27, 2019
As millennials entered adulthood, they basically had to find out how to pay bills and live on their own, which is the true definition of “adulting.”
2013 – “Thirsty”
To be “thirsty” basically means someone who is desperate for something, which could be anything from attention, to validation, and even sex.
2014 – “On fleek”
June 21,2014 Was day I made history and created a word that will never be forgotten Happy Fleek Day 💪🏾😂🙈 https://t.co/AwvqsgHdJa
— Peaches ✨💕🍑 (@peaches_monroee) June 21, 2015
In 2014, Vine user Peaches Monroee posted her famous video, which included the phrase “eyebrows on fleek.” “On fleek” refers to close to perfection, usually in the context of makeup/
2015 – “Fam”
“Fam” is basically a simple term for a group of people you love and consider family, but it usually refers to close friends.
2016 – “Highkey” & “Lowkey”
he highkey looks like elsa pic.twitter.com/R5WDHUXJ6e
— mika (@flowerhyunjins) December 25, 2019
Some of these tweets are lowkey hilarious 😂 but also 100% relatable 👌🏾💯
— Keisha Ann 💋💫 (@Ke__THEQUEEN) December 27, 2019
“Highkey” and “Lowkey” are sister slangs – they came together, and go together. The slangs are used to describe emotions, in which “highkey” refers to the fact that you’re straight-up feeling this, and “lowkey” means that your feelings are not as intense.
2017 – “Shook”
If someone is “shook,” they’re probably very shocked, surprised and unable to cope with the news, in an excited way. If you’re very shook, you’re actually “shooketh.”
2018 – “Mood”
Weekend mood: @cher running errands with a full face mask on pic.twitter.com/IvJPGmaqN6
— Likely (@wearelikely) August 18, 2019
Of course, you’d know the word “mood” already, but in the age of Twitter, it refers to something that’s relatable, a.k.a. “a whole mood.”
2019 – “Tea”
We’re spilling the tea on this – it basically means to reveal the hidden truth, or in less nice words, to gossip. The slang appears to have originated in American black drag culture. Lots of tea was spilled this year, stay tuned for more next year!
