Gen Z slang explained as 'skibidi' and 'delulu' are added to Cambridge dictionary

If you’re wondering what on earth a ‘skibidi toilet’ and ‘aura farm’ are, you’re not alone. The seemingly non-sensical Gen Z slang has become a subject of intense fascination – and now it’s made its way into the dictionary. But where do these words actually come from?

Cambridge Dictionary recently raised some eyebrows after ‘skibidi’, ‘delulu’ and ‘tradwife' were among more than 6000 new words added, officially immortalising some of Gen Z’s favourite words into the English lexicon. But, it turns out, some Gen Z slang actually has unexpected (and in some cases) darker origins than they may initially appear.

Aura farming

Surprise surprise, aura farming doesn’t refer to any kind of literal farming. Essentially, the phrase refers to a person or character attempting to look ‘cool’ in order to build up one’s ‘aura’ (or vibe).

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According to Know Your Meme, the phrase gained traction on platforms like X and TikTok around September 2024. Its origins purportedly stem from the anime and gaming community, as certain characters would accumulate ‘aura’ throughout the series via actions such as badass yet impractical stunts to emerge as the ‘coolest’ character.

Trad wife

The phrase ‘trad wife’ has gained momentum over the past year as influencers like Nara Smith and Hannah Neeleman have skyrocketed in popularity. According to the Cambridge Dictionary the term refers to “a married woman, especially one who posts on social media, who stays at home doing cooking, cleaning, etc. and has children that she takes care of.”

Although, the cultural phenomenon, which positions women in the home and as subject to the man in their lives, has gained criticism as some argue it comes alongside a global shrinking of women’s rights.

Delulu

Most of us have been a little ‘delulu’ at some point in our lives – even if we haven’t known what to call it. The word essentially means the same thing as ‘delusional’, although it is commonly used in reference to those who hold unrealistic beliefs about celebrities or relationships.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, delulu refers to: "believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to."

Mogging

It’s a humorous term that’s used on platforms like TikTok to refer to one person ‘outclassing’ another. Most commonly, it refers to one person appearing more attractive than another. But where does the word come from?

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‘Mogging’ actually comes from the acronym AMOG: Alpha Male of the Group, aka the dominant member of a group. It’s been used on the Internet for a while, with usage cropping up on image boards and incel subreddits as early as 2016, according to Know Your Meme, and was used by the pick up artist community as a way to attract women by ‘mogging’ other men. It began to spread to other social media platforms around 2021.

Skibidi

Last but not least, and perhaps the most controversial official addition to the British English lexicon: skibidi. If you’ve been driving yourself mad searching for its meaning, let your mind finally be put to ease.

It means nothing. And also everything, i.e. it’s a nonsense word.

According to the scholars on r/GenAlpha, the word is essentially an all-purpose term which can be used both positively and negatively. A user, angelv11, described it as: “a ‘dump word’, where any sentiment they wish to express, whether positive or negative, is expressed through ‘Skibidi’”.

According to Cambridge Dictionary, skibidi is: "a word that can have different meanings such as "cool" or "bad", or can be used with no real meaning as a joke."

Its origins stem from the YouTube series ‘Skibidi Toilet’, which follows a group of people with long necks and scary faces who live in toilets.

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