South Africa’s most searched slang words of 2025 will make you feel ancient

Updated Oct. 8, 2025, 6:33 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

Gen Alphas are Gaslighting society and it’s making us Delulu! Here’s the weird lingo South Africans are Googling these days!

If you’ve ever heard a teenager say something that made you question if you were still fluent in English, congratulations - you’re officially old enough to Google what it means.

Thanks to research from Unscramblerer.com, we now know which slang words South Africans are searching for the most in 2025.

Let’s just say… we’re delulu if we think we can keep up.

ALSO READ: Oxford’s new words prove English has gone delulu

These are the top 10 Gen Alpha slang words Mzansi’s been frantically typing into Google this year:

1. Gaslighting (28,000+ searches)

Basically, it’s when someone tries to make you doubt your own memory or feelings.

Like when your friend “swears” they told you about their party… that you somehow weren’t invited to.

2. Sigma (15,000+ searches)

A Sigma is a “lone wolf” type male.

Think Batman, but with Wi-Fi and a gym membership.

3. Sybau (14,000+ searches)

This is a not-so-polite way of telling someone to zip it.

Let’s keep it PG and call it “shush, aggressively.”

4. Bop (12,000+ searches)

This is used to describe someone who’s a bit too social for their own good.

A bop is someone who jumps around from person to person (if you know what I mean).

It also describes a song that just slaps.

5. PMO (10,500+ searches)

This could mean “Put Me On” (as in “introduce me to something cool”) or “Pees Me Off.”

The context decides whether you’re vibing or venting.

ALSO READ: WATCH: The internet’s Aura Farmer is over it… and we feel that

6. Gooning (9,000+ searches)

Originally something… weird that someone does alone in their room in the late hours of the night (that’s all I’ll say).

In 2025 though, it just means being way too obsessed with something - like your favourite Netflix show or that air fryer you can’t stop using.

7. 6-7 (8,000+ searches)

You’ve probably been hearing this one a lot lately and it (very fittingly) actually doesn’t mean anything. That’s the joke. It’s Gen Alpha’s “Why are you running?” moment.

It originates from the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by Skrilla and it’s random, loud, and funny for reasons only Gen Alphas understand.

8. Glazing (7,000+ searches)

This is overpraising someone to the point it’s suspicious. Like, “Bro, calm down, you’re glazing your bestie like a doughnut.”

9. Delulu (6,500+ searches)

For the older generations, this is pretty easy and fun to say. It’s short for delusional. It usually describes someone who genuinely believes their crush (or a celebrity) likes them back.

“She liked my picture bro! She’s definitely down”. (Shame man)

10. Zesty (6,000+ searches)

This is a compliment! It means lively, exciting, full of personality.

Basically, if someone says you’re zesty, you’re the human version of peri-peri sauce.

ALSO READ: Shelter named puppies after Gen Alpha slang (and it’s adorable - no cap)

Yoh!! Is your brain absolutely exhausted from reading all that brainrot. Same here.

At this point, we respect Shakespeare so much, because his work was much better than this.

A spokesperson from an Unscramblerer.com researcher said it best: “Slang today is fueled by TikTok, memes, and online culture. Our language evolves faster than ever and it’s a fascinating reflection of our digital lives.”

However, whether you’re a Sigma with zesty vibes or just delulu enough to think you’re keeping up; remember this.

Slang isn’t just words. It’s culture, chaos, and comedy wrapped into one (and a sign you should probably start thinking about life insurance and funeral policies).