If you’re looking to boost someone’s confidence or just spread some positivity, it’s important to know how to give a compliment that resonates with them. Gone are the days of generic phrases like “You look nice” or “I like your dress.” Today’s compliments should be unique, sincere, and often creative, and Gen Z compliments are just that! Gen Z — a generation known for their focus on individuality, authenticity, and inclusivity has a new way of complimenting people for their uniqueness, and in their unique way.
Even though I’m technically Gen Z, keeping up with the internet lingo and slang is a real struggle! There’s always a new word or phrase flying around on Instagram or TikTok and technically everywhere else. If you too tend to struggle like me to catch up with your peers, or are just looking to ‘upskill’ yourself so you can make sense of what your Gen-z kids or employees are muttering, I’ve come up with this exhaustive list of Gen Z compliments. Honestly, this complies some of the latest and most creative terms I’ve ever seen! Dig in!
33 Gen Z Compliments And How And When To Use Them
Whether you’re complimenting a friend, a date, or someone you follow on social media, Gen Z compliments need to feel personal, thoughtful, and relevant to the context. They should reflect not only what someone’s wearing but also their personality, energy, and vibe. In this post, we’ll explore 33 Gen Z compliments, when to use them, and how to make sure they land just right.
1. Slay
To slay means to do something flawlessly, like put together a perfect outfit. It’s the Gen Z version of “killed it”. It can be used to show approval or appreciation for a skill, an outfit or a performance. Slay is one of the perfect Gen Z compliments for friends. For example, “she slayed her finals so hard”, or “You always know how to slay.”
2. Ate (and left no crumbs)
Out of all other slangs, ate, in my opinion, is one of the most creative Gen z compliments. Totally unrelated to anyone’s eating habit, ate is used as a compliment when somebody carries out an act exceptionally well. It can be giving a performance or getting recognition for anything you did perfectly. For example, “you ate with that halloween costume!”.
3. It girl (or it boy)
Being called an ‘It girl’ or ‘It boy’ means you have magnetic confidence and effortless style. Think of someone who walks into a room and instantly owns it, that’s the it girl. For example, “look at how everyone’s drawn to her, she’s such an it girl.”
4. Rizz
Rizz is Gen Z short form for the word ‘charisma’. It’s mostly used in terms of dating or how much or how little someone’s charming and flirting skills are. Rizz can be used as both a verb (to rizz someone up) and a noun (he’s got mad rizz). It is mostly used in Gen Z texting slang, for example, “he’s smooth with the rizz”.
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5. Giving (it’s giving/ you’re giving)
When you hear a Gen Z person say something/ someone is giving, they are describing the vibe or aesthetic. It’s a fun, flexible way to express a mood and pay a compliment without overexplaining. “It’s giving main character energy” means the person seems like the protagonist of a plot.
6. Drip
If someone comments on your ‘drip’ they’re addressing your style (generally in a positive way). For example, saying “the drip is hard” usually means the outfit and accessories are styled impeccably well together and make you look amazing.
7. No Cap (or ‘All fax no cap’)
In Gen Z verbiage, cap means something is a lie or false. Which inversely puts no cap on the opposite end meaning something said or written or told is true and should be taken seriously. All fax no cap is another way of someone being sincere or telling the truth. Fax here is a modified word for ‘facts’ (because they phonetically sound the same).
8. Main Character Energy
Having or giving the main character energy means you’re living like the confident, self assured and unapologetic star of your story. It’s mostly used as a romanticised compliment but can also be used in a critical way to address someone who tries too hard to be the center of attention.
9. Periodt
When you need to put a dramatic full stop to an argument or statement you can use periodt, it means no more debate or end of story. It’s an assertive (sometimes playful) way of putting your point across, often said paired with sass or hand gestures.
10. Bussin
Most commonly used to compliment or appreciate how good the food tastes and looks. It can also be used to describe other things than food but it is more generally said to show excited enthusiasm for meals. For example, “the Thanksgiving dinner was bussin!”
11. Certified 10
Saying something or someone is a certified 10 means that they are an all-rounded catch. Not only in looks or charm but also a good personality and genuinely authentic. It essentially means you score a 10 out of 10, a perfect score!
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12. Lowkey fire
Lowkey refers to something being understated or to downplay the intensity of appreciation. Lowkey fire is said when trying to be subtle about your appreciation of something/ someone. It could be about food, outfit, event, a book or a person or essentially anything at all. And the exact opposite of lowkey is highkey which means to exaggerate or overstate the importance of something.
13. Bae
Bae is the acronym for ‘before anyone else’, used to address someone’s significant other. It is a term of endearment that can also be used for close friends or a crush. Bae is used for girls and boys alike. It is generally considered a cute way of showing admiration, less direct than ‘baby’ and slightly more hinting towards romantic interest.
14. Snapped (you snapped/ she snapped)
If you hear someone saying snapped it’s usually used in reference to a person who had an emotional breakdown or an emotional outburst that was witnessed by others around them. For example, “she snapped when she found out overtime wasn’t being compensated”.
15. Glow-up
Glow up is used in a positive sense which describes how someone progressed wonderfully. It can be a person’s appearance or lifestyle or skills or even their fashion style that they managed to work on and upgrade after a period of stagnation or awkwardness. For example, “his post summer break glow-up is stunning”
16. Aura
When someone’s aura is being addressed it’s to describe the type of energy they give off. It can be warm or magnetic or mischievous or in any other way. The word aura can be used in either a positive sense or otherwise. For example, you might have seen memes mentioning “aura points”, which relates to how embarrassing or great their action was and how their aura increased or decreased according to the zeitgeist.
17. Boujie
Boujie or boujee is short for bourgeoisie, which is used as a compliment to describe someone who has a taste for finer things. Think designer clothes, five-star restaurants, sparkling water, expensive trips….you get the idea. For example “her travel outfits are always straight boujie’.
18. GOAT (or Goated)
GOAT is the acronym for ‘greatest of all time’, it started out as a sports term used to address football players for excellent performance. It has now progressed into one of the most esteemed Gen Z compliments. Basically, it’s high praise. For example, “Messi is the GOAT”.
19. Serve
To serve means to absolutely own your look, attitude and the moment. Not to be confused with “you’ve been served” which is never a good thing or a compliment. Regardless, serve is generally used to praise fashion choices but can be used otherwise also. Such as, “she served with that dance performance”.
20. On Point
On point is used to convey the accuracy of something. It is the Gen Z way of saying “well done” or “excellent job!”. It is similar to “on fleek”, which was originally used to describe perfect eyebrow makeup. But now, both on point and on fleek are used as compliments for many things like an outfit or makeup or a sweet ride.
21. Understood The Assignment
When someone understands the assignment it means they’ve done it correctly- outfit, vibe and attitude. The Gen Z compliment is both playful and admiring, a go-to phrase when someone’s appearance fits the moment perfectly without trying too hard. Understood the assignment is a widely used compliment when it comes to commenting on celeb looks such as on the red carpet or for award shows.
22. Green Flag
A person with healthy, attractive qualities qualifies as a green flag, the list usually contains emotionally intelligent, reliable and kind, etc. “She’s such a green flag”, it’s the opposite of a red flag. Being called a green flag is a genuine compliment when dating, or even in friendship or flirty banter.
23. Brat
The Gen Z usage of brat was popularized by Charlie XCX when the singer released an album of the same name to rebrand the word to mean messy confidence. This paved the way for the viral BRAT era trend which included the “brat summer” and its neon-green aesthetic. For example” you’re such a brat” now means you’re a party animal instead of a naughty child.
24. Chad (or Gigachad)
Often used in humorous and satirical but in an appreciative way, Gigachad is the internet’s symbol of peak confidence. Chad or Gigachad is mainly used for boys. Generally, ‘Chad’ is the internet term for a conventionally attractive man. And to exaggerate just how appealing a guy is the added prefix ‘giga’ is used in some cases.
25. Extra
Extra can be a playfully teasing way to point out someone’s flashy fashion choices. Being extra means someone is being over the top dramatic in their reaction or fashion or just generally doing too much. The compliment is used when you want to address a big personality moment.
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26. Snatched
To be looking snatched means to have styled your outfit extremely well, done your makeup good and be perfectly put-together. For example, “that contour makes your face look so snatched”. It’s the gen z way of saying ‘looking sharp’. It’s high praise and can easily slide into flirty territory when someone’s clearly feeling themselves.
27. Whole meal
If you call someone a whole meal it means they look irresistibly attractive, not just cute or nice but deliciously good looking. For example, “you’re not a snack you’re the whole meal!”. It’s a confident and slightly cheeky gen z compliment that says someone’s the full package.
28. Slaps
Generally used when talking about music, slaps is used when a song or an outfit or food hit the sweet spot of satisfaction perfectly. It’s a casual yet strongly enthusiastic way of showing approval and appreciation within Gen Z spaces. For example, “that golden hour selfie totally slaps!”.
29. Diva
When Gen Z defines a Diva, understand that it is entirely different from how millennials define a diva. For the former, a diva is someone who has confidence, exudes a certain attitude and is a bold person. For the latter it generally means someone who is entitled. Don’t confuse the two and don’t feel offended when a youngin calls you a diva, it’s high praise in their language!
30. Bonita
Bonita is Spanish for “beautiful” or “pretty”, and is used by Gen Z to describe someone the same in a soft and affectionate way. Bonita is one of the internet’s favorite gen z compliments for beautiful girls. It is more genuine than saying “hot”, think in the lines of a more warm and flirty playful energy. For example, “you look so bonita tonight.”
31. Mother
If you hear someone use mother as a compliment it instantly means they’re iconic and inspiring. “Mother is mothering” has become one of the more popular Gen Z phrases that is used to describe someone (mainly women) excelling at anything they attempt. It can be used for someone running a successful business or someone excelling at their studies, etc.
32. Real One
Calling someone a real one means they’re genuine, loyal, and down to earth who is supportive and has your back. For example, “You took notes for me when I missed class? You’re a real one!”. It’s a sincere and warm appreciative compliment that hits better than just a simple ‘thanks’.
33. Gucci
This compliment is directly adapted from the fashion brand which is well known for being fancy and trendy. As such, someone saying you’re Gucci means they find you fancy or trendy or just generally cool.
I hope with these many newfound additions to your vocabulary you’re now well armed with deciphering the instagram/tiktok/twitter comments on the late night doom scrolling sessions. Better yet, try using a few yourself! Well-timed expressions can make anyone smile (even if it’s Generation Z slang!)
