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Synonyms

slang

1 American  
[slang] / slæŋ /

noun

  1. very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language, as Hit the road.

  2. (in English and some other languages) speech and writing characterized by the use of vulgar and socially taboo vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.

  3. the jargon of a particular class, profession, etc.

  4. the special vocabulary of thieves, vagabonds, etc.; argot.

    Synonyms:
    cant

verb (used without object)

  1. to use slang or abusive language.

verb (used with object)

  1. to assail with abusive language.

slang 2 American  
[slang] / slæŋ /

verb

Nonstandard.

  1. simple past tense of sling.

slang British  
/ slæŋ /

noun

    1. vocabulary, idiom, etc, that is not appropriate to the standard form of a language or to formal contexts, may be restricted as to social status or distribution, and is characteristically more metaphorical and transitory than standard language

    2. ( as modifier )

      a slang word

  2. another word for jargon 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to abuse (someone) with vituperative language; insult

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
slang Cultural  

  1. Expressions that do not belong to standard written English. For example, “flipping out” is slang for “losing one's mind” or “losing one's temper.” Slang expressions are usually inappropriate in formal speech or writing. (See jargon.)

Usage

See informal.

Other Word Forms

  • slangily adverb
  • slanginess noun
  • slangy adjective

Etymology

Origin of slang

First recorded in 1750–60; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Doxing” is a slang term for revealing a person’s private information online.

From Los Angeles Times

Delighted to receive a dictionary of slang as a gift, he explored its application to his own interests.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its title comes from a Delhi University slang: to "give it those ones" is to perform one's usual act - bungles included.

From BBC

“My date drop was chopped,” one student wrote, using a slang term for unattractiveness.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is hired as an intern by a phony physician whose reputation is founded on knowledge of “a certain professional slang, humored by a medical face.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.