slang

noun \ ˈslaŋ \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of slang

1 : language peculiar to a particular group: such as

a : argot

b : jargon 1

2 : an informal nonstandard vocabulary composed typically of coinages, arbitrarily changed words, and extravagant, forced, or facetious figures of speech

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slang

adjective

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slangily

play \ˈslaŋ-ə-lē\ adverb

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slanginess

play \ˈslaŋ-ē-nəs\ noun

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slangy

play \ˈslaŋ-ē\ adjective

See slang defined for English-language learners

See slang defined for kids

Examples of slang in a Sentence

tends to use too much hacker's slang when talking to coworkers about their computer problems

Recent Examples of slang from the Web

Oh, and finally, it’s generally believed that Hooker did NOT lend his name to a slang term for prostitutes.

— martin finucane, BostonGlobe.com, "8 things you didn’t know about Fighting Joe Hooker," 15 Mar. 2018
Chivos de Hartford The Yard Goats should seriously consider permanently renaming themselves to Chivos, partly because chivos (goats) is also Salvadoran slang for cool.

— chris chavez, SI.com, "Ranking The Best Team Names From MiLB's Copa de la Diversión," 20 Mar. 2018
But the ways in which people chose to adopt the wild west slang and improvise with the actors was truly fascinating.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Westworld's SXSW Park Was an Incredible Mindfuck of a Social Experiment," 12 Mar. 2018
His vernacular, slang from the streets of Stockton, Calif., is American.

— hannah beech, New York Times, "Deported, and Sticking Out: ‘This Ain’t Home. America’s My Home.’," 11 Mar. 2018
So its very cultured and our slang comes from this mixture of cultures.

— nerisha penrose, Billboard, "Roy Woods on New Album 'Say Less,' Constantly Experimenting & Advice From PARTYNEXTDOOR," 1 Mar. 2018
His Russian teammates call him batya, Russian slang for father.

— erik brady, USA TODAY, "A road trip for the aged," 21 Feb. 2018
The path of the infix is uncertain, but linguist Joshua Viau has found similar examples in 1960s radio broadcasts and early 1970s drug slang.

— mark peters, BostonGlobe.com, "Pig Latin is alive and ellway," 11 Mar. 2018
In her research, McCulloch has found that people are loathe to ask others what an unfamiliar slang term means, likely for fear of looking uncool.

— katy steinmetz, Time, "A Major Dictionary Has Officially Added Emoji," 6 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slang.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of slang

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1756

See Words from the same year

slang Synonyms

Synonyms

argot, cant, dialect, jargon, jive, language, lingo, patois, patter, shop, shoptalk, terminology, vocabulary;

journalese;

Other Language Terms

cognate, collocation, homonym

slang

verb

Definition of slang

intransitive verb

: to use slang or vulgar abuse

transitive verb

: to abuse with harsh or coarse language

First Known Use of slang

1828

SLANG Defined for English Language Learners

slang

noun

Definition of slang for English Language Learners

: words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech especially by a particular group of people