A Semantic Study of Gen Z Slang: User Perceptions of "Slay," "Cringe," and "Cooked"
Keywords:
Connotative meaning, denotative meaning, Gen Z SlangAbstract
The rapid proliferation of social media platforms has accelerated the transformation of youth slang, making it a significant subject for semantic inquiry. This study investigated the denotative and connotative meanings of three Generation Z slang words "slay," "cringe," and "cooked" as perceived by active social media users. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, with data gathered through a structured ten-item questionnaire administered to three respondents aged 17 to 25 years who actively used TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). The findings showed that all three words had undergone substantial transformation from their original literal meanings: "slay" shifted from denoting the act of killing to expressing exceptional performance or admirable appearance; "cringe" evolved from describing a physical recoiling motion to marking something socially embarrassing or awkward; and "cooked," while predominantly interpreted as describing a hopeless situation, revealed connotative ambiguity as two respondents associated it with impressiveness. Slang meaning was found to be shaped collectively by online communities rather than individual users, usage was restricted to informal communicative settings, and the degree of semantic shift was perceived as highly significant, with continued evolution anticipated. These findings advance the understanding of how lexical meaning is constructed and negotiated within digitally mediated youth communities.
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