50 Most Popular Slang Words in Indonesia 2025 Complete with Meanings

NoLimit Indonesia – We often come across slang words when we are busy scrolling on social media. It’s so slang, sometimes we have to think twice to understand what it means, for example, “really slay vibes,” “gas it up,” or “that’s cringeworthy.”

From a media monitoring perspective, the emergence of these new terms is an important indicator. In this digital era, slang trends are developing super fast, almost every month a viral term appears on TikTok, Twitter (X), or other platforms.

For brands and communications analysts, these slangs are vital keywords for gauging public sentiment and understanding the nuances of local conversations, which are unfortunately often missed by global monitoring systems.

Also Read: Can Slang Words Make Brands Fail? Media Monitoring Secrets that You Must Know!

So, so that we don’t get called a coup or a lack of updates in the digital world, let’s get to know the 50 most popular slang words in Indonesia in 2025, as the key to understanding netizen trends!

What Are Slang Words?

Slang word is the shape non-standard language which is used informally to express familiarity, humor, or social identity in everyday conversation, especially in social media And youth community.

In the Indonesian context, slang is also called slangwhich often appears on platforms such as TikTok, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Example:
The word “ngab” comes from the opposite of the word “bang”, and is now often used to greet friends in a casual tone.

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What is the Difference Between Slang and Standard Language?

Aspect	Slang (Slang)	Standard Language
Use	Informal, casual	Formal, official
Place	Social media, casual conversation	Official writing, education, work
Objective	Shows familiarity & identity	Maintain accuracy of meaning
Example	“Nab, don’t gas!”	“Brothers, let’s get started.”

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Why are Slang Words Popular on Social Media?

Slang words go viral quickly because:

1. Popularized by influencers and content creators.
2. Used in memes, captions, and TikTok videos.
3. Easy to remember and reflects the character of the younger generation.
4. Building a sense of togetherness between online communities.

Entity insights:
This phenomenon is called digital linguisticsnamely the way language changes as a result of interactions on the internet.

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50 Indonesian Slang Words (Update 2025)

The following is a list of the most frequently used slang words on social media this year

NO	Slang said	Meaning / Significance	Example of sentences
1	ngab	Casual call of “bang”	“Get on the gas, bro!”
2	friend	Close friend	“Friends, let’s heal!”
3	Gas rises	Let’s continue / cheer up	“Just gaskeun, bro!”
4	Thin	Lazy to move	“It’s really awkward coming out.”
5	Baper	Bring feelings	“He’s getting excited just from chatting.”
6	Gabut	There’s no work	“Cook, I’m not sure what to do with you.”
7	Santuy	Relax / Relax	“Everyone will feel comfortable.”
8	Jump	Get attention	“Update the story from now on, it’s a caper.”
9	Nosy	Too much curiosity	“You’re so stupid!”
10	a penny	Small thing but cute	“Jokes on a dime but no joke.”
11	Skuy	Reverse form of ‘let’s go’	“Skuy eat together.”
12	Wibu	Japanese culture lover	“He watches anime every day, a true weeaboo.”
13	Show off	Showing off too much	“He keeps flexing the new cellphone.”
14	Amazingly changed	So it’s cooler	“My friend is absolutely glowing.”
15	Healing	Refreshing / vacation	“I need healing to go to Bali.”
16	Disgusting	Weird/embarrassed	“The content is a bit scary.”
17	Atmosphere	Atmosphere/energy	“The vibes are really calm.”
18	Shout	Yes, friends, yes	“He’s really cute, darling.”
19	TBL	I’m really scared	“Look at the score, TBL.”
20	GG	Cool/great	“GG’s playing is terrible.”
21	Julid	Sneers/likes to talk to people	“Netizens are busy again.”
22	FOMO	Afraid of missing out on trends	“Just follow along so you don’t get FOMO.”
23	Overthinking	Thinking too much	“I keep overthinking.”
24	Want	Overthinking	“He wants to marry an idol.”
25	Nolep	No life / rarely socializes	“He’s really absent, he’s still at home.”
26	Anjay / Anjir	Amazed expression	“Lany, it’s so cool to get it!”
27	Mantul	This is very good	“The strategy really works.”
28	Car	Immediately automatic	“Hearing the news, I was automatically shocked.”
29	Legitimate	Right on	“Your opinion is valid.”
30	gas pole	Maximum / all out	“He works gaspol until the evening.”
31	Salfok	Wrong focus	“Salfox on his clothes.”
32	BT	Bete/bad mood	“Today was totally BT.”
33	GWS	Hope you get well soon	“GWS, get well soon.”
34	OTW	On the way	“OTW is coming soon.”
35	KZL	Annoyed	“He’s just dragging his feet, KZL.”
36	Wow	Funny form of “okay”	“Wow, ready bestie!”
37	CIYUS	Seriously	“Ciyus? Not lying?”
38	MIHL	Very expensive	“The bag is very poor!”
39	Car dealer	Instantly cool	“Wearing this outfit will automatically make you handsome.”
40	Little kid	Little boy / joking name	“It’s really busy on the server.”
41	Twilight child	A gentle/poetic person	“He likes coffee and poetry, he’s really a twilight child.”
42	Skibidi	The trend of absurd memes	“Skibidi toilet is going viral!”
43	ngaber	Kids hanging out/fans of swag style	“Ngaber hanging out in front of the minimarket.”
44	How	Profit / profit	“Getting a new project, really profitable!”
45	Lur	Call ‘bro’ (from East Java)	“Relax, be safe.”
46	Gasreng	Gas continues (enthusiasm)	“Gasreng bro, don’t slack off!”
47	Road	Surprised expression	“Wadidaw, the results are really cool.”
48	CIHUI	Happy expression	“Cihui! Finally won.”
49	Toy	Do homework	“Just work first then scroll.”
50	Not clear	Unclear/absurd	“The conversation was very clear.”

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Linguistic Facts: Why Can Slang Be Included in the KBBI?

According to Language Development and Development Agencyslang words can enter Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) If:

• It has been widely used across regions,
• Has a stable and unchanging meaning,
• Documented in official media and publications.

Examples of slang words that have entered the KBBI:
excited, thin, share, point.

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Is Slang OK to Use in Formal Situations?

Not recommended. Slang words are suitable for context informal or digitalsuch as social media, conversations between friends, or creative content. For formal letters, academics, or professional presentations, use standard language to remain polite and clear.

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Conclusion

Slang words in Indonesia continue to develop along with the emergence of new trends in the digital world. From “ngab” to “gaskeun”, every word reflects the identity of the younger generation and the dynamics of online culture. Use slang wisely, understand its meaning, context, and when to switch to standard language.

Don’t let slang terms ruin your reputation! Traditional monitoring media fails to detect true sentiment.

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