The Most Cringeworthy Slang Of 2026, Ranked

If you’ve spoken to a single teen in recent years, chances are you’ve been confronted with slang like “six-seven”, “glazing,” “mid,” and “unc”.

But according to new research conducted by Preply, which surveyed over 1,500 Brits, some of these are already deemed cringeworthy.

Here’s what UK respondents said bothered them the most, and why:

Per Preply, the words most likely to make people wince include:

1. Six-seven (24.4%)
Meaning: Nonsensical, “so and so”

2. Skibbidi (21.6%)
Meaning: “Cool” or “Bad”

3. Preggo (20.8%)
Meaning: Pregnant

4. Sorry, not sorry (18.1%)
Meaning: Humorously means “I don’t feel bad about it”

5. Holibobs (17.6%)
Meaning: Holiday

6. Slay (16.1%)
Meaning: To do something exceptionally well

7. Rizz (15.7%)
Meaning: To charm or seduce (from “charisma”)

8. Bae (15.7%)
Meaning: Significant other (similar to babe)

9. Wifey (15.3%)
Meaning: Wife or “girlfriend”

10. YOLO (14.9%)
Meaning: Abbreviation for “You only live once”.

Melissa Baerse Berk, an Associate Linguistics Professor from the University of Chicago, who is working with Preply, said: “Cringe isn’t really about the word itself, it’s about context and identity. Terms like ‘Skibbidi’ or ‘Rizz’ are closely associated with online subcultures and younger generations.

“When those words cross into everyday offline conversations, they can feel forced or inauthentic.”

As someone who heard “chat” out loud for the first time recently, I couldn’t agree more.

But, Prof Berk added, that doesn’t mean your favourite slang necessarily has to be out of reach.

“Using words found cringeworthy in an ironic sense suggests people aren’t just reacting to trends, they’re participating in them with a layer of self-awareness,” she explained.

“Irony acts as a social safety net, it allows people to engage with trends without fully committing to them.”