1980s Slang: The Neon Decade!

Woman in 1980's fashion holding a cassette tape on a split yellow and pink background

The 1980s were packed with neon colors, big hair, and an explosion of pop culture that defined the decade. With its love of all things flashy and fun, the 80s gave birth to some of the most memorable slang in history, capturing the essence of this totally tubular era.

But how do you know your airhead from your goth?

Let’s jump into our 80 Slang Words for the 80s and take a trip back to the days of boom boxes, video arcades, and walkmans!

80 Slang Words for the 80s:

Airhead – A person who’s seen as unintelligent or ditzy.
“She forgot her keys again—what an airhead!”
Awesome – Something incredible or amazing.
“That movie was totally awesome!”
Bag Your Face – An insult suggesting someone is unattractive.
“You’re being rude—go bag your face!”
Bad to the Bone – Really cool or tough.
“That leather jacket is bad to the bone!”
Barf Me Out – Expression of disgust.
“Ew, that smell is gross—barf me out!”
Beat Box – A person making drum machine-like sounds with their mouth.
“He’s a master at the beat box!”
Bitchin’ – Really cool or excellent.
“That new car is bitchin’!”
Bite Me – A retort when someone says something unpleasant.
“You don’t like my outfit? Well, bite me!”
Bogus – Unfair, wrong, or fake.
“That grade I got was totally bogus!”
Bomb – Something really great.
“The concert last night was the bomb!”
Bro – Short for brother, used to refer to a male friend.
“What’s up, bro?”
Buggin’ – Freaking out or acting irrationally.
“Stop buggin’, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Burn – A sarcastic comeback or insult.
“Wow, that was a burn!”
Chill Pill – Used to tell someone to calm down.
“Take a chill pill, it’s not the end of the world.”
Choice – Excellent or high quality.
“That pizza was choice, dude!”
Couch Potato – A lazy person who watches too much TV.
“Don’t be a couch potato—let’s go outside!”
Cowabunga – An exclamation of excitement or enthusiasm.
“Cowabunga! Let’s hit the waves!”
Crunk – Very excited or energetic.
“We’re gonna get crunk at the party tonight!”
Dweeb – Someone who is nerdy or socially awkward.
“That guy’s such a dweeb.”
Eat My Shorts – A defiant or cheeky way to tell someone off. Popularised by TV shows, such as The Simpsons.
“You think I care? Eat my shorts!”
Excellent – Extremely good.
“That show was excellent, dude!”
Fartknocker – An insult, typically used jokingly.
“Quit being such a fartknocker!”
Ferris – To skip school or work (inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).
“Let’s totally ferris tomorrow and go to the beach.”
Fresh – New, cool, or appealing.
“Check out his fresh new kicks.”
Gag Me with a Spoon – An expression of disgust.
“You’re wearing that? Gag me with a spoon!”
Gnarled – Twisted or messed up.
“That tree is totally gnarled.”
Goth – Someone who embraces dark fashion and music.
“She’s into the goth scene.”
Grindage – Food, especially when hungry.
“I need some grindage before we head out.”
Gross – Disgusting or unpleasant.
“That sandwich looks gross!”
Hair Metal – A style of music characterized by long hair and flashy looks.
“I’m all about the hair metal bands!”
Hammer – To get really drunk.
“We got hammered at the party last night.”
Harsh – Overly critical or mean.
“Don’t be so harsh, it was just a joke.”
Homeboy/Homegirl – A close friend.
“That’s my homeboy from way back.”
Hoser – A loser or simpleton, often used jokingly.
“You spilled your drink? What a hoser!”
I’m So Sure – Used to express disbelief or sarcasm.
“You think you’re going to win? I’m so sure.”
Jams – Comfortable, colorful shorts popular in the 80s.
“Check out my rad new jams!”
Jellin’ – To be relaxed and easy-going.
“I’m just jellin’ with some tunes.”
Jonesing – Craving something.
“I’m jonesing for some pizza right now.”
Just Say No – Anti-drug slogan from the 80s.
“Remember, just say no!”
Kick Butt – To be amazing at something or to defeat someone.
“You’re gonna kick butt in that game!”
Like Totally – Used for emphasis, meaning “definitely” or “for sure.”
“That movie was like totally awesome!”
Mallrat – A teenager who spends a lot of time at the mall.
“He’s a total mallrat on weekends.”
Motor – To move or leave quickly.
“We need to motor if we want to make it on time!”
No Duh – Obvious or clear.
“The sky is blue—no duh!”
Not! – Used to contradict a previous statement, often sarcastically.
“You’re so cool… not!”
Outrageous – Extremely cool or shocking.
“Her fashion sense is outrageous!”
Peachy Keen – Great or excellent.
“Everything is peachy keen with me.”
Posse – A group of friends or companions.
“Me and my posse are heading to the arcade.”
Psych – Used when someone tricks or jokes with another person.
“I was just kidding—psych!”
Ralph – To vomit.
“I feel so sick, I think I’m gonna ralph.”
Rock On – A phrase used to express approval or encouragement.
“Rock on, dude!”
Schweet – A cool or exciting thing.
“That new car is schweet!”
Shred – To perform an impressive move, especially in skateboarding or snowboarding.
“I can’t wait to shred the slopes this winter.”
Slammin’ – Awesome or fantastic.
“That pizza was slammin’!”
Space – To forget something or act absentminded.
“I totally spaced on that meeting.”
Stellar – Exceptionally good or cool.
“That performance was totally stellar!”
Sucka – A fool or someone easily taken advantage of.
“You fell for it, sucka!”
Take a Hike – To tell someone to leave or go away.
“If you don’t like it, take a hike!”
Talk to the Hand – A phrase used to dismiss someone’s opinion.
“I don’t want to hear it, talk to the hand!”
Thrashin’ – Doing something cool or extreme (popular in skateboard culture).
“He’s totally thrashin’ it on the half-pipe!”
Totally Rad – Completely cool or awesome.
“That concert was totally rad!”
Totally Tubular – Something excellent or awesome (surf culture).
“That wave was totally tubular, dude!”
Trippin’ – Acting crazy or being overly dramatic.
“You’re totally trippin’ if you think that’s a good idea!”
Valley Girl – A girl from the suburbs, often obsessed with shopping and fashion.
“She’s like, a total valley girl!”
Wannabe – Someone who wants to be like someone else or fit in with a particular group.
“He’s such a wannabe, always copying that band.”
Wicked – Extremely good or cool.
“That trick was wicked awesome!”
Word – Used to show agreement or acknowledgment.
“We’re meeting at 8? Word.”
Yikes – An exclamation of surprise or concern.
“Yikes, I didn’t see that coming!”
Zapped – Exhausted or drained of energy.
“After that workout, I’m totally zapped.”
Zip It – To tell someone to be quiet or stop talking.
“Enough already, zip it!”
Zoinks – An expression of surprise or shock (popularized by Scooby-Doo).
“Zoinks! I didn’t see that coming!”
Totally – An expression of agreement or emphasis.
“I totally agree with you!”
To The Max – Used to emphasize something is taken to its extreme.
“That party was awesome to the max!”
No Way, Jose – An expression used to say absolutely not.
“No way, Jose! That’s not happening.”
Righteous Dude – An especially cool or impressive person.
“He’s a righteous dude, always looking out for others.”
Radical – Another way to say something is cool or impressive.
“That skateboard trick was radical!”
Glam – Short for glamorous, used to describe someone or something stylish.
“Her outfit was totally glam for the party.”
Cheesy – Something cheap, tacky, or overly sentimental.
“That movie was fun, but so cheesy!”
Maxed Out – Completely exhausted or reached one’s limit.
“After working all week, I’m maxed out.”
Veg – To relax or do nothing.
“I’m just going to veg out this weekend.”

80s Slang that Lives On:

Awesome – Still used today to describe something great or impressive.
“That concert was awesome!”
Bro – Commonly used among friends today.
“Hey bro, what’s up?”
Totally Rad – Used to emphasize something is amazing or impressive.
“That party was totally rad!”
Word – Often used to show agreement in modern conversation.
“We’re on for lunch? Word.”
Wicked – A slang term that has survived to mean something fantastic.
“That movie was wicked!”

We adore everything 80s here at SlangHub. With the rise of so many subcultures it was like totally radical – all be it a little bit cheesy. MTV emerged, Reagan got elected U.S. president and consumerism boomed alongside years of constant jams. Thanks to shows like Stranger Things, the 1980s continues to see a huge resurgence in trends. Hopefully you got what you came for!