When Kids Say Washed, This Is What They Really Mean

Recently I was sat on a train surrounded by three teenagers having a back-and-forth about something. And dear reader: I’ve never felt so old. I could barely keep up with what they were saying as every other word seemed to be one coined by the latest generation – or at least pulled from the internet and viral culture, and given an entirely new meaning.Whether they’re talking about crashing out, glazing or they keep responding to everything with six-seven, it can be hard to keep up if you’re not fully immersed in the worlds of Gen Z and Alpha. Kids have also adopted the label “Ohio” (which isn’t a positive thing), and are using a range of acronyms – think PMO, SYBAU, etc – online and in real life. And another word they’re using more of is “washed”, which has absolutely nothing to do with cleaning. According to linguistic expert Esteban Touma, from language learning platform Babbel, washed is “a slang word used broadly across Gen Z, referring to something that has declined in skill, popularity or relevance”. So basically, they use it to refer to something that’s past its prime and no longer en vogue.“For sociolinguists its common use is interesting as it reflects the speed at which culture cycles for young people,” said Touma.“Things become relevant, then peak, then decline in popularity faster than ever before. It’s very possible for a meme, song, film or other piece of media to run through an entire trend cycle and become ‘washed’ within 24 hours.”Remarking on the fast-paced nature of how language is shifting among the youngest generations, Touma said “today’s pupils are pioneering a language that’s both a badge of belonging and a fast-moving snapshot of their world”.“These words aren’t just noise, they’re a cultural temperature check. If you want to know what matters to young people in 2025, listen to how they talk at school,” he said.“Slang is how students turn school stress into running jokes and transform everyday moments into shared culture. In 2025, being in the know means everything, yesterday’s joke is already today’s in‑joke. In a world that shifts overnight, classroom language is the one sphere where young people are always out in front, rewriting the rules, one slang phrase at a time.”If someone could create a teen translator app right about now, that would be very helpful indeed...Related...WTF Is Aura Farming? Gen Alpha Slang Explained

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