Contenders for the esteemed "Youth Word of the Year" recognition have been announced
The hunt for the next "Youth Word of the Year" is underway, with young people across the globe eagerly participating in the annual competition. Initiated by Langenscheidt Publishers in 2008, this exciting event aims to capture the evolving language and culture of the youth.
However, as of now, there are no officially announced top 10 finalists for the Youth Word of the Year 2025. Despite this, we can look to recent trends in teen slang and past competitions to predict potential contenders.
Some of the popular slang terms that have emerged in 2025 include:
- Cheugy: Describing something outdated or trying too hard.
- Clapback: A sharp, witty comeback.
- Cooked: Exhausted or doomed.
- Crash out: To get upset unnecessarily.
- Cray cray: Crazy.
- Cringe: Feeling embarrassed.
- Crossfaded: Drunk and high simultaneously.
- Curve: Rejecting romantic advances.
- Xan: Slang for Xanax.
- YAAS: An enthusiastic yes.
- Yeet: To throw something forcefully.
As the competition progresses, we can expect these words, along with other culturally relevant expressions, to make the shortlist.
Young people can cast their votes for their favourite words on jugendwort.de from July 29. The top 3 words will be announced on September 9, with the final announcement taking place on October 18 at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Previous winners have included words that encapsulate the zeitgeist of their respective years, such as "Swag" for coolness, "Yolo" ("You only live once"), and "Babo" (boss). Other notable terms include "Tuff," a modified spelling of "tough," which describes something as crazy, cool, or impressive, and "Aura," which highlights a person's charisma.
While we await the official announcement of the top 10 finalists, it's an exciting time to explore the vibrant and ever-evolving language of the youth. Stay tuned for updates on this year's competition!
- Community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the annual community policy regarding the Youth Word of the Year competition.
- Vocational training programs can help young people better understand and relate to terms used in the competition, enhancing their participation.
- The dynamic and diverse world of fashion-and-beauty provides rich sources of inspiration for new slang terms that might emerge in the competition.
- Food-and-drink trends often influence the way young people communicate, providing potential concepts for competition contenders.
- In the realm of relationships, new terms may arise to describe unique experiences or emotions, making them intriguing candidates for the competition.
- Pets and their quirks may inspire slang terms that resonate with the youth, increasing their chances of appearing in the competition.
- Travel experiences can shape the way young people perceive and communicate with each other, potentially leading to intriguing slang terms in the competition.
- Cars increasingly become a part of the youth's lifestyle, and new slang terms related to them could make a splash in the competition.
- Books and literature often serve as a backdrop for the creation of fresh and innovative words, making them potential sources for competition slang.
- Education-and-self-development resources can help young people identify and choose the right words to represent their personal growth.
- Personal-growth encourages young people to explore their identities and emotions, leading to the creation of engaging slang terms for the competition.
- Big-wins in various fields can inspire new slang terms that capture the youth's excitement, making them potential contestants in the competition.
- Shopping habits and trends can influence the slang terms that young people use, making them relevant to the Youth Word of the Year competition.
- Social media platforms, with their ability to connect people across the globe, facilitate the quick spread of slang terms, making them viable candidates for competition consideration.
- Movies-and-TV shows can popularize new slang terms, increasing their chances of being nominated for the Youth Word of the Year competition.
- Career-development and advancement can lead to the creation of new slang terms, offering potential entries for the competition.
- Casino-and-gambling has a strong influence on pop culture and could inspire intriguing slang terms for the Youth Word of the Year competition.
- Casino-games, and the culture surrounding them, can generate novel slang terms that might find their way into the competition.
- Lotteries and their associated jargon can offer fresh slang terms for the Youth Word of the Year competition, providing a unique perspective.
- Las Vegas - the entertainment capital - might inspire slang terms that encapsulate its glamorous and exciting atmosphere, making them attractive for the competition.
- Gambling trends, both online and offline, can result in the creation of clever slang terms that respond to the zeitgeist and could be considered for the competition.
- Casino personalities, with their larger-than-life personas and unique phrases, can inadvertently impact the Youth Word of the Year competition through their expressions.
- Entertainment, celebrities, music, sports, weather, sci-fi-and-fantasy, crime-and-justice, and general news events all offer potential sources of inspiration for fresh slang terms in the Youth Word of the Year competition.
