Have you ever heard English words so often that you think you understand them. But actually don’t know their real meaning? In everyday life, many popular English words are used in social media, school, games, and conversations. Surprisingly, some of them are often misunderstood by students.
Here are 30 popular English words and expressions that are actually around us every day!
Word = Real Meaning in Indonesian
- Random = Acak/ tidak terduga
- Crush = Orang yang disukai
- Literally = Secara harfiah
- Cancel = Membatalkan
- Toxic = Beracun / membawa pengaruh buruk
- Flexing = Pamer
- Ghosting = Menghilang tanpa kabar
- Healing = Menenangkan diri / refreshing
- Drama = Konflik berlebihan
- Secure = Aman / percaya diri
- Mood = Suasana hati
- Relate = Merasa terhubung
- Introvert = Suka menyendiri
- Extrovert = Suka Bersosialisasi
- Fake = Palsu / tidak tulus
- Salty = Kesal / tersinggung
- Triggered = Terpancing emosi
- Awkward = Canggung
- Vibes = Suasana / energi
- Deep = Bermakna
- Spam = Mengirimkan berlebihan
- Roast = Mengejek dengan lucu
- Savage = Sangat berani / kejam dalam candaan
- Deadline = Batas waktu
- Worth it = Sepadan
- Overthinking = Terlalu banyak berpikir
- Bestie = Sahabat dekat
- Reminder = Pengingat
- Typo = Salah ketik
- Respect = Menghormati
Language experts explaon that English words become popular because of movies, music, games, and especially social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Many ternagers use these words every day without realizing their otiginal meanings.
According to linguistics studies, language is always changing and adapting to modern culture. That is why new slang and expressions continue to appeaper every year. Some words even change meaning depending on how young people use them online.
Learning popular vocabulary can help students improve their English skills while also understanding internet culture more wisely. But remember not every trendy word is appropriate for formal situations like school presentations or academic writing.
So, how many of these words did you already know correctly?