American Slang & Idioms Starting with "G"

170 entries

• G Short for gangster. A term of respect for someone who's tough, loyal, and rea...
• Gabagool Italian-American pronunciation of capicola, a type of cured meat.
• Gag me with a spoon An expression of disgust or disbelief — the quintessential Valley Girl phrase...
• Gagged Left speechless with shock, amazement, or admiration — so impressed or surpri...
• Gains Muscle growth and physical progress from working out.
• Gains goblin Anything that interferes with your muscle growth or fitness progress.
• Game changer Something or someone that fundamentally alters a situation, competition, or w...
• Game day The day of a college football or basketball game, treated as a campus-wide ev...
• Game on An enthusiastic declaration that a competition or challenge has begun.
• Game over It's finished; there's no more chance; the situation is hopeless.
• Game plan A strategy or plan of action for achieving a goal.
• Gangbanger An active member of a street gang.
• Gap year A year taken off between high school and college (or during college) for trav...
• Garage sale A sale of used household items held in the driveway or garage of a home.
• Gas Something excellent, exciting, or highly enjoyable.
• Gas guzzler A vehicle that consumes a lot of fuel, typically a large truck or SUV.
• Gas station A fueling station where drivers purchase gasoline for their vehicles.
• Gaslighting Manipulating someone into questioning their own reality, memory, or sanity.
• Gassing up Enthusiastically complimenting or hyping someone up to boost their confidence.
• Gastropub A bar or pub that serves high-quality, upscale food alongside craft drinks.
• Gatekeep To deliberately keep something exclusive by not sharing it with others — hoar...
• Gear up To prepare; to get ready for something; to equip yourself.
• Gearhead Someone obsessed with outdoor equipment and gear — always researching, buying...
• Geeked Very excited or enthusiastic, especially about something specific or nerdy.
• Gem Something or someone exceptionally valuable, special, or wonderful — often un...
• Gender reveal A party or event where expecting parents reveal the sex of their baby, often ...
• Get a grip Get control of yourself; stop panicking or being irrational.
• Get a life Stop wasting time on trivial things and do something meaningful.
• Get away clean To escape from a crime or situation without being caught or identified.
• Get down To dance, party, or have a good time with uninhibited energy.
• Get hitched Casual, slightly humorous way to say getting married, common in informal speech.
• Get in the game To start participating actively, to stop being passive and take action.
• Get it together To organize yourself, gain control of a situation, or stop being disorganized...
• Get off scot-free To escape punishment or consequences entirely.
• Get out of here An exclamation of disbelief meaning 'no way!' or 'you're kidding!' — not a li...
• Get outta here An exclamation of disbelief or amazement — equivalent to 'no way!' or 'you're...
• Get over it Telling someone to move on and stop dwelling on something.
• Get real Be honest with yourself; stop being delusional or unrealistic.
• Get schooled To be taught a lesson, usually by being decisively beaten or corrected by som...
• Get the axe To be fired from a job or to have a project or program eliminated.
• Get the bag To make money or seize a financial opportunity.
• Get the ball rolling To start something, to initiate action or progress.
• Get your ducks in a row To get organized; to prepare and arrange things properly before taking action.
• Get-together A casual, informal social gathering — smaller and more relaxed than a party.
• Getaway car A vehicle used to escape from the scene of a crime.
• Getting ready The process of preparing for a night out — showering, choosing an outfit, doi...
• Getting serious When a casual relationship starts becoming a committed, long-term partnership.
• Getup An outfit or ensemble, often one that's unusual, eye-catching, or worth comme...
• GG Good Game — said at the end of a match as a sign of sportsmanship, or used to...
• Ghost (disappear) To suddenly disappear without explanation; to cut off all contact.
• Ghost ride the whip To exit a slowly moving car and dance alongside or on top of it while it roll...
• Ghosted The past tense of ghosting — someone suddenly stopped all communication with ...
• Ghosting Suddenly cutting off all communication with someone without explanation.
• Ghostwriter Someone who writes songs, speeches, or content for another person who takes t...
• GI Joe A generic American soldier; also the famous action figure and media franchise.
• Gig A live performance or a job, especially a temporary or freelance one.
• Gig economy A labor market based on short-term, freelance, or contract work rather than p...
• Girl boss A woman who is ambitious, assertive, and successful in her career or business.
• Girl dad A father of daughters who embraces and celebrates the experience of raising g...
• Girl dinner An assembled plate of random snacks eaten as a full meal — often cheese, crac...
• Girl math Humorous mental gymnastics used to justify purchases or decisions — playful, ...
• Give (someone) space To allow someone time and distance alone, especially in a relationship, witho...
• Give me a break An expression of frustration or disbelief, meaning 'stop it,' 'that's ridicul...
• Give me a sec A casual request for a brief moment of time — 'wait just a second.'
• Give the cold shoulder To deliberately ignore or be unfriendly toward someone.
• Giving Emanating or exuding a particular impressive quality or aesthetic.
• Giving me life Something that brings you immense joy, energy, or excitement.
• Glammed up Made up in a glamorous, polished way — full hair, makeup, and dressy clothes.
• Glamper A person who goes glamping — enjoying outdoor experiences with luxury amenities.
• Glamping Glamorous camping — outdoor accommodation with luxury amenities like real bed...
• Glass ceiling An invisible barrier that prevents certain groups, especially women and minor...
• Glassy Smooth, windless ocean conditions where the water surface looks like glass — ...
• Glazing Excessively praising or flattering someone, often to a cringe-worthy degree.
• Glitch A malfunction, error, or unexpected problem, especially with technology.
• Glow down The opposite of a glow-up — a noticeable decline in someone's appearance over...
• Glow up A significant positive transformation in appearance, confidence, or life qual...
• Glow-up A dramatic positive transformation in someone's appearance, style, or overall...
• Gluten-free Food or diet that avoids gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
• Gnarly Impressively extreme, intense, or awesome — especially in action sports conte...
• Go ballistic To become extremely angry; to lose control with rage.
• Go big or go home Either give maximum effort or don't bother; commit fully or quit.
• Go crazy To do something exceptionally well or to fully commit to an activity with imp...
• Go dark To suddenly stop all online communication and social media activity.
• Go dumb To let loose and act wild, especially while dancing or partying — a Bay Area ...
• Go Dutch To split a bill so that each person pays for their own meal or drinks.
• Go figure An expression of irony or surprise, meaning 'can you believe that?' or 'who w...
• Go for it Encouragement to try something or take action — 'do it' or 'give it a shot.'
• Go off An encouragement meaning 'speak your truth' or 'express yourself passionately.'
• Go straight To stop engaging in criminal activity and live a law-abiding life.
• Go the distance To complete something fully, endure to the end, or see something through.
• Go the extra mile To make more effort than expected; to do more than what is required.
• Go to bat for To defend or support someone; to advocate on their behalf.
• Go viral When content spreads rapidly across the internet, reaching a massive audience...
• Goals Something so admirable or desirable that it represents what you aspire to.
• GOAT Greatest of All Time — the absolute best in a particular field.
• Goated Being the greatest of all time in something — the adjective form of GOAT.
• Goes hard Something that is intensely good, powerful, or impressive.
• Going ballistic Reacting with extreme, explosive anger — completely losing your temper in a d...
• Going commando Humorous slang meaning not wearing underwear, used jokingly in casual convers...
• Going off Expressing strong emotion loudly and passionately — can be anger (going off o...
• Going out out Going out to bars and clubs for a big night, as opposed to casually going out...
• Going to Tahoe Heading to Lake Tahoe for skiing, snowboarding, or summer recreation — a Cali...
• Gold digger A person who pursues romantic relationships primarily for their partner's mon...
• Goldbricker A person who avoids work or shirks their duties while appearing busy.
• Golden Perfect, ideal, or in an excellent situation.
• Golden child The favorite child in a family who can seemingly do no wrong in their parents...
• Golden era The peak or best period of a genre, movement, or cultural moment.
• Golden hour The period shortly after sunrise or before sunset when natural light is warm ...
• Golden parachute A large severance package guaranteed to top executives if they lose their pos...
• Gonna A casual contraction of 'going to,' used universally in spoken American English.
• Good looks Thank you; thanks for looking out. An expression of gratitude for a favor or ...
• Good ol' boy A friendly, easygoing Southern man, typically from a rural background, who em...
• Good to go Ready, prepared, or all set to proceed.
• Good vibes A positive, enjoyable atmosphere or feeling at a social gathering.
• Good vibes only A motto declaring that only positive energy and attitudes are welcome.
• Goodness gracious An exclamation of surprise, shock, or dismay — a genteel alternative to profa...
• Goofy Silly, foolish, or behaving in a playfully ridiculous way.
• Google it To look something up on the internet, typically using Google.
• Goombah A close friend or companion; in Italian-American culture, a trusted associate...
• Got game Having strong social skills and charisma, especially when it comes to attract...
• Got played To be deceived or manipulated by someone, especially in a romantic context.
• Got the juice Has influence, power, respect, or social capital. Someone with the juice has ...
• Got your six I've got your back; I'm watching out for you.
• Gotcha A casual contraction of 'got you,' meaning 'I understand' or 'I caught you.'
• Gotta A casual contraction of 'got to' or 'have got to,' expressing necessity or ob...
• GPA Grade Point Average — a numerical measure of academic performance on a 4.0 sc...
• Grab a bite Casual slang for getting a quick, informal meal, often on the go.
• Grade grubber A student who constantly argues with teachers for extra points or higher grades.
• Grade on a curve To adjust test scores relative to the class average, so that grades are distr...
• Grand slam An overwhelming, complete success; the best possible outcome.
• Granular Very detailed and specific, broken down into the smallest components.
• Gratitude journal A journal where you write things you are grateful for, used as a mental healt...
• Gravel grinding Cycling on unpaved gravel roads, often over long distances.
• Graveyard shift The overnight work shift, typically from around midnight to 8 AM.
• Gravy train An easy, ongoing source of money or benefits requiring little effort.
• Grease bomb An extremely greasy, unhealthy food item.
• Greasy spoon A cheap, no-frills diner or restaurant that serves basic, often greasy food.
• Greek life The system of fraternities and sororities at American colleges, named for the...
• Greek Row A street or area on campus where fraternity and sorority houses are concentra...
• Greek Week An annual campus event where fraternities and sororities compete in themed ac...
• Green flag A positive sign in a person's behavior that suggests they would be a good par...
• Green juice A health drink made from blended green vegetables like kale, spinach, and cel...
• Greenbacks US paper currency (dollar bills), referring to the green ink on the back.
• Gridlock A severe traffic jam where vehicles are completely stuck and unable to move i...
• Grifter A con artist or swindler who makes money through deception.
• Grillin' Staring at someone intensely, often in a confrontational or intimidating way.
• Grind Persistent, hard work, especially repetitive or demanding effort toward a goal.
• Grinder A long sandwich on a roll — the Connecticut and parts of New England term for...
• Grits A Southern American porridge made from ground corn, served as a breakfast sta...
• Grody Gross, disgusting, or revolting — classic Valley Girl slang from the 1980s.
• Grom A young surfer, typically a kid or teenager — short for 'grommet.'
• Groovy Cool, excellent, or having a great rhythm — a retro term that has cycled back...
• Grossed out Feeling disgusted, revolted, or nauseated by something unpleasant.
• Ground zero The exact point of impact; the center or origin of something.
• Groupie A devoted fan who follows a band or celebrity around, often seeking a persona...
• Grub Food, especially hearty or basic food.
• Grungy A deliberately messy, worn-in fashion style inspired by 1990s grunge music cu...
• Grunt An infantry soldier; someone who does the hard, unglamorous work.
• Guap Street slang for a large amount of money, common in hip-hop culture.
• Guardrails Boundaries, guidelines, or constraints put in place to prevent problems.
• Gucci Good, fine, cool. Everything is okay.
• Guilty pleasure Something you enjoy but feel embarrassed about admitting because it's conside...
• Gully Tough, rugged, or from the streets; authentically hard and unrefined.
• Gully-washer An extremely heavy rainstorm; a torrential downpour.
• Gung ho Extremely enthusiastic and eager, sometimes overly so.
• Gut health The balance and function of microorganisms in the digestive tract.
• Gwop Hip-hop and street slang for a large sum of money, a variant of 'guap.'
• Gyatt An exclamation of attraction or amazement, typically in response to an attrac...
• Gym bro A male gym-goer who embodies stereotypical gym culture.
• Gym rat Someone who spends an excessive amount of time at the gym.