11 Common Slang words – IELTS Speaking

Here are a few slang words that are commonly used in IELTS Speaking and recognized in English dictionaries, like Oxford and Cambridge:

Hooked [on Something] (Adjective) Enjoying something so much that you are unable to stop having it, watching it, doing it, etc. Example: I’ve been really hooked on that new Netflix show called Queen’s Gambit. Chill (Adjective) Chill means relaxed – synonymous with / laid-back / or / easy-going /. Example: We’re a lot more chill about this than our parents were. The bar has a pretty chill vibe and the service is great.

Shoot the breeze (Phrase) to spend time talking about things that are not important: Example: We spent the whole afternoon shooting the breeze.

[to] Screw up – (verb) to do very badly or fail at something: Example: “That test was my last chance to save my grades and I screwed up.”

Rip-off (Noun) This word is often used to refer to an item (or service) that is unreasonably overpriced, compared to its true value. Example: “Charging 500.000 dong for a bowl of Phở is such a rip-off”.

[to] Rack one’s brain (Phrase) This phrase means trying to think, to remember something. Example: “Regarding the specifics of the event, I do not remember the exact details now so I might need to rack my brain for just a bit.”

Viral (Adjective) The phrase / to go viral / when used for something, a phenomenon, like in structure / something + go viral /, the thing mentioned here is gaining in popularity quickly. Example: “The film trailer went viral on Facebook and Youtube within 24 hours of its release”

All-nighter (Noun) Used fully in / to pull an all-nighter / – refers to staying up all night. Example: “I pulled 3 all-nighters straight during the week of my finals”

Hype (noun) Used heavily in street Hip-hop, / hype / means the hype of popularity following a trend (usually the short term). Over time, this word has been used to refer to anything that generates a lot of excitement and anticipation, from movies to clothes, etc. Example: “There is a lot of hype around the release of those brand new Nike sneakers”.

Vibe (noun) This word is mainly used in today’s youth to refer to an atmosphere, properties, energy that something brings – usually an immaterial thing, like a song, a space or a love. situations. Example: “This song is giving me some positive vibes.”

Hang out (verb) Example: I’m gonna hang out with my best friend this weekend. We should hang out some time.