United States

American Slang for Emotion & Reaction

5 American slang terms for emotion & reaction, each with its meaning, how it is pronounced and an example of it in use.

Surprise, exasperation, delight, disbelief. Often interjections rather than nouns — words that do something rather than name something.

phrase · Informal

Affects you in a particular, heightened way — usually because of timing or context rather than the thing itself.

adjective · Informal

Bothered, worked up, disproportionately invested in something. 'Why are you so pressed about it?'

adjective · Informal

Bitter or resentful, usually about something small, and usually in a way the speaker finds funny.

noun, verb · Informal

The feeling or atmosphere of a person, place or thing. 'The vibe was off.'

+2 more senses

adjective · Informal

Remarkable, outrageous, hard to believe. Standing alone as a reaction — 'that's wild' — it is the default American response to any surprising story.