THE MOST POPULAR AI WORDS & INTERNET SLANG 2026

AI Agent, n. — A smart software system that performs tasks autonomously: answering customer questions, managing schedules, or controlling smart devices. Example: “Many companies now use AI agents to answer customer questions instantly.”

Brain Rot, n. — Spending excessive time consuming meaningless or repetitive online content – memes, short videos, or pointless scrolling. Used humorously. Example: “Watching random videos all night gave him brain rot.”

Cooked, adj. — Exhausted, defeated, or completely finished. Popular among students, gamers, and meme creators. Example: “After the exam, everyone felt cooked.”

Delulu, adj. — Slang for “delusional” – having unrealistic beliefs or fantasies, often in a humorous, self‑aware way. Popularised by TikTok and fan communities. Example: “She was delulu for believing the celebrity knew her personally.”

Mid, adj. — Average, mediocre, or not impressive. Originated from review culture and became a quick way to dismiss something online. Example: “The movie was mid according to online reviews.”

NPC, n. — Originally “Non‑Playable Character” in video games. Now used online to describe someone who acts without independent thought or blindly follows trends. Example: “People on social media used the word NPC in meme videos.”

Prompt Engineering, n. — Crafting effective instructions for AI models to get better, more accurate outputs. A crucial skill in the era of generative AI. Example: “He learned prompt engineering to create professional AI images.”

Rizz, n. — Charisma, charm, or flirting ability. Originated from “charisma” and became viral on social media, especially among Gen Z. Example: “He has serious rizz when talking to people.”

Sigma, n. & adj. — A “sigma male” is independent, confident, and self‑reliant – not following traditional social hierarchies. Popularised by online motivational content. Example: “Social media users called him a sigma male.”

Aura Farming, n. — Doing things mainly to look cool, powerful, or impressive online – often through staged photos, luxury displays, or curated lifestyles. Example: “He posted luxury photos just for aura farming.”