As we work on improving our communication skills with robots, another language has been developing.
Through the last year, that has become my biggest AI take-away. We have to be very clear, very specific and very good at knowing our facts so we can give AI foolproof instructions and be very sure robots are not making up information on their own or using an unreliable source to please, impress or distract us while they secretly plot to take over the world.
As we work on improving our communication skills with robots, another language has been developing. So, here we are in January 2026, striving to work effectively with robots, and Generation Zs have created their own code of sorts, used among themselves, which baffles Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers and is something that we hope evolved, sinister robots will never do!
Recently, I’ve become determined to crack the code and I’m happy to know Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is already on this. Here are some new vocabulary words you likely will hear or see in this new year.
“Delulu” is a good one. It is a variation of “delusional.” Why do we need a variation? No older adult can answer this, but the word on the street and TikTok is that delulu is an adjective, meaning holding unrealistic beliefs. Here’s how you use it in a sentence: “Don’t be delulu about using ridiculous words in Scrabble, an ancient board game popular among Boomers.”
“Rizz” is new word that I actually like. It is short for “charisma,” a noun meaning charm, style or attractiveness, often used like this: “That Boomer is loaded with rizz!”
“Dumbphone” makes a lot of sense to me. It’s the opposite of a smartphone. Use it like this: “A lot of Boomers are nostalgic about their flip phones of the early 2000s, but these are classic dumbphones and if you still have one, it’s definitely time for an upgrade because every generation is laughing at you.”
“6-7” is expressed with the use of hand gestures. When a Gen Z uses this, you may notice both hands, palms facing toward the sky, moving up and down alternately as if weighing something. Some interpret 6-7 as rating something as “so-so,” others, however, believe it’s a good thing, even a compliment! Until we can have more clarity on 6-7, I suggest we refrain from using it or we may insult ourselves or others. For example: “Wow, that tennis serve was so 6-7!”
“Hard pass” is a phrase that has infiltrated mainstream conversation. It means to reject something significantly. Here’s a conversation I hope will be helpful. Speaker A: “My nieces use a lot of crazy words. Is it really worth hurting my brain to try to follow what they are saying?” Speaker B: “No. Definitely not. Take a hard pass.”
“Skibidi,” I’m convinced, was designed simply to throw the other generations off. Reportedly, skibidi can mean both “cool” or “bad,” which means its use must be handled with care, like this: “That made-up word is super confusing and completely skibidi!”
It should be noted that research for this column was inspired, in part, by an online source called “Word Smarts” and writer Rachel Gresh. It was largely supported, however, by Boomer and Gen X grandparents, aunts and uncles who were struggling to communicate with their younger relatives during the holidays. FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
Bonnie Stevens is the editor of FBN. She is a career journalist and public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
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