2021 slang
2021 was the year Among Us made sus mainstream, the year vibe shift entered the discourse, the year NFTs and crypto vocabulary briefly took over Twitter, and the year Wordle quietly launched.
It was also when main-character energy stabilized as a critical / aspirational frame, when simping became gendered shorthand, and when the early algospeak workarounds emerged on TikTok.
The 2021 lexicon ยท 43 terms
Bottom line
2021 vocabulary divides cleanly: the gaming/crypto-derived terms (sus, NFT) survived; the early TikTok confessionals (vibe shift, main character) flattened by 2024.
FAQ
What was the most viral slang of 2021?+
Sus (Among Us peak), main character (energy), simping, vibe shift, and the early NFT/crypto vocabulary that briefly took over Twitter. The first wave of algospeak (unalive) also matured this year.
What 2021 slang is still used?+
Sus and main character (energy) survive in 2026. Simping is still used but mostly ironically. Vibe shift had a brief revival. NFT-specific vocabulary mostly didn't survive 2022.
Where did 2021 slang come from?+
Among Us (sus), TikTok confessional content (main character energy), Twitch chat (simp/simping), and crypto Twitter. Algospeak emerged from creator workarounds for TikTok content moderation.
What 2021 slang aged badly?+
Main character energy is now used ironically more than sincerely. Vibe shift was always a journalism word more than a real slang term. NFT vocabulary survives only as a joke.
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