American Slang & Idioms Starting with "W"

83 entries

• W A win — used to celebrate a success, achievement, or positive outcome.
• Wack Something terrible, stupid, or of extremely poor quality.
• Waiting on line Standing in a queue — New Yorkers say 'on line' where the rest of America say...
• Wake-up call A jarring event that forces you to realize you need to change something.
• Walk of shame Walking home in the morning after spending the night at someone else's place,...
• Walk-up An apartment building without an elevator, requiring tenants to walk up the s...
• Wanderlust A strong desire to travel and explore the world.
• Wanna A casual contraction of 'want to,' standard in spoken American English.
• Wannabe A person who tries to be something they're not, especially someone who imitat...
• War room A dedicated room or space where a team works intensively on a critical projec...
• Warsh The Midwestern pronunciation of 'wash,' with an intrusive R sound.
• Washed Past your prime, no longer relevant or as good as you used to be.
• Wasted Extremely drunk to the point of being barely functional.
• Watch your six Watch your back; be aware of danger behind you.
• Water cooler talk Casual conversation and gossip shared among coworkers, typically about non-wo...
• Watered down Diluted, weakened — literally or figuratively.
• Waterfall hike A hike specifically chosen because it leads to a waterfall as the destination.
• Wavy Cool, trendy, stylish, or vibing. Having a smooth, effortless coolness.
• Way An informal intensifier meaning 'much' or 'far' — used to amplify comparisons.
• We outside We're out and about, having fun, and living life. An announcement that you're...
• Weak sauce Something disappointing, pathetic, or insufficiently impressive.
• Wear a wire To secretly carry a recording device, usually for law enforcement.
• Wedding crasher Someone who attends a wedding without being invited.
• Weirded out Feeling uncomfortable or strange about something that doesn't feel right but ...
• Weirdo A strange or eccentric person — someone who doesn't conform to normal behavior.
• Well drink A cocktail made with the cheapest house liquor stored in the bartender's well.
• Well-off Financially comfortable; having enough money to live without worry.
• Well, butter my biscuit An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.
• Well, I declare An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.
• Wellness A holistic approach to health encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual we...
• Werk An exclamation of encouragement when someone is showing off their look, style...
• West coast, best coast A tongue-in-cheek declaration that the West Coast (especially California) is ...
• WFH Acronym for 'Work From Home,' referring to remote work.
• Whack Bad, messed up, unfair, or out of line — something that is wrong or unaccepta...
• What exit? The classic question New Jerseyans ask to determine where someone is from, re...
• What it do A casual greeting meaning 'what's up' or 'how's it going.'
• What's good A casual greeting meaning 'what's up?' or a question about what's recommended.
• What's poppin' A casual greeting meaning 'what's going on?' or 'what's happening?'
• What's the deal A casual question meaning 'what's going on?' or 'what's the situation?'
• What's up A casual greeting meaning 'hello' or 'how are you?' — often not expecting a d...
• Whatever An expression of indifference, dismissal, or resigned acceptance.
• When pigs fly Something that will never happen; an impossibility.
• Where the rubber meets the road The point where theory becomes practice, where something is actually tested i...
• Whip A car, especially a nice or flashy one.
• Whip up To quickly prepare a meal or dish.
• Whipped Being so in love with or devoted to a partner that you do whatever they want ...
• Whirlwind romance A passionate, fast-moving love affair that develops very quickly.
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot The NATO phonetic alphabet spelling of WTF — expressing shock or disbelief.
• Whitewater rafting Navigating an inflatable raft through river rapids for recreation.
• Who hurt you? A dramatic or humorous question implying someone's behavior stems from past t...
• Whole foods Unprocessed, unrefined foods in their natural state.
• Why tho A bewildered question asking why something exists, happened, or was done.
• Wicked Very; extremely — a quintessential New England intensifier, especially associ...
• Wifed up To have settled down with a serious girlfriend or wife — no longer single or ...
• Wifey An affectionate term for a girlfriend or female partner, implying she has wif...
• Wig snatched To be so amazed, shocked, or impressed that it feels like your wig has been b...
• Wilco Will comply — I have received your message and will act on it.
• Wild card An unpredictable person or element that could change the outcome of a situation.
• Wild goose chase A pointless, hopeless pursuit; a search that leads nowhere.
• Wildfire season The annual period of elevated wildfire risk, typically summer and fall in the...
• Wildflower season The annual period when wildflowers bloom across landscapes, drawing visitors ...
• Wildin' Acting crazy, outrageous, or out of control. Behaving in an extreme or reckle...
• Wind chill The 'feels like' temperature accounting for wind — a Midwest obsession.
• Wine country The Napa Valley and Sonoma County wine-producing regions north of San Francis...
• Wine mom A mother who humorously relies on wine to cope with the stresses of parenting.
• Wine o'clock A humorous way of saying it's time to drink wine, usually to unwind after a s...
• Wing it To improvise or do something without preparation or planning.
• Wingman A friend who helps you meet and attract potential romantic partners in social...
• Wings Chicken wing pieces served as a popular American appetizer or snack, usually ...
• Wiped out Extremely tired, physically exhausted, or completely drained of energy.
• Wipeout Falling off a surfboard, and more broadly, any spectacular failure or crash.
• Wired Feeling anxious, jittery, and unable to relax — often from too much caffeine ...
• Wiseguy A smart aleck who makes sarcastic remarks; also slang for a member of the Mafia.
• Wishy-washy Unable to make decisions or take a firm stance — lacking conviction or backbone.
• Woke Aware of and attentive to social injustice, especially regarding racial inequ...
• Woo-woo Beliefs or practices considered unscientific, mystical, or pseudoscientific.
• Word An expression of agreement, affirmation, or surprise. 'Really?' or 'That's tr...
• Work wife / Work husband A close colleague you spend so much time with at work that your relationship ...
• Workaholic A person who compulsively works excessively long hours and has difficulty sto...
• Worked up Emotionally agitated, upset, or excited to a point of visible distress or int...
• Wound up Tense, stressed, or agitated — like a spring that's been tightly coiled.
• Wrap your head around To understand or come to terms with something difficult or surprising.
• Wylin' Acting wild, crazy, or out of control; doing something bold or reckless.