Online hatred, destructive criticism, or negative comments aimed at someone on the internet. Borrowed directly from English, widely used by Argentine youth to describe cyberbullying or virtual rejection.

Dough stuffed with meat, chicken, cheese, or whatever you can think of, fried or baked to perfection. Every country has their own version and everyone swears theirs are the best.

A person with emotionally damaging behaviors: manipulation, extreme jealousy, control, and constant drama. Being tóxico is the biggest red flag in dating.

Something cheap, low-quality, tacky, and clearly not worth the money. In Argentina, pichicata describes anything that's obviously bargain-bin material and falls apart on first use.

Marbles or small glass spheres that kids play with on the ground. In Argentina and Uruguay, bolitas is the go-to word for the same game called canicas in Mexico.

To intentionally forget something, dismiss its importance, and actively choose not to carry the burden of it, often as a means of moving on or starting anew.

An attractive young man with good looks or a great physique. In Argentina and Uruguay, flete refers to someone whose physical presence draws attention and admiration from others.

Boldness, audacity, or confidence to do or say things without hesitation or filters. This is a striking quality.

Abbreviation for "not gonna lie." Used to introduce a sincere, sometimes uncomfortable or unexpected opinion. Widely used across Spanish-speaking social media.

Sounds like the English letters "I-D-K." Short for "I don't know," used constantly in chats to answer with genuine uncertainty or lazy indifference.

Something that was posted on Twitter/X and became public for the whole world to see and judge. Once a message is "tuiteado," there is no taking it back, because the internet never forgets and never forgives. Used across all Spanish speaking countries as the standard verb for tweeting.

A person who desperately seeks approval and attention from the opposite sex by trying to seem different or special. The classic 'I'm not like the others' that everyone can spot from a mile away.

Short for "what you doing," a quick text opener equivalent to "what are you up to?" Often used to start a conversation, sometimes with ulterior motives when sent late at night.

Short for "never mind." Used across the Spanish-speaking internet to withdraw something you said or cancel a question. Exact same meaning as the English original.

Borrowed from English "on God," used across Spanish-speaking countries to swear that something is completely true. The equivalent of "I swear" or "no joke."

To play like a coward in video games: hiding, camping, or avoiding direct fights. In gaming, 'ratear' is the strategy of those who prefer surviving over actually fighting.

To make the most of a situation, resource, or person. Someone who sabe sacar provecho (knows how to capitalize) never lets a good opportunity go to waste, and can even turn a bad situation into a win.

Borrowed from English slang, meaning "dead serious" or "for real." Used to stress that you're not joking at all. Widely used across Spanish-speaking social media.

Unconditional support, endurance, or diehard fan energy in Uruguayan and Argentinian Spanish. "Te banco" and "te hago el aguante" are synonyms for "I support you no matter what." The word has a double life: in soccer it's the fanatic backing of supporters ("aguante Peñarol"), and personally it's loyalty to friends in tough moments. A Rioplatense identity concept.

A vulgar but extremely common expression in Argentina and Chile meaning 'no way' or 'impossible.' When something is 'ni cagando,' it's not happening even if you got paid for it, period.

To fall short of expectations, to underdeliver after a lot of buildup. Across Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Spain, when something or someone "queda a deber," the gap between what was promised and what actually happened is painfully obvious.

A Uruguayan, Argentinian, and Peruvian verb with double use. In the Río de la Plata it means to make out or have a quick romantic hookup: "chapé con una piba en el boliche" means I made out with a girl at the club. In Peru it also means "to catch" or "finally understand." Context defines everything. A youthful word, weekend-tagged, with casual tone between friends swapping night stories.

When a program, app, or video game glitches and behaves erratically and unexpectedly. Also used for people who get confused, freeze up, or act weird as if their brain just crashed.

A neighborhood tough who struts around acting brave and threatening but has nothing real behind the posturing. In Argentine and Uruguayan lunfardo, the compadrito is a classic figure tied to early tango culture: the flashy brawler who intimidates on his block but is ultimately all swagger and no substance.

To drop or release something new into the world: music, a video game item, a product, or digital content. It's the gamer and music anglicism used for any hyped-up launch.

A phrase of calm resignation used across Spanish-speaking countries to accept something bad that cannot be changed and move on without overthinking it. Borrowed directly from English.

An expression for raining brutally hard, as if buckets were being dumped from the sky. It's the Latin equivalent of 'raining cats and dogs,' and when it actually rains a cántaros, no umbrella in the world is enough to keep you dry. You just give up and accept that you're soaked.

To mooch, bum things off others, or borrow money with no real intention of paying it back. Someone who manguea is a professional freeloader who always has an excuse ready and relies on others' generosity.

Someone who frequents the milonga and dances tango regularly. Also describes someone who overcomplicates things or talks around the point, meaning depends entirely on context in the Río de la Plata.

A person who watches over parked cars on the street in exchange for tips in Argentina. Named after the rag (trapito) they wave to guide drivers into spots, an informal, quintessentially Argentine job.