‘Polyester’: Understanding Gen Z’s new favourite insult (and why it’s a good thing)

'Rizz', 'Delulu', 'Locked In', 'Glow Up', 'FRFR', 'Aura Farming'...

It can be hard keeping up with the latest Gen Z slang. While it’s hardly new that every generation develops its own jargon and expressions, the difference with Gen Z and Gen Alpha comes down to speed. Their lingo can go from niche to worldwide viral in a metter of days through social media, and if you’re not au fait with the latest expression, you risk reaching ‘Unc’ status - a Gen Z abbreviation for ‘uncle’ which mocks a person perceived as uncool and out of touch with modern trends.

(Speaking of which, 'FRFR' stands for ‘For Real, For Real’.)

The latest term which has been going viral on TikTok and various social media platforms is ‘polyester’.

It doesn’t directly refer to the synthetic polymer (or does it?) but has become a new way to call something generic, inauthentic, or even try-hard.