Rad
Excellent, exciting. Short for radical.
- Origin: skateboard slang; Green’s earliest listed citation is from 1977
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Gen X (born 1965–1980). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
Rad means excellent, exciting or extremely good. Cambridge Dictionary labels it slang and defines it as “extremely exciting or good.” It is short for radical, and it keeps some of that word’s sense of going to the edge: a rad trick takes nerve as well as skill.
Where it comes from
Green’s Dictionary of Slang marks rad as originally American teen slang. Its earliest listed citation is dated 1977: a Los Angeles Times glossary of skateboard talk that defines radical as “Getting crazy on your [skate]board” and notes that rad was the shorter form more people used.
Green’s also records it as a general intensifier, “extreme, excessive, very much, excellent, the best,” so rad could mean more than just cool.
Who says it now
The translator files rad under Gen X, many of whom were children or teenagers in the late 1970s and 1980s. In our observation it has stayed in use, now reads as warm and slightly retro, and is not limited to one age group.
Tone
Casual and enthusiastic, and not rude in its slang sense. It is less often ironic than groovy; in most uses, people who say rad mean it. It is probably too informal for a work email but fine in most casual settings.
What adults hear, what kids mean
Parents who grew up in the 1980s may hear their own childhood in it. Some kids hear it as a parent word, a little dorky but friendly. When a Gen X parent says “That’s rad,” a kid may roll their eyes, and the compliment may land anyway.
How to use it
Rad works best as a quick reaction (“Rad!”) or before a noun (“a rad bike”). Dictionary.com also lists the comparative forms radder and raddest, though you will hear them less often.
Two examples, written by us:
- You built that half-pipe yourself? That is rad.
- We found a rad little record shop on the way home.
How to answer it
Rad is usually praise, so “Thanks!” works. Looking for the newer equivalents? On the Slang-o-matic wheel the same idea is fire for Gen Z and valid for Gen Alpha.
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Rad under Gen X for the idea of excellent. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
Related slang
- Groovy (Boomers): Excellent, pleasing or very fashionable.
- Kick it (Gen X): To relax and hang out, usually with friends.
- Lit (Millennials): Exciting, excellent. Also has an older meaning: drunk.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Cambridge Dictionary
“extremely exciting or good”
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“a general intensifier; extreme, excessive, very much, excellent, the best”
“1977 L.A. Times 21 Sept. IV16/1: Radical: Getting crazy on your [skate]board”