This list includes 50 Slang words that start with R, from “Rack” to “Runaround”. You’ll find regional terms, internet-born phrases, and colloquialisms used in casual speech.
Slang words that start with R are informal or playful vocabulary items beginning with the letter R. Many reflect music scenes, local dialects, or online culture and sometimes enter mainstream usage.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Meaning, Region, Register, Example, and Source.
Word: The slang entry itself, shown as the headword so you can scan and find terms quickly.
Meaning: Concise one-sentence definition that helps you grasp the core sense and typical use of the slang.
Region: Main geographic origin or common area of use, so you know where the word is most natural.
Register: Notes whether the term is informal, pejorative, playful, or vulgar, to guide appropriate use.
Example: One short sentence showing the slang in context so you see natural usage and tone.
Source: Brief attribution such as year, corpus, or media where the usage appears, to help your further checking.
Slang words that start with R
| Slang | Meaning | Part of speech | Region/Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rizz | Charisma or charm; skill in seduction. | noun | Global/Gen Z/Online slang |
| Rad | Excellent, cool, or awesome. | adjective | US/Dated (80s-90s), revived |
| Roast | To humorously and harshly mock or insult someone. | verb | Global/Online slang |
| Racks | Thousands of dollars, typically in cash. | noun | US/AAVE/Hip-hop |
| Ratchet | Classless, trashy, or of very low quality. | adjective | US/AAVE/Pejorative |
| Rage | To party with wild, unrestrained enthusiasm. | verb | US/Youth slang |
| Rager | A large, wild, out-of-control party. | noun | US/Youth slang |
| Ride | A person’s car or other vehicle. | noun | US/Global/Informal |
| Ride or die | An extremely loyal person who will support you through anything. | noun/phrase | US/AAVE/Affectionate |
| Ripped | Having highly visible, well-defined muscles. | adjective | Global/Informal |
| Ripped | Heavily intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. | adjective | Global/Informal |
| Rookie | A beginner, novice, or first-year player on a sports team. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Rando | A random, unknown, or weird person. | noun | US/Online slang |
| Ratio | To receive more replies than likes, indicating widespread disapproval. | verb/noun | Global/Online slang |
| Real talk | A phrase indicating a shift to a serious, honest conversation. | phrase | US/AAVE/Informal |
| Reckon | To think, believe, or suppose something. | verb | UK/AUS/Southern US/Informal |
| Reem | Cool, stylish, or excellent. | adjective | UK/Youth slang |
| Rep | Short for reputation. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Right | An intensifier meaning “very” or “extremely.” | adverb | UK/Informal |
| Riding shotgun | Sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle. | phrase | US/Global/Informal |
| Rip-off | Something that is overpriced or a poor value for money. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Roadman | A young person involved in UK street culture. | noun | UK/Youth slang |
| Rock | To wear or display something with style and confidence. | verb | Global/Informal |
| Roll deep | To arrive or travel somewhere with a large group of friends. | phrase | US/AAVE/Informal |
| Roomie | A roommate. | noun | Global/Informal/Affectionate |
| Root | To have sexual intercourse. | verb | AUS/NZ/Vulgar |
| Rooted | Broken, tired, or in a hopeless situation. | adjective | AUS/NZ/Informal |
| Ropey | Of poor quality or feeling unwell. | adjective | UK/Informal |
| Round the bend | Crazy, mad, or eccentric. | phrase | UK/Informal |
| Rubbish | Nonsense, or something of very poor quality. | noun/interjection | UK/AUS/NZ/Informal |
| Rug rat | A baby or small child, especially one that crawls. | noun | US/Global/Humorous |
| Rumbled | To be discovered or found out for something deceptive. | verb | UK/Informal |
| Rack | A bed, typically in a military or institutional setting. | noun | US/Military slang |
| Rack up | To accumulate a large number of something (e.g., points, debt). | verb phrase | Global/Informal |
| Rain check | A promise to accept an offer at a later time. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Rat | A traitor or informant who betrays a group. | noun | Global/Pejorative |
| Rattled | Nervous, flustered, or agitated. | adjective | Global/Informal |
| Red-hot | Creating a lot of excitement or demand. | adjective | Global/Informal |
| Redneck | A derogatory term for a rural, working-class white person. | noun | US/Pejorative |
| Reefer | Marijuana; a marijuana cigarette. | noun | Global/Dated drug slang |
| Riff-raff | Disreputable or undesirable people. | noun | Global/Dated/Pejorative |
| Right as rain | Perfectly fine, healthy, or correct. | phrase | UK/Global/Informal |
| Ringer | A highly skilled person deceptively entered into a competition. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Rock bottom | The lowest, most desperate point in a situation. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Roll with the punches | To adapt to difficult or unexpected challenges. | phrase | Global/Informal |
| Rotgut | Cheap, poor-quality alcoholic liquor. | noun | Global/Informal/Pejorative |
| Rubberneck | To slow down and stare at an accident or commotion. | verb | US/Global/Informal |
| Rube | An unsophisticated person from a rural area. | noun | US/Dated/Pejorative |
| Runaround | Deceptive or evasive treatment that avoids a direct answer. | noun | Global/Informal |
| Rowdy | Noisy, disorderly, and boisterous. | adjective | Global/Informal |
Descriptions
Rizz
A very popular term, short for “charisma,” it refers to someone’s ability to effortlessly attract others.
Rad
This classic term, short for “radical,” had a huge resurgence and is often used sincerely or ironically.
Roast
Popularized by celebrity roasts and online culture, it’s a form of insult comedy among friends or performers.
Racks
Often heard in hip-hop music, “racks” refers to stacks of $1,000 in bills, usually held by rubber bands.
Ratchet
Originating in African-American Vernacular English, this term describes behavior or things considered “ghetto” or uncivilized.
Rage
If you’re going to “rage” this weekend, you plan on attending a very high-energy party.
Rager
Often associated with college or festival culture, a rager is the kind of party you’ll talk about for weeks.
Ride
Someone might ask, “Is that your new ride?” when referring to your car, motorcycle, or even bicycle.
Ride or die
Your “ride or die” is your most trusted friend or partner, someone who has your back no matter what.
Ripped
This term is commonly used in fitness culture to describe a very low body fat percentage and muscular physique.
Ripped
Be careful not to confuse this with the fitness term; getting “ripped” at a party means getting very drunk.
Rookie
Originally from sports, this term now applies to anyone new to a job, hobby, or activity.
Rando
You might say “some rando came up to me” to describe an encounter with a stranger you found odd.
Ratio
On platforms like X (Twitter), if a post gets “ratioed,” it’s a sign that the audience strongly disagrees.
Real talk
Starting a sentence with “real talk” signals that you’re about to say something sincere and unfiltered.
Reckon
While a standard word, its common, informal use in phrases like “I reckon so” gives it a slangy feel.
Reem
This term was heavily popularized by the UK reality TV show ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ (TOWIE).
Rep
Someone might want to “protect their rep” by avoiding actions that would make them look bad.
Right
Instead of “I am very tired,” someone from the UK might say, “I’m right tired.”
Riding shotgun
Comes from the Old West stagecoaches, where a guard with a shotgun sat next to the driver.
Rip-off
If you pay $20 for a tiny sandwich, you would probably call it a complete “rip-off.”
Roadman
Often associated with grime or drill music, tracksuits, and slang-heavy speech, the term defines a modern youth stereotype.
Rock
If you can “rock” a bold outfit, it means you wear it very well and look great in it.
Roll deep
A celebrity and their entourage might be described as “rolling deep” when they enter a club.
Roomie
This is a common, friendly, and affectionate shortening of the word “roommate.”
Root
A famously vulgar term in Australia; be careful, as “to root for” a team has a very different meaning there!
Rooted
An Aussie might say their old car is “completely rooted” to mean it’s beyond repair.
Ropey
You could describe a shaky Wi-Fi connection or how you feel after a late night as “a bit ropey.”
Round the bend
This classic British idiom suggests someone’s sanity has gone “around the bend” and out of sight.
Rubbish
A quintessential British term for “trash,” it’s also used to dismiss an idea by saying “That’s rubbish!”
Rug rat
This is an affectionate but slightly cheeky term for a toddler crawling around on the floor (the “rug”).
Rumbled
A spy or someone telling a lie might worry about getting “rumbled” by their superiors or friends.
Rack
After a long shift, a soldier might say they can’t wait to “hit the rack.”
Rack up
She managed to rack up over 1,000,000 followers in just a few months.
Rain check
I can’t make it tonight, can I get a rain check? is a polite way to decline an invitation.
Rat
He was known as a “rat” for telling the police about the plan, a term popularized by gangster films.
Rattled
The speaker got rattled when the audience started asking tough questions.
Red-hot
The new gaming console was red-hot, selling out in minutes.
Redneck
Originally a term for striking coal miners, it’s now a pejorative for a stereotyped rural American.
Reefer
This is a somewhat dated but widely recognized term for cannabis, popular in the mid-20th century.
Riff-raff
The fancy club had a strict door policy to keep out the so-called riff-raff.
Right as rain
After a good night’s sleep, he felt right as rain.
Ringer
They brought in a professional player as a ringer for the amateur tournament, which felt like cheating.
Rock bottom
After losing his job and home, he felt he had hit rock bottom.
Roll with the punches
In a fast-paced job, you have to learn to roll with the punches.
Rotgut
The cheap whiskey was pure rotgut, but it was all they could afford.
Rubberneck
Traffic was backed up for miles because of drivers rubbernecking at the crash.
Rube
The con artist looked for a rube to fall for his simple trick.
Runaround
I tried to get a refund, but the company just gave me the runaround for weeks.
Rowdy
The bar got a little too rowdy after the home team won the championship.