British Slang For Good (10 Examples!)

There are, in any given language, countless different ways you can say something is good using slang terms.

This is just as true of British English as it is of any other language, indeed perhaps even more so than the average.

For any intensity of goodness, for any context or situation, there is a specific, appropriate slang term you can use to say how good you think something is.

Today, we’re going to cover a variety of these terms, so let’s get started.

In This Article

British Slang For Good

Ace

Firstly we have “ace”, perhaps not as commonly used as it once was today but nonetheless, a term that you will still hear British people use in place of good.

It can have widely varying senses, though in its simplest sense, it does mean something is very good.

It’s the kind of thing you would use when something really had an impact on you, whatever that thing happened to be.

This could be used for anything, such as music or films.

It’s less likely to be used for something like food, but it still could be.

Today, it is probably more common among adults and older generations, though it has not fallen entirely out of use with kids.

The term is rather old in some form or another, dating back to the medieval period when it was used to describe dice.

However, it took on its modern form after the First World War, where it was aviator jargon for a particularly talented pilot.

Any pilot who had shot down five enemy planes was considered an “ace” pilot”.

This was derived from the French l’ace.

Example in a sentence: “Did you hear their new album? I thought it was ace!”

Mint

Another very common term for good in British slang is “mint”.

This one, again, is perhaps not as widely used today as it once was.

At one time, it was perhaps the single most common slang term used for very good in Britain, at least among younger generations of people.

Since then it has somewhat declined in use in favor of other terms, but it is still certainly widely understood and many people do still use it.

It has the sense of something that is extremely and unambiguously very good.

In general in the English-speaking world, the word “mint” has the sense of something being in perfect condition, often in the context of buying it second hand.

This is believed to be where the modern slang term derives from.

That is first recorded in use in 1887, and that in turn came from the “mint” where coins are made, as in “a freshly minted coin”.

Example in a sentence: “I can’t wait to see that new film, it looks mint.”

Sick

“Sick” is an extremely commonly used slang term in Britain today by the younger generations.

Virtually everyone understands this term if they don’t use it themselves, and again it is one that has the sense of something being extremely good.

Depending on where you are, you may hear this term more or less, as it is somewhat regional.

Again, though, you’re unlikely to find many people among the younger generations who just don’t understand the term at all.

“That was such a sick party!” for example.

It’s believed that this slang term ultimately derives from skating and surfing slang in the 1980s.

For that reason, it’s quite difficult to trace its exact origin, but it seems it was originally used in these contexts.

The popularity of skateboarding in particular drove the term’s popularity in Britain, though naturally there is not a particularly vibrant surfing scene in Britain!

Brill

A more universal and simple one next, “brill” is another very common slang term for good in Britain.

It is certainly understood by everyone, though perhaps one you’re more likely to hear used by the older generations than the younger.

That said, it’s by no means exclusive to older people and in certain parts of the country you’ll definitely hear this one used by young and old.

It’s generally used in the sense of something being quite good, and doesn’t have the same impact as the full word from which it comes, “brilliant.”

Nonetheless, it is certainly an important slang term for good.

“If you could help me on Saturday, that would be brill,” for example.

The word brilliant itself ultimately derives from a French word meaning sparkling or shining.

This is first attested as far back as the 1680s, and originally the word had this sense of shining brightly rather than just good.

It developed to mean simply very good later on by the 19^th Century where it had the sense of “distinguished,” and so was probably also shortened to this form around the same time.

Smashing

A quintessential, indeed almost stereotypical, slang term for good in Britain is “smashing”.

This tends to be used more commonly in England than anywhere else in Britain, but it is certainly used in Scotland and Wales as well.

It’s so commonly associated with Britain that it is very frequently used by British characters in non-British movies and TV.

It’s mostly limited to the older generations now, but it is still universally understood and its use is far from dying out.

It usually means something is perfect and as good as you could want it to be.

“This tea is smashing, thanks,” for example.

This term is more recent though still quite old.

It is first attested in this sense of very good by 1911, so it probably came into use sometime in the 19^th Century in the vernacular.

Beyond that, though, it’s hard to say with much precision.

Naturally, the word before that referred to the act of violently “smashing” something, so it may have arisen out of the sense of being so good it would “smash” something.

Cracking

Similarly, another common slang term for good in British English is “cracking”.

This one is a lot more common in the north of England than anywhere else in Britain, though it is certainly used and understood more widely.

Again, it tends to be more commonly used among the older generations today, but it is far from falling entirely out of use with the younger.

It is often used in the same way that “smashing” is, as a way of declaring something to be perfect or great after it has happened.

“So are we all sorted? Cracking, let’s get going!” for example.

This term is quite a bit older than the similar “smashing”.

It is first recorded as a colloquialism in the 1830s, and so we can imagine it probably predated this by some decades at least in vernacular usage.

The word itself is naturally very old and derives ultimately from the Old English cracian.

It had the sense of “excellent” and “first rate” when it was first used, and has more or less retained this specific sense.

Boss

Next we have “boss,” another common slang term in Britain for something that is very good.

This one is certainly a lot more regionally specific, and one that you’ll primarily hear used by younger people in Britain.

Nonetheless, it is widely understood and when heard in the right context most people will have a strong idea of the meaning.

However, of the terms on this list, this is among the more likely ones not to be understood by certain people in certain places.

It has the simple sense of something being quite good, though perhaps not amazing or “smashing”.

“These chips are boss, have you tried them?” for example.

In this adjective sense, it’s not quite clear when it first came into use.

Naturally, the word is quite old, and is attested as far back as the 1640s meaning “overseer” of employees.

It certainly seems to be fairly recent, perhaps originating in London in the 1990s in this modern sense.

It probably simply comes from the idea that the “boss” is at the top, so something that is good is “boss” or at the top.

Blinding

“Blinding” is another common term used in British English to mean good.

As you might guess, it has the sense of something being extremely good—so good that it blinds you.

Whether you’ll hear this from a young or older person really depends.

It is certainly used by many different demographics, though it’s much more common in some places than in others.

“That was an absolutely blinding performance,” for example.

The word itself first came into use around the early 18^th Century, when it had the more literal sense of “making blind”.

Of course, in standard English, it naturally retains this meaning and is still used in this way.

But the slang meaning is harder to trace—the term has often been used in the context of religious awe, such as God’s light being “blinding”, so this is the most likely source of the modern sense of the term.

Reem

Definitely a more modern term that you won’t hear much among the older generations, next we have “reem”.

This one is not particularly common now, and indeed may have had quite a short period in the general limelight.

There was a time when it was used more commonly, but this was not all that long ago.

It rose and fell quite quickly, in a way, then, but again, it is very much still used at least by some people.

You are far more likely to hear this one in the south of England than anywhere else.

“I need to look reem tonight for my date,” for example.

The term is, etymologically, of unclear origins.

The word does exist in Hebrew as a large horned animal of ancient literature, but there is almost certainly no connection there with the way it is used in the modern day.

The term was popularized by a reality TV show called The Only Way is Essex, where it was mostly used in the sense of someone looking really good before a night out or a date, or something similar.

It’s thought it derives from the words cream or ream.

Lush

Finally we have “lush”, a term very commonly used among the British as a slang term for good.

Demographically, this one is quite split. It’s often thought of as being, at least in this slang sense, quite a recent word used mainly by the younger generations.

However, by some parts of the older population, the term has been in use for quite a long time in the same general sense.

That said, you are again more likely to hear this in the south of England than you are anywhere else in Britain, though it is by no means exclusive.

It has the sense of being good and lovely, very nice and perhaps even luxurious.

“This hotel room is really lush,” for instance.

The term originally referred to being really thick with plant life.

You might describe a “lush” garden or even rainforest, to indicate that it is filled with life of plants and flowers.

Naturally, this is generally seen as a good thing, so it eventually came to mean good in a more general sense.

Again, this has been popularized in recent years by TV and media, but it has been used in the sense of very good since at least the middle of the 20^th Century.

So, there are many different terms you can use to describe something as good in British slang.

Whether it’s something that’s just sort of good, or the most amazing and coolest thing you ever seen, there’s a term to use in that context.

Some of these terms have been around for a very long time, while others are more recent.

Almost all of them, though, are likely to be understood to some degree by just about anyone in Britain.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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