Slang dossier

Aura

Pronounced OR-uh

Someone’s perceived presence, confidence or social energy. “Aura points” are imaginary points gained for doing something cool or lost for an embarrassing moment.

In a sentence

How it sounds

Illustrative examples

  • “Walking away without looking back earned aura points.”
  • “I waved at the wrong person. Minus a thousand aura.”

Where teens use it

The habitat

Sports edits, school anecdotes, TikTok comments and friends joking about awkward moments.

Parent briefing

What parents should know

Usually a way of narrating confidence, not a real rating. If the joke becomes a running scoreboard about one person’s appearance or mistakes, ask whether that person is enjoying it too.

Keep decoding

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