Have you ever wondered which words in Among Us are actually useful in real life?

Since the game has taken the world by storm, many of our students from around the world have asked us about this. 

Today, we’ll explain ten of the most useful words from the game, so you’ll know how and where to use them in the real world.

Crew (n.)

Most players in the game are “crewmates.” While crewmate isn’t a commonly used word, “crew” is.

Just like the crewmates in Among Us, crews in real life work together to make sure something operates smoothly. For example:

• A “film crew” includes the director, cameramen, people who control the lighting, and others who work on the set of a movie.
• A “flight crew” includes the pilot, flight attendants, and other people who keep the plane flying and the passengers happy.

People also refer to the friends they often hang out with as their “crew.” For example, if you often play Among Us with the same group of friends, you could say, “I love playing Among Us with my crew.”

For more examples, see how this word is used in our lessons.

-Mate (suffix)

You might also be wondering about the “-mate” in crewmate. You may not have realized, but it’s the same “-mate” that appears in the word “teammate” (a member of a sports team).

This suffix also appears in the many words about people who live together, such as:

• “Roommates” are people who share a room. 
• “Flatmates” are people who live in the same flat (apartment).
• “Housemates” are people who live in the same house.

Last but not least, young children have “playmates,” that is, other children they often play with.

Imposter (n.)

In the game, “imposters” pretend to be crewmates. They try to gain the trust of the unsuspecting players by pretending to complete tasks. In reality, their goal is to kill crewmates and prevent them from completing their mission. 

In real life, an imposter is anyone who pretends to be someone else. It can also be spelled with two O’s: “impostor.” 

With the internet, it has become easier to become an imposter. Recently, there have been many “celebrity imposters” or people who pretend to be famous actors, musicians, etc. by setting up social media accounts with their names. 

There’s another interesting phrase that uses the word imposter: “imposter syndrome.” This syndrome makes a lot of successful people feel like an imposter. In other words, they feel that they accidentally “made it big” and don’t actually deserve their fame and success.

Suspicious (adj.)

If you played the game, you’ve definitely seen people use this word in its abbreviated form “sus.” “Green is sus” means “green is suspicious” and “Any sus?” means “anyone (or anything) suspicious?”

As games like Among Us become more popular, “sus” might become recognized as a standard word. For the time being though, “suspicious” is still more commonly used. Here’s how you use it:

• Someone who is suspicious makes you think that they have done something illegal, bad, or dishonest. For example, someone who looks like they are whispering during a test is suspicious. They might be telling answers to the person next to them.
• You can also be “suspicious of” someone. For example, a teacher might “get suspicious of” a student who looks like they are cheating.

Here are some more examples of how this word is used in real life.

Sabotage (v.)

In the game, the imposters’ goal is to “sabotage” the crewmates’ mission. They do this by tampering with doors (locking crewmates in rooms so they can’t perform tasks), turning off lights (making it difficult for crewmates to see), and even cutting off the oxygen.

In the real world, sabotage is also used to talk about secretly disrupting some machine or process. For example, factory workers unhappy about how they’re being treated might sabotage their machines by throwing objects inside them. 

And more commonly, you’ll hear people saying that they “sabotaged” themselves, their relationships, careers, and other things in life. For example, if someone lacks confidence, they might sabotage their chances at success. When a good opportunity appears, their self-doubt causes them to think of many reasons not to accept it.

Fake (v.)

We all know the word “fake” as an adjective. For example, many people have fake plants in their homes. Some people have fake teeth. 

But this word can also be used as a verb as you might have noticed in the game. Imposters “fake” tasks (pretend to do them) so other players think they’re crewmates.

In the real world:

• Schoolchildren “fake” a cold, so their parents think they’re sick and let them stay home.
• Comedians “fake” a foreign accent.
• Someone applying for a job might “fake” their resume, by writing that they worked for a famous company or that they went to a famous school.

Clear (v.)

In the game’s main map, crewmates have to “clear” asteroids, so the spaceship doesn’t get damaged. Clear means to remove something that is in the way.

In everyday life, we clear lots of things. For example:

• After a meal, you “clear the table” or take everything off the table.
• After a storm, railway companies need to “clear the tracks” of fallen trees.

See more ways this word is used.

Vent (n.)

In the game, imposters can quickly travel around the map through its vents. In fact, the word “vent” even became a verb in the game: “Green’s an imposter. I saw them vent.”

In everyday life, vents are usually long holes that let air in or out of some closed space, like these vents above the door, which let air in and out of the building:

In the real world, we also use “vent” as a verb. If someone complains about something and lets out their emotions, they are “venting.” If you listen to a friend do this, they might say, “Thanks for hearing me out. I had to vent or else I was gonna go mad.”

Eject (v.)

In the main map, after a player is voted out in the game, they get “ejected” from the spaceship or shot out at high speed. Crewmates want to eject all imposters in order to win.

You’ll also hear this word used in the real world. For example:

• A pilot might choose to “eject” from the plane if it’s about to crash.
• You’ve probably “ejected” a CD from a CD player.

See here for more examples.

Cafeteria (n.)

In some maps, players start the game in a place known as the “cafeteria.” They also gather there to have discussions.

In the real world, cafeterias are like restaurants, but instead of having food served to you, you usually pick what you want, pay for it, and then sit down to eat. You’ll often find cafeterias in schools and companies. 

See here for more examples.

Note: Cafeterias are often called “canteens” outside North America.

Any other words you want to know about?

There are a lot of other words in the game which may (or may not) be useful in the real world.

If you’re curious about words like “cyan” or “wiring,” “divert” or “align,” try asking one of our tutors about it! You can even find tutors who like playing “video games.” Plus, your first lesson is free, so you’ve got nothing to lose!