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

Since the game became a huge hit, 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 your daily conversations.

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 spend time 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 "classmate" (another student in the same class).

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, or apartment. (This term is common in British English.)
• “Housemates” are people who live in the same house.

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

Imposter (n.)

In the game, “imposters” pretend to be crewmates. They try to gain the trust of the other players by pretending to complete tasks, but their true goal is to kill crewmates and stop 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.” 

• The imposter fooled everyone by changing his voice and covering his face.

On the internet, there have been many “celebrity imposters,” or people who pretend to be famous actors, musicians, etc. by creating social media accounts with their names. And some people even use AI to "impersonate" people's voices.

• Impersonating a police officer is a serious crime that could lead to heavy punishment.

There’s another interesting phrase that uses the word imposter: “imposter syndrome.” 

Imposter syndrome makes a lot of successful people feel like an imposter. In other words, they feel that they accidentally became successful and don't truly deserve their success or fame.

Suspicious (adj.)

If you played the game, you’ve probably noticed people using this word in its shortened form, “sus.” For example, “Green is sus” means “Green is suspicious,” and “Any sus?” means “Anyone (or anything) suspicious?”

Since the release of Among Us in 2018, "sus" has become very common slang, even when the conversation is not related to the game at all. However, “suspicious” is still more commonly used. 

Someone who is suspicious makes you think that they have done something bad, dishonest or illegal. 

• Those two guys in the corner are suspicious. Watch them carefully.
• Please notify staff members if you notice any suspicious activity. 

You can also be “suspicious of” someone. 

• The teacher was suspicious of the two students whispering to one another during the test.

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 changing 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 a machine or process. 

• The angry factory workers sabotaged their machines by throwing objects inside of them.

It's also common to hear people say that they “sabotaged” themselves, their relationships, careers or other things.

• Jane's lack of confidence causes her to sabotage her chances of success every time she gets a great opportunity.

Fake (v.)

The word “fake” is commonly used as an adjective. 

• These plants are fake, but they look real, don't they?

But it can also be used as a verb. In the game, imposters “fake” tasks (pretend to do them) so other players think they’re crewmates.

Here are some examples of how "fake" is used as a verb in the real world:

• My son tried to fake a cold so he wouldn't have to go to school this morning.
• The soccer player faked a leg injury after running into another player.

Clear (v.)

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

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

• After the storm, local residents cleared branches and other trash from the streets.
• Bodyguards cleared a path for the celebrity so he could enter the building safely.

See more ways this word is used.

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 brought to you, you pick what you want, pay for it, and then sit down to eat. You can find cafeterias in schools and some office buildings. 

• I always have breakfast in the cafeteria on Wednesdays because that's when they have really delicious waffles.
• The cafeteria was a total mess after the students had a big food fight.

See here for more examples.

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

Vent (n.)

In the game, imposters can quickly travel around the map through its vents. In fact, the word “vent” is even used as a verb by some players: “Green’s an imposter. I saw them vent.”

In everyday life, vents are usually long holes that let air in or out of a closed space, like these vents above the door in the picture below.

In the real world, we also use “vent” as a verb, but in a different way than Among Us players may use it. 

If someone complains about something and lets out their emotions, they are “venting.” 

• Can I tell you about some problems I've been having at work? I really need to vent.
• We had a drink while he vented about an argument he had with his girlfriend.

Eject (v.)

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

This word is used in real conversations with the same meaning.

• The pilot ejected from his plane before it crashed into the water.
• Press the Eject button to remove the CD from the stereo.

See here for more examples.

Wrap-up

There are a lot of other words in Among Us 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 an Engoo tutor about it. You can even find tutors who like playing video games too. Give it a try!

• Vocabulary