Dictionaries do their best to keep up with our rapidly changing language by adding new terms and definitions on a regular basis. Earlier this month, Dictionary.com announced its latest additions, which featured everything from jawn to nepo baby.
Now, it’s Merriam-Webster’s turn. The recent update includes a whopping 690 terms from various parts of life. It’s always especially fun to find out which slang terms earned spots in such a highly esteemed dictionary, and this round didn’t disappoint: rizz, bussin’, finsta, and thirst trap all made the cut.
That said, trying to capture all the nuances of how we use each slang term in one concise definition is pretty tough. Girlboss, for example, is described simply as “an ambitious and successful woman (especially a businesswoman or entrepreneur).” If you want a better understanding of the many subtle ways it might be deployed as a backhanded compliment or an outright insult, Urban Dictionary can help you out. Other terms don’t require a second source. Doggo just means “dog.” Jorts is a portmanteau of jean shorts.
Gone are the days when Padawan referred only to a young Jedi apprentice in Star Wars. Merriam-Webster just formalized it as a common noun used for any “young person especially when regarded as naïve, inexperienced, etc.”
Cromulent, a made-up word from The Simpsons that means “acceptable” or “satisfactory,” finally gained an entry, too. It’s not the first fake Simpsons word to make it into a dictionary: Merriam-Webster added embiggen back in 2018.
See 25 of the new additions below, and find out more about the update here.
Are you a logophile? Do you want to learn unusual words and old-timey slang to make conversation more interesting, or discover fascinating tidbits about the origins of everyday phrases? Then get our new book, The Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words: A Miscellany of Obscure Terms, Bizarre Phrases, & Surprising Etymologies, out now! You can pick up your copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or Bookshop.org.
This article was originally published on www.mentalfloss.com as ‘Rizz,’ ‘Girlboss,’ and 23 Other Terms Merriam-Webster Just Added to the Dictionary.
