Remember how, as a kid, browsing through a dusty old dictionary led you to discover words like “Sesquipedalian” or “Onomatopoeia”? Well, future generations will have the pleasure of learning words like “Girl Dinner” and “Barbiecore” as times change and Dictionary.com tries to keep up.
In February 2024, Dictionary.com added or updated more than 1,700 words, with many coming from TikTok and Gen Z slang as sources of inspiration. Here are 13 entries that we found amusing, along with their definitions.
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1. Girl Dinner
Say you come home after a long day, reluctant to cobble together a proper meal. Instead, you grab some bread, some cheese, a glass of wine, and maybe some grapes for variety — you’re having a “girl dinner.” That’s exactly what TikTok user Olivia Maher called her nicely decorated combination of snacks when she coined the term “girl dinner,” starting a viral trend that ultimately made its way into the dictionary.
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2. Mid
If a Gen Zer tells you that something is “mid,” that means they find it mediocre and are not impressed. You’ve been warned.
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3. Bed Rotting
While the “rotting” part gives a slightly negative vibe to this word favored among Gen Z, “bed rotting” is essentially the glorified version of being a couch potato, yet with a positive spin as a form of self-care. So, you could say, “I’ve had a very long week and am looking forward to some bed rotting this weekend.” But please don’t say that.
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4. Barbiecore
“Barbie,” the summer 2023 blockbuster based on the iconic Mattel doll and starring Margot Robbie, snagged multiple Oscar nods. It also somehow managed to kickstart an all-pink frenzy dubbed Barbiecore. Yes, a color and a doll once pigeonholed for toddler girls are now the blueprint for outfits, accessories, and hair-bleaching adventures.
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5. Greedflation
Coined by economist Isabella Weber, who first tossed this hot potato in a 2021 Guardian op-ed, “greedflation” suggests a scenario where businesses crank up prices simply because they can, leaving consumers to foot the bill. Initially brushed off as a “conspiracy theory,” the concept has since gained traction, securing a position in the database of Dictionary.com as an official English word.
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6. Bechdel Test
Coined by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985, the Bechdel Test is a simple way to gauge the representation of women in films and other media. For a work of fiction to pass, it must feature at least two named women who talk to each other about something other than a man. In 2022, of the 111 movie directors hired to make the 100 top-grossing movies, just 9% were women, according to a study by USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative, meaning that Hollywood failed the Bechdel Test miserably.
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7. Skiplagging
Also known as “hidden city ticketing,” skiplagging is a relatively new travel hack used to get cheaper flights by booking a trip to a destination where your intended city is a layover, rather than the final stop. It works like this: Say you want to travel from New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina, but the nonstop route is on the pricey side. So instead, you book a cheaper flight that takes you from New York to Phoenix, Arizona, with a layover in Raleigh. Rather than fly all the way to Phoenix, you get off in North Carolina and ditch the rest of the ticket.
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8. The Ick
In the Gen Z dating world, the last thing you want is to give someone “the ick.” The social media’s new go-to dating phrase describes a sudden, intense aversion towards someone you’re dating or interested in, turning initial attraction into repulsion.
Originating from a 1999 episode of “Ally McBeal,” “the ick” set X (formerly known as Twitter) ablaze after it was mentioned on the British dating show “Love Island.” It can be sparked by anything from the way you text to loud chewing or admitting to not flossing. Unlike major red flags, the ick is about those small, seemingly irrational turn-offs that become glaringly obvious and hard to overlook once you’ve noticed them.
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9. Bussin’
For Gen Z, when filming a TikTok about the latest plant-based food they found absolutely amazing, they would describe it as “Bussin’.” Originating from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), “bussin'” is a term used to indicate that something is exceptionally good or impressive.
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10. Enshittification
In 2023, a British Canadian blogger and journalist, Cory Doctorow, put a name to a grim trend we’ve all been feeling but couldn’t quite articulate: “enshittification.” This term, which won the American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year for 2023, explains the gradual decay of platforms we once loved, as they prioritize profits over user experience. Doctorow’s “enshittification” explains the stages of this decline: Platforms first charm users, then exploit them to benefit advertisers and finally, hoard all the profits, leaving users and businesses alike in the lurch.
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11. Pretty Privilege
The “Life is easier for attractive people” concept, in a nutshell, pretty privilege refers to the societal advantages and preferential treatment given to those considered conventionally attractive by societal standards.
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12. Slow Fashion
That new romper you got from Zara might raise eyebrows, as it’s essentially the McDonald’s of fashion or fast fashion. But if you opt for a piece made from organic materials by a local designer (good for you!), you’re practicing slow fashion, akin to choosing a nutritious, locally-sourced meal over a McDonald’s burger.
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13. Global Boiling
This non-scientific expression underscores the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events, particularly concerning public health. It is part of a growing lexicon emphasizing the severity of climate change impacts alongside terms such as “climate breakdown,” “climate crisis,” and “climate emergency.”
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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