(NEXSTAR) — New words get added to dictionaries often. Just a few months ago, Merriam-Webster added 690 words to its dictionary. Among those were numerous slang terms, like rizz and simp. The newest entries have become common terms in our vernacular in recent years, Merriam-Webster said when justifying the additions.
On Tuesday, Dictionary.com announced its own big update, including 327 new entries, 173 new definitions, and more than 1,200 revised definitions.
“It’s 2024, and the pace of language change is as rapid as it has ever been. Our lexicographers are updating the dictionary more frequently than ever, doing the human-scale work of documenting words across the vast spectrum of the always-evolving English language,” the site said in a blog post.
This builds on an update Dictionary.com did in the fall, which included terms like “shower orange” and “mountweazel.” The latest additions include equally peculiar terms, as well as those that serve to describe “major topics of the day,” like climate, health, science, and economics.
You can view Dictionary.com’s new terms here, but before you do, here are seven words you should know.
Greedflation
Not to be confused with ‘shrinkflation,’ greedflation refers to a rise in prices unrelated to market pressure or other organic factors. It is instead “caused by corporate executives or boards of directors, property owners, etc., solely to increase profits that are already healthy or excessive,” according to Dictionary.com.
A watchdog report released in June 2023 found some of the largest general consumer S&P 500 companies were potentially guilty of greedflation as they raised prices simply to boost their own profits, despite efforts by the Fed to control inflation, The Hill reports. The report pointed to companies like General Mills, Tyson Foods, and PepsiCo, who admitted to benefitting from the practice.
Keto flu
You may be able to figure out what this one means, but if not, Dictionary.com defines keto flu as “a temporary feeling of illness or physical unease often experienced by those starting” a keto diet.
The keto diet has remained popular through the years, but as this term shows, it can cause problems for some. Keto flu has been a documented occurrence for years, with Harvard Health warning about the group of symptoms — fatigue, headache, brain fog, nausea, problems sleeping, irritability, and constipation — since 2018. In that post, Dr. Marcelo Campos explained it isn’t clear why exactly it can occur among those starting a keto diet, but it isn’t uncommon for “undesirable symptoms” to show up “in the first few days after changing what you eat.”
Bed rotting
The TikTok trend of “bed rotting” gained a lot of traction last summer. As negative as it may sound, many view it as a form of self-care. Dictionary.com describes bed rotting as “the practice of spending many hours in bed during the day, often with snacks or an electronic device, as a voluntary retreat from activity or stress.”
Some health experts have urged caution toward it, though. Emily Mudd, PhD, a child psychologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, previously said it “can become a problem if you are doing it in the context to avoid something, or you feel like you are not physically or emotionally able to get out of bed.”
She warned that spending long periods of time in bed could lead to social isolation, which can in turn be a risk factor for depression and anxiety.
Girl dinner
Another term to credit TikTok for, “girl dinner” refers to a meal similar to a charcuterie board. More specifically, Dictionary.com lists its definition as “an often attractively presented collection of snacks that involve little preparation, such as small quantities of cold cuts, cheese, fruit, cherry tomatoes, etc., deemed sufficient to constitute a meal for one.”
Even Popeyes jumped on the trend, offering a “Girl Dinner” tab on its menu where customers could order a variety of individual sides, minus the chicken. It’s not to be confused with “girl math,” a different TikTok trend in which users explained how practices like paying with cash is buying an item for free or returning an item equates to gaining money.
Skiplagging
Travelers may already be familiar with “skiplagging,” or the practice of booking a cheaper flight that has a layover at your destination rather than a more expensive direct flight. So, for example, instead of flying directly from New York to Kansas City, you book a flight from New York to Denver that has a layover in Kansas City.
Skiplagging is also known as hidden city ticketing and point beyond ticketing, terms you’ll find in any airline’s conditions of carriage. Last year, a teenager was detained and forced to purchase a new ticket after a gate agent became skeptical of his itinerary, which was booked using a site that helps passengers find skiplagged flights. While not illegal, airlines have been working to crack down on skiplagging for years.
Range anxiety
If you have an electrical vehicle, you may already be familiar with this term, even if it isn’t in your vernacular. “Range anxiety” refers to the fear that your EV’s “battery will run out of power” before you can reach your destination or a charging station, Dictionary.com explains.
Studies have shown bitter cold temperatures can reduce an EV’s driving range and cause them to recharge slowly, a fact many across the U.S. experienced last month amid a days-long cold snap.
Global boiling
After Earth shattered global annual heat records in 2023, it’s no surprise a term like “global boiling” has entered our lingo. Dictionary.com defines the nonscientific term as being used to “emphasize the trend toward and severity of extreme heat events, especially in regard to public health.”
A recently released study found that heat waves and wildfires that have become more common in the U.S. can increase bad air days, which could prove detrimental to many, like children and those with chronic illnesses. Even in winter, we’ve seen unprecedented warmth that could impact us in the long run, as January marked the eighth straight month that heat records were broken.
Other terms Dictionary.com has added include kennel cough, the infection dogs can catch; super fog, a combination of wildfire smoke and fog; and Barbicore, an aesthetic or style inspired by last summer’s blockbuster hit, “Barbie.”
Not a fan of these words? You can always suggest them for the list of “Banished Words” Lake Superior State University releases annually. Among the words you shouldn’t use in 2024 are hack, cringe-worthy, slay, and the aforementioned rizz. The university is accepting nominations for its 2025 list until November.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
No comments:
Post a Comment