The Cambridge Dictionary has officially welcomed 6,000 new words this year – including a wave of new slang inspired by social media.
Delulu, tradwife, broligarcy, and lewk, have all been added because experts believe the words will not be just a fad, but will have linguistic staying power.
The words have grown in use across social and mainstream media and beyond, linked to celebrities and influencers such as Kim Kardashian (skibidi), Hannah Neeleman of @ballerinafarm (tradwife) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (delulu with no solulu).
Other words linked to working from home, such as “mouse jiggler” – a device or app that simulates mouse movement and stops your computer going into sleep mode – and climate change-related phrases like “forever chemical”, have also been added.
The dictionary, published by Cambridge University Press, draws its entries not just from the written word but from a huge database of real-world English usage.
Broligarchy assemble: Zuckerberg, Bezos, Pichai and Musk at Donald Trump’s inauguration. Pic: Reuters
Some of this year’s new words include:
- Delulu – from the word delusional. The Australian prime minister once used the phrase “delulu with no solulu” (delusional with no solution) in a speech to parliament.
- Lewk – a play on the word look; meaning a particular style, fashion, or outfit, especially one that is unusual and impressive. Made popular by reality TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race.
- Tradwife – short for traditional wife; especially a woman who stays at home cooking, cleaning and taking care of her children. It reflects a contentious Instagram and TikTok trend of such influencers embracing traditional gender roles. One of the most famous examples is American Hannah Needleman, who has more than 10 million followers and has been called “the queen of tradwifery”.
- Broligarchy – a blend of bro and oligarchy. It refers to a small group of men, especially those in tech, who are rich and powerful, and who have or want political influence. It’s been used to describe the likes of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who all attended Donald Trump‘s inauguration.
- Work wife/work spouse – workplace relationships where two people help and trust each other.
- Inspo – short for inspiration; something that inspires something new, especially when posted on the internet. Fitness influencer Alaya F was responsible for an inspo trend after she recommended doing a headstand on a paddleboard in the middle of a river.
Kim Kardashian has helped popularise skibidi. Pic: Reuters
Colin McIntosh, lexical programme manager at the Cambridge Dictionary, believes the words added to the latest edition won’t just be a flash in the pan.
“We only add words where we think they’ll have staying power,” he said.
“Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the dictionary.”
So what does ‘skibidi’ mean?
Skibidi can have a number of different meanings, including good, bad, cool or even weird. It can even have no meaning and can just be a gibberish sound.
It was popularised by the creator of a viral animated YouTube series called Skibidi Toilet – about toilets with human heads sticking out of the bowl.
The phrase featured on a necklace given as a present to Kim Kardashian by her 12-year-old daughter, North West.
The show is popular among Gen Alpha – referring to people born roughly between 2010 and 2024.
Phrases such as “What the skibidi are you doing?” and “That wasn’t very skibidi rizz of you” have entered mainstream usage.
