New words are born and become part of the English language all the time. Sometimes these words are entirely new, though it is more common for already-existing words to morph into new ones, often by adding a new definition, or through processes such as clipping (the shortening of a longer word), blending (the combination of elements from two words to create a new one) and reducing phrases to acronyms, which is particularly common on the internet. As might be expected, many new words have their roots in activities associated with today’s technology-driven society.
Below, in no particular order, are some of the newest words to be officially recognized by the Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries and their meanings.
catfish (noun): A person who sets up a false social networking profile for deceptive purposes
Deep Web (noun): The part of the World Wide Web that is not discoverable by means of standard search engines
listicle (noun): An internet article presented as a numbered or bullet-pointed list
dox (verb): To search for and publish private or sensitive information on the internet about an individual, usually with malicious intent
binge-watch (verb): To watch multiple episodes of a TV program in rapid succession, usually via DVDs or internet streaming
hate-watch (verb): To watch a TV program for the sake of the enjoyment derived from mocking or criticizing it
humblebrag (verb): An ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement whose actual purpose is to draw attention to something of which one is proud
neckbeard (noun): A growth of hair on a man’s neck, especially when regarded as indicative of poor grooming
bro hug (noun): A friendly embrace between two men
steampunk (noun): Science fiction dealing with 19th-century societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology
turducken (noun): A boneless chicken stuffed into a boneless duck stuffed into a boneless turkey
tweep (noun): A person who uses the Twitter online message service to send and receive tweets
vape (verb): To inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device
cray (adjective): Crazy
amazeballs (adjective): Very impressive, enjoyable or attractive
adorbs (adjective): Cute or adorable
SMH: Shaking my head (to express disapproval, frustration, etc.)
WDYT: What do you think
YOLO: You only live once
ICYMI: In case you missed it
