Merriam-Webster Adds More Than 455 Words, Including ‘Dad Bod,’ ‘Amirite’ & (Yay!) ‘Fluffernutter’
01:19 GMT 29.10.2021 (Updated: 01:21 GMT 29.10.2021)
© AP Photo / Elise Amendola
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The additions came from social media slang, pop culture, cookery, coronavirus, tech, science, medicine, and politics and reflect new trends in our rapidly changing society.
Merriam-Webster, one of the largest and most reputable English dictionaries, has been expanded for the updated 2022 version by 455 new definitions.
Among them were some slang words, which are now in common parlance, such as “dad bod,” “fluffernutter,” “TBH (to be honest)” and “amirite” (am I right?).”
Yes, 'fluffernutter' is now in the dictionary. https://t.co/6fOJZVMXfL pic.twitter.com/s2HFmStMoM
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) October 27, 2021
The pandemic has also contributed to the modern English lexicon. The dictionary will now forever remind us of the meaning of “super-spreader,” “vaccine passport,” “long Covid” and others.
The lockdown and restrictions have made digitalization trends more explicit, which was reflected in Merriam-Webster's latest edition, which contains, among others, words like “digital nomad,” “deplatform,” “FTW (for the win),” “breakthrough” and “copypasta.”
We've added 'digital nomad' to the dictionary.https://t.co/D5xo9x5UhN pic.twitter.com/gdMmGrAU5R
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) October 27, 2021
Pop culture contributed to the new edition as well, with words such as “otaku,” meaning a fan of Japanese comics, known as manga, and anime, along with “dad bod,” which means a body type typical for ordinary dads, who are slightly corpulent and not very sporty looking.
The dictionary also took into account terms that culinary fans should be familiar with, adding “horchata,” a cold soft drink made of various kinds of plant milk, and “fluffernutter,” a sandwich with peanut butter and marshmallow creme.
Fluffernutter is now recognized by Merriam-Webster as an official word. I think you must have had a hand in this. #80sMixtapeAU pic.twitter.com/t1Z5vaU1x4
— 🏴☠️🦑 (@ibethepirate) October 27, 2021
Last year, the word COVID-19 was added to the dictionary in record time – just 34 days after the outbreak started last March. The word “pandemic” also become the English word of the year in 2020.
