TL;DR: It's time to hangrily pick through this bingeable list of the rando new words in the dictionary
Language is a constantly evolving, ever-mutating thing, which is one of those “Oh God, I’m getting old”-affirming maxims that’s never easier to believe than when the folks at various dictionary publishers offer up their lists of new words being added to their collections every year. Merriam-Webster announced just one such round-up this week, inducting such internet-derived classics as text-dismisser TL;DR and GOAT, possibly the greatest acronym of all time, into their hallowed lexicographical ranks.
All told, the dictionary added more than 840 new words this year, spanning the gamut from online acronyms to phrases adopted from foreign cuisine. Not all of them were fun, breezy, “Get off my lawn” nonsense, either; the reference tome now includes definitions for words and phrases like “tent city,” “self-harm,” and “Latinx,” acknowledging the ways language continues to shift and expand in our efforts to contain our lived experiences in words.
But while those aspects of Merriam-Webster’s work are important and meaningful, half the fun of these lists is the far more puerile task of finding the newest addition that annoys you the most. Here are a few possible candidates to get you started, modern-day word haters: rando, bougie, hangry, ribbie, Instagramming, and guac. Good hunting, friends, with this bingeable new time suck of a hobby.