Recently Added New Words in English

Recently Added New Words in English

English, as we all know very well, is a language that has grown to a large extent thanks to new words, either from foreign languages, or words that emerged as slang or colloquialisms that have now become so commonplace that they have been legitimised as proper words. In this blog, we celebrate the richness of the English language by exploring some of the new words that entered dictionaries over the past year.

1. Contactless This is a word that has risen to prominence as a result of the ongoing pandemic. This word simply refers to the conducting of any activity without any contact.

2. Crowdfunding TCrowdfunding refers to the process of obtaining funds that are required for a venture by soliciting contributions from a large number of people

3. Microtargeting Microtargeting is the process of directing and delivering tailored advertisements, announcements, political messages, updates etc. to people based on detailed information collected about them, such as their buying habits, brand preferences, interests as well as their online or social media behaviour.

4. Deepfake A deepfake is an image or video recording that has been altered to the point that it can be used to misrepresent someone to be doing or saying something that they have not done or said.

5. Stovepipe The word stovepipe refers to the act of transmitting information to a higher level in an organisation through a channel of communication that is narrow and/or isolated.

6. Thirsty In addition to the meaning we are already familiar with, the word thirsty refers to an intense desire for attention, validation, gratification, approval or publicity.

7. Flex The word flex has an additional meaning now. In modern internet usage especially, the word flex is used to mean showing off or flaunting a skill, a possession or even one’s physique. This behaviour is generally perceived as arrogant, insincere and as a power move.

8. Adulting The word adulting refers simply to the performance of activities that are deemed as part of adulthood, or the very act of being an adult and taking up adult responsibilities.

9. Codeathon A codeathon is a collaborative computer programming event that is typically spread over a number of days and involves programmers, software engineers, developers, coders, etc

10. Amirite Amirite is an informal, distorted spelling of the phrase ‘am I right’ and this word is used to elicit agreement, support or solidarity after an observation has been made, or often used mockingly or sarcastically regarding the observation made.

11. Beardo The word beardo is used as a nickname to describe a person with a beard. It is typically used to refer to people for whom having a beard is a characteristic that is associated with them, such as a poet, an intellectual or a hippie.

12. Techlash Techlash refers to a strong negative reaction or backlash against major technology companies, their employees or their products. The best example of techlash would be the negative reactions that Facebook and WhatsApp have been facing in recent months.