You are not Delulu, but after the Cambridge Dictionary has added thousands of words in the past 12 months, the English language has become more. These include words popularized by social media, celebrities, Gen Z and Alpha generations.
Of the 6,212 new words added are Delulu, Lewk, Skibidi and Tradwife – and Alpha Gen, which means those born between 2010 and 2024.
“Internet culture is changing English, and the effects are fascinating,” said Colin McIntosh, program manager at Cambridge Dictionary in a statement this week. “We only add words, and we think they will have lasting power.”
If you are still confused, you are not alone. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, here are the meanings of some newly added words and terms.
Broligarchy: It combines the terms “brother” and “oligarchs” and is defined as “a small group of people, especially men who own or participate in a technology business, who are very rich, powerful, and who own or want political influence.”
The term is used to describe American tech leaders such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
Delulu: It's a drama about the word “delusion” which means “believe in something that is not real or real, usually because you choose to do so.”
Inspo: The word popular on social media is the abbreviation of “inspiration.” It is defined as “the idea that something, especially something posted on the internet, can do something for you or want to do something.”
Lewk: It's a playful twist on the word “Look” meaning “a special style, fashion or clothing, especially an unusual and impressive style.” It is often used in social media or fashion news and is popular with reality TV shows Rupaul's resistance race.
Mouse Jiggler: The rise in remote work culture has prompted this sentence, which means “the device or software used to make you work when you’re not there.”
Skibidi: Terms have different meanings, such as “cool” or “bad”, and can also be used without a real meaning. The word was coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series called “Skibidi Toilet”, and the phrase became popular on social media.
tradife: This is the abbreviation for “traditional wife” and is defined as “married women, especially those who post on social media, cook at home, clean, etc., and have children taking care of.” It represents an increasingly controversial social media trend with traditional gender roles.
The Internet crowned @ballerinafarm's Hannah Neeleman, Queen of the Queen. Neeleman has over 10 million followers on Instagram and lives with her eight children on a farm in Utah, helping the farm, cooking from scratch and participating in beauty pageants.