Trending Now: ‘Delulu,’ ‘Skibidi,’ & ‘Tradwife’ Enter Cambridge Dictionary!

Colin McIntosh, who manages the Lexical Program at Cambridge Dictionary, recently discussed the dictionary’s latest additions with the Associated Press. These new entries include terms such as Skibidi, Delulu, Tradwife, Inspo, Lewk, and Broligarchy. He emphasized that the dictionary aims to incorporate words that show promise of long-term usage.

Indeed, every word has a form of permanence; once spoken, they linger indefinitely. Regardless of their popularity during their peak, all words eventually earn their place in the lexicon, akin to legendary athletes effortlessly entering the Hall of Fame after illustrious careers.

However, not all words retain their relevance, which appears to be the critical factor for McIntosh and the broader dictionary community. Their annual announcements of new word additions seek to immortalize contemporary language, a goal that isn’t always achieved.

For instance, the word Skibidi, embraced by Gen Z, is peculiar because it lacks a fixed meaning. It can signify something positive, negative, or nothing at all, often used ironically or as a humorous commentary on its own absurdity.

This recursive, humorous usage makes Skibidi a curious case study in linguistics. Yet claiming it has “staying power” might be more of a marketing strategy for press releases than a solid rationale for its inclusion in a scholarly dictionary.

Cambridge Dictionary’s Recent Update Includes Over 6,000 New Words Like Tradwife, Delulu, and Skibidi

Skibidi is an interesting case; I’m so skeptical of its longevity that I won’t even add it to my Microsoft Word dictionary—destined to be highlighted as a mistake in red if it ever appears in my documents post-this discussion. It’s just one of over 6,000 new terms added to Cambridge Dictionary’s latest update, revealing a rather inclusive approach to the concept of “staying power.”

The term Tradwife, which essentially updates the image of a ‘Stepford wife’ for the social media age, seems more likely to endure. It represents a modern, conservative idealization of femininity, likely maintaining its relevance as long as there’s an audience for its associated lifestyle.

Other additions seem merely to tweak existing words. Take Delulu, a slang adaptation of “delusional” popularized through viral media, appealing to those who frequent phrases like “vibe check” and “LET’S GOOOOOOOO!”

It’s unlikely that your future boss will casually drop Delulu or Skibidi in professional meetings unless they’re trying to be particularly trendy. These words might not even be relevant when the next batch of dictionary updates rolls around, yet there’s a common misconception that being added to a dictionary is a prestigious honor.

Really, a dictionary addition simply means a word was popular for a time—it doesn’t equate to a permanent tribute in the Hall of Fame. Now, “delulu” finds its place in the dictionary, nestled between “deluging” and “delusion.”