Have you ever scrolled through TikTok or Instagram, stumbled upon strange words that everyone seems to be using, but you have no idea what they mean? And then—surprise!—you find out that those words aren’t just passing internet trends, but have actually made their way into one of the world’s most prestigious dictionaries. Yep, that really happened!
Over the past 12 months, the Cambridge Dictionary—the most popular online dictionary for learners of English—has officially added 6,212 new words, phrases, and meanings. Many of them were born out of internet culture, memes, and the habits of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. From quirky slang like skibidi and delulu, to more serious terms about the digital workplace, all of them now have an official place in the dictionary.
Cambridge regularly updates its entries, but they don’t just grab any word that happens to be trending. Instead, they carefully select the ones they believe have staying power—words likely to last beyond the hype. So don’t be surprised if words you once thought were just jokes are now officially recognized as part of the English language.
Skibidi: The Magic Word From a YouTube Toilet
Let’s start with the most absurd yet viral one: skibidi. This word originated from the animated YouTube series Skibidi Toilet in 2023, featuring—you guessed it—human heads popping out of toilets, paired with bizarre music and scenes.
It may sound ridiculous, but for some reason, millions of Gen Alpha kids (those born in the 2010s) loved it.
In real life, skibidi is used super flexibly. It can mean cool, bad, or sometimes it’s just thrown in as a random, funny filler word. Examples include: “What the skibidi are you doing?” or “That wasn’t very skibidi rizz of you.” The term even crossed over into pop culture when Kim Kardashian showed off a necklace from her daughter engraved with “Skibidi Toilet.”
Cambridge defines skibidi as: "a word that can have different meanings such as ‘cool’ or ‘bad’, or can be used with no real meaning as a joke."
Delulu: Between Fantasy and Belief
Now this one you’ve definitely heard before: delulu. The word is a playful twist on delusional. The original Cambridge definition reads:
delulu: a play on the word delusional, means ‘believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to’.
At first, the term spread in K-pop fandoms, often used to tease fans who were convinced they could actually end up dating their idols. Over time, phrases like “delulu is the solulu” went viral on TikTok as a form of manifestation.
The word even made its way into politics! Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, once used the line “delulu with no solulu” during a parliamentary speech in 2025. Just imagine: a Gen Z slang term making the leap from stan culture all the way to national politics.
Tradwife: Retro Lifestyle in the Digital Age
This next one is a bit more controversial: tradwife. According to Cambridge:
Tradwife: short for traditional wife – ‘a married woman, especially one who posts on social media, who stays at home doing cooking, cleaning, etc. and has children that she takes care of’ – reflects a growing, controversial Instagram and TikTok trend that embraces traditional gender roles.
The phenomenon began gaining traction in the early 2020s, when certain female influencers showcased a “traditional wife” lifestyle—cooking, cleaning, raising children—and shared it on social media.
For some, it’s seen as a romanticized throwback to old-fashioned gender roles. For others, it’s simply a lifestyle choice.
Broligarchy: When the Tech “Bros” Run the World
From households to high-tech boardrooms, let’s move on to broligarchy. The Cambridge definition states:
Broligarchy: a blend of bro and oligarchy, means ‘a small group of men, especially men owning or involved in a technology business, who are extremely rich and powerful, and who have or want political influence’.
The word is often used to poke fun at—or criticize—the ultra-wealthy men of the tech industry, like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or Mark Zuckerberg. These “bros” aren’t just rich; they’re also suspected of harboring major political ambitions.
Lewk, Inspo, and Social Media Vocabulary
Not all new entries are serious—Cambridge also embraces the lighter slang that thrives on social media:
Lewk: 'a play on the word look, meaning a particular style, fashion, or outfit, especially one that is unusual and impressive'. The word has long been popular among influencers and drag queens, typically used to describe an outfit that really makes a statement.
Inspo: 'short for inspiration – something, especially content posted online, that gives you ideas or motivates you to do something'. A staple of Instagram captions, it’s a shorthand that’s become second nature to many.
The Hybrid Work Era
Beyond youth slang, some new entries reflect the realities of post-pandemic workplaces. For example, a mouse jiggler is a device or software that keeps your computer cursor moving so you appear online—even when you’re lying on the couch.
There’s also work spouse or work wife, a term for the close, supportive bond between colleagues who aren’t partners at home but feel like one at the office.
Brain Rot: The Side Effect of the Digital Age
Some words aren’t just slang but cultural diagnoses. Take brain rot, which the Oxford English Dictionary named its 2024 Word of the Year. It describes that numbing, “rotting brain” feeling after too many hours lost in the endless scroll of TikTok or YouTube.
If delulu embodies the “post-truth” era, where belief can matter more than fact, then brain rot captures the darker side of our digital habits—the exhaustion and mental fog that come from constant online immersion.
Language Evolves, Dictionaries Follow
Together, these additions point to something bigger: the internet is reshaping the way we speak. Words that once seemed like passing jokes or fleeting TikTok trends are now part of official lexicons—provided they prove their staying power.
As Colin McIntosh, Cambridge’s lexicographical program manager, puts it: “We only add words where we think they’ll have staying power.”
In other words, a dictionary isn’t just a formal record, it’s a mirror of culture. When people embrace words like skibidi, delulu, or tradwife, dictionaries are obliged to document them. After all, language belongs to its speakers, and every generation leaves behind its own linguistic fingerprints.
