33 words you won't believe are actually in the dictionary

June 2024 ยท 6 minute read
Updated 2021-10-16T12:57:13Z

"Bae" is a term of endearment.

Salt bae works his magic. Jerritt Clark/Getty Images

Definition: A boyfriend or girlfriend; a romantic or sexual partner. Originally and chiefly as a term of endearment or affectionate form of address.

"Bridey" is another way of saying bride-like.

A wedding dress. Thibault Camus/AP

Definition: Like a bride; resembling that of a bride.

"Dumpster fire" can have a more metaphorical definition.

A dumpster burning during a protest. Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

Definition: A fire in a dumpster, or a chaotic or disastrously mishandled situation.

"Jerkface" might be used in a heated argument.

Someone is being a jerkface. Dean Drobot/Shutterstock

Definition: An irritating, despicable, or contemptible person. Chiefly as a term of abuse.

"Noob" began as video-game slang.

New to the game. Cate Gillon/Getty Images

Definition: Originally and often in online contexts: a person new to or inexperienced in a particular sphere or activity, especially computing or video games.

Cocktail parties can be "schmoozefests."

A schmoozefest. Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

Definition: An event, meeting, etc, involving a great deal of schmoozing, especially one at which people chat in an ingratiating or insincere way.

Comedians have been known to do "spit takes."

Stephen Colbert does a spit take in Washington DC in 2010. Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS

Definition: An act of suddenly spitting out the liquid one is drinking as a reaction to something surprising or funny, especially as a technique in comedic acting.

When something is trending in the "Twittersphere," it will probably show up on your feed.

People using Twitter. Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo/Reuters

Definition: The notional environment in which people use the social networking service Twitter; such people considered collectively.

A "bro hug" is not significantly different from a regular hug.

A bro hug. Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

Definition: a friendly embrace between two men.

"YOLO" became part of popular culture when Drake released his song "The Motto (YOLO)" in 2012.

Because YOLO. PomInOz/Shutterstock

Definition: "You only live once;" used to express the view that one should make the most of the present moment without worrying about the future (often as a rationale for impulsive or reckless behavior).

"Adorbs" is a shortened form of "adorable."

An adorable kitten. Photo by Wang He/Getty Images

Definition: arousing great delight; cute or adorable.

Smartphones made "selfies" popular.

Taking a selfie with Queen Elizabeth. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Definition: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.

"Fuhgeddaboudit" is a popular saying on "The Sopranos."

"The Sopranos." HBO

Definition: forget about it (used to indicate that a scenario is unlikely or undesirable).

While used for decades, "yas" became better known through a viral video in the 2010s where a Lady Gaga fan expressed his admiration for the star.

Yaaas, Gaga. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Definition: expressing great pleasure or excitement.

"Vom," in other words, is vomit.

Not fun. michaelheim/Shutterstock

Definition: vomit.

Some people might have stronger "gaydar" than others.

New York Pride. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Definition: the supposed ability of homosexuals to recognize one another by means of very slight indications.

When it's not a phone or a tablet, it's a "phablet."

A "phablet." Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Definition: a smartphone having a screen which is intermediate in size between that of a typical smartphone and a tablet computer.

Designer Betsey Johnson is an example of a "glam-ma."

Betsey Johnson. Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Definition: a glamorous grandmother, especially one who is relatively young or fashion-conscious.

"Worstest" is an actual word.

Getting a ticket is the worstest. Shutterstock

Definition: worst in emphatic use.

Some arguments can be settled with a "dance-off."

"Napoleon Dynamite" having a dance-off with himself. Fox Searchlight Pictures

Definition: a competition, or a round in a competition, in which a number of dancers compete against each other until a winner is declared.

"Emojis" have changed the way we communicate.

The emoji featured on WhatsApp. Edoardo Maggio/Business Insider

Definition: a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc.

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are "besties."

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Definition: best friends.

"Bookaholics" can never have too many books.

So many books. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

Definition: a habitual and prolific reader; a compulsive book buyer.

Miley Cyrus made waves when she began to "twerk" at the 2013 VMAs.

Miley Cyrus performs. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for MTV

Definition: dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.

"Vlog" is short for "video blog."

Vlogs of YouTubers reviewing viral food trends are especially popular. Eric Gay/AP

Definition: a personal website or social media account where a person regularly posts short videos.

"Glamping" puts regular camping to shame.

Not your average tent. Business Insider

Definition: a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.

People get "hangry" when they haven't eaten.

Snacks are crucial. Max Rossi/Reuters

Definition: bad-tempered or irritable as a result of hunger.

"Binge-watching" has become a national pastime.

Just one more episode. Shutterstock

Definition: to watch multiple episodes of (a television program) in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.

"Puggles" are, to use another new word, "adorbs."

Too cute for words. Elizabeth Winterbourne/Shutterstock

Definition: a dog that is a cross-breed of a pug and a beagle.

"MacGyver," a popular show in the '80s, became a verb.

"MacGyver." ABC

Definition: to construct, fix, or modify something in an improvised or inventive way, typically by making use of whatever items are at hand.

"Adulting" also became a verb.

One might say that cooking dinner is "adulting." PeopleImages/Getty Images

Definition: to become, be, or behave as an adult; to carry out the mundane or everyday tasks that are a necessary part of adult life.

Many films and TV shows imagine what would happen in a "zombocalypse."

A still from Netflix's "Army of the Dead." Netflix

Definition: An imaginary event (as in a film, etc.) in which the world is taken over by zombies.

To "glitter bomb" someone is a harmless but devious prank.

A scene from the reality show "Miz and Mrs." USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Definition: to disperse a shower of glitter over (someone or something) as a prank or as part of a political protest.

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