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what are the new words in the dictionary 2023

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What Are the New Words in the Dictionary 2023?

In 2023, major dictionaries like Merriam‑Webster and Dictionary.com added hundreds of new words and meanings , many inspired by internet culture, AI, and social trends. These updates show how fast everyday speech, memes, and tech jargon now become “official” language.

Mini Story: A Year When Slang Went Legit

Imagine scrolling social media in 2023: people talking about rizz , calling food bussin’ , worrying about smishing texts, and arguing whether an AI answer was just a hallucination. By the end of the year, those same words weren’t just jokes online—they were formally recorded in major dictionaries.

Dictionaries didn’t “approve” these words as much as they documented how people already use them. If a word shows up constantly in headlines, posts, and conversations, lexicographers take note—and 2023 was packed with such terms.

Standout New Words in 2023

Below are some of the most eye‑catching additions reported for 2023 in major English dictionaries (especially Merriam‑Webster and Dictionary.com).

Internet, slang, and pop‑culture

  • rizz – Charisma or romantic charm, especially in flirting contexts; widely used in TikTok and gaming culture.
  • GOATED – “Greatest of all time,” often used about athletes, artists, or creators.
  • bussin’ – Slang meaning “extremely good,” especially for food that tastes amazing.
  • simp (verb) – To show excessive devotion or longing for someone or something.
  • doggo – Cute slang term for a dog.
  • padawan – Informal term (from Star Wars) for a young or inexperienced person.
  • mid – Neither good nor bad; just average or meh.
  • bingo card (slang sense) – A list of scenarios you expect might happen, as in “I didn’t have that on my bingo card.”
  • jorts – Jean shorts (this term has been around for years, but got formal recognition in some lists).
  • thirst trap – A provocative photo or post designed to attract attention or compliments.

Texting and abbreviations

  • ngl – “Not gonna lie,” heavily used in online chat and posts.
  • TFW – “That feeling when,” often introducing a relatable meme or scenario.
  • TTYL – “Talk to you later.”

Tech, AI, and digital life

  • chatbot – A computer program designed to converse with users via text or speech.
  • GPT – Defined as a “generative pre‑trained transformer,” a machine‑learning model that generates text responses.
  • hallucination (AI sense) – A plausible but false or misleading response generated by an AI system.
  • smishing – Fraudulent text messages that try to trick people into sharing private or financial information (SMS + phishing).
  • vector graphics – A type of digital image based on mathematical paths rather than pixels, recognized in lists of new entries.
  • non‑player character (NPC) – A game‑design term popularized more broadly in internet culture.

Environment and lifestyle

  • rewild – To restore land or ecosystems to a more natural or wild state, often by reducing human activity and reintroducing species.
  • agrivoltaics (reported in 2023 OED‑related coverage) – The combined use of land for agriculture and solar power generation.

A few from Dictionary.com’s late‑2023 “drop”

Dictionary.com highlighted a “fall 2023 collection” of new terms and meanings such as:

  • information pollution – Overload of low‑quality, misleading, or distracting information.
  • jawn – Philadelphia‑area slang for “thing,” usable for almost anything.
  • decision fatigue – Mental exhaustion from making too many decisions.
  • jolabokaflod – An Icelandic tradition involving gifting and reading books at Christmas.
  • grandfamily – A family in which grandparents are raising their grandchildren.
  • algo – Short for “algorithm,” especially in social‑media and tech contexts.

How Many New Words Were Added in 2023?

Different dictionaries have their own updates and numbers, but some reported figures include:

[5][3] [5][3] [2][9] [2][9] [1] [1]
Dictionary / Site Approx. new words / senses in 2023 Example entries
Merriam‑Webster About 690 new words and meanings in a September 2023 update.rizz, GOATED, bussin’, doggo, mid, padawan, smishing, hallucination (AI sense), rewild.
Dictionary.com Roughly 500+ new words and revisions in its 2023 updates.nepo baby, chatbot, GPT, information pollution, jawn, decision fatigue, grandfamily, algo.
OED / other coverage Smaller highlighted sets, often mixing new and older‑but‑newly‑documented words.agrivoltaics, textspeak, and others reflecting modern tech and culture.
These numbers combine slang, technical terms, new senses for old words, and sometimes even older words that have just now been documented.

How Do New Words Get Into the Dictionary?

Dictionaries repeatedly stress that use comes first, dictionary entry comes later.

  • Lexicographers track words in news, books, social media, forums, and everyday usage.
  • A term needs:
    • Widespread use,
    • Consistent meaning,
    • Some staying power (not a one‑week meme),
    • And usefulness for general readers.
  • Only when those conditions are met does the word get a full entry with definitions, usage notes, and examples.

Dictionary.com even calls its lexicon a “work in progress” and emphasizes that adding a word is documentation , not endorsement.

Forum‑Style Angle: Why This Was a Trending Topic

In 2023, “what are the new words in the dictionary 2023” became a trending search and frequent forum thread, partly because people love seeing their online slang become “official.” Discussions often looked like this:

“They really put ‘rizz’ and ‘bussin’ in the dictionary? English is cooked.”

Others argued it shows how alive the language is: if we use it, it belongs. Tech and AI also drove curiosity—terms like chatbot , GPT , and AI hallucination made people realize dictionaries are tracking cutting‑edge trends almost in real time.

TL;DR

  • 2023 saw hundreds of new words added to major dictionaries, including slang like rizz , bussin’ , GOATED , and tech terms like GPT , chatbot , and AI hallucination.
  • Merriam‑Webster alone added about 690 new words and meanings in one big update.
  • Dictionary.com rolled out 500+ new words and revisions, with entries like nepo baby , information pollution , jawn , and more.
  • Dictionaries add these terms not to tell people how to talk, but to record how we already do.

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Curious about what are the new words in the dictionary 2023? Discover standout slang, AI terms, and cultural buzzwords added by Merriam‑Webster and Dictionary.com, plus how and why they made the cut.

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