ICYMI, the dictionary just added some pretty crazy modern words
As creatures of the internet, we’re constantly looking for ways to make communication easier and quicker. Which is why it’s never surprising when our peers start using made-up words or acronyms to express their thoughts in a concise way.
And it happens fast. Modern words spread like wildfire across the internet, and for anyone left in the dust, all it takes is a quick Google to be in the know. Or maybe a few Googles, because come on, there are a lot of new words to remember — like ICYMI, for example. People are basically creating a brand new modern language.
In fact, many of the new internet-y words are now official. Merriam-Webster has added over 1,400 new words and phrases and 700 new senses of existing words to their dictionary — many of which you’ll probably recognize, while some you may not.
Even though it may seem like Merriam-Webster might add words on a whim, it actually takes a lot of time and research before new words are added.
“The new entries and senses offer a kind of snapshot of how exactly our language expands,” according to Unabridged portion of the Merriam-Websiter website. “It doesn’t happen quickly — we monitored many of these words for years before they’d met our criteria for entry — and it’s pushed by various fields and endeavors.”
Unabridged has rounded up some of the best new words and their meanings:
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
“Used to draw attention to something published or posted online earlier.”
TMI: Too Much Information
“Used especially to suggest that someone has revealed personal information that would better be kept private.”
FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out
“Fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing.”
HELLA: Very, Extremely
Wacky Tobacky: Marijuana
It’s been used in anti drug ads and has been around since the ’70s, and is probably the most clever way we’ve ever heard Marijuana described.
Urban Fantasy: “A genre of imaginative fiction featuring supernatural characters or elements in an urban setting.”
Bitcoin: “A digital currency created for use in peer-to-peer online transactions.”
Revenge Porn: “Sexually explicit images of a person posted online without that person’s consent, especially as a form of revenge or harassment.”
Dox: “To publicly identify or publish private information about (someone), especially as a form of punishment or revenge.”
Athleisure: “Casual clothing designed to be worn both for exercising and for general use.”
Nomophobia: “Fear of being without access to a working cell phone.”
The fear is real.
