The latest addition to the Cambridge Dictionary will make you say, “what the skibidi is happening to the English language?” One of the popular slang terms used extensively on social media, there are more than 6,000 additions this year to the dictionary. The internet culture’s impact on changing the English language is not new. If ‘demure’ could be the word of the year in 2024, then ‘delulu’ could arrive in the Cambridge dictionary. The new words that have been used in this year’s Cambridge Dictionary confirmed the increasing influence of the TikTok and Instagram generation on the English language. For those hoping the Gen Z and Gen Alpha slangs would just be a passing internet craze, the compilers say they are here to stay. ‘Delulu,’ ‘Skibidi,’ ‘Tradwife’ and ‘Work Spouse’ are the new words among 6,000. So, what do these slangs mean? Let’s explore the latest addition to the Cambridge dictionary and its meaning as your guide to the Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang terms.

‘Delulu,’ ‘Skibidi,’ ‘Tradwife’ & ‘Work Spouse’ Among 6000 New Words

“Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the dictionary,” Cambridge Dictionary’s lexical programme manager, Colin McIntosh, was quoted as saying in reports. The new words added to the Cambridge English Dictionary in 2025 speak volumes about the current social media-driven culture. The additions fit a growing tendency for dictionaries and lexicology to embrace how the internet shapes culture and language. What Is Brain Rot? Know Meaning of the Term Picked by Oxford University as Word of the Year 2024. 

Cambridge Dictionary Adds 6000 Words

  • Skibidi: The word became a viral phenomenon after gaining traction through Skibidi Toilet, a surreal animated YouTube series featuring human heads popping out of toilets. It received a boost due to the Russian band Little Big, whose 2018 hit Skibidi went viral with over 700 million views. Following the virality, the dictionary defined 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: An abbreviation of delusional, the word that was originally used to mock obsessive K-Pop fans evolved into a more general phrase for wishful thinking. “Delulu is the solulu” became Instagram’s favourite captions and popular TikTok videos, suggesting that delusion (personal beliefs over a reality) helps manifest desires. The Cambridge Dictionary entry defines delulu as “believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to.”

  • Tradwife: A short form of traditional wife, the word was used enough in 2018 on YouTube and Instagram as two separate words before being used more widely in 2020 as a single word. The word refers to socially conservative influencers who celebrate looking after their husbands, children and homes and post about it on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. The Cambridge Dictionary defines tradwife as someone who “stays at home doing cooking, cleaning, etc and has children that she takes care of, and “especially one who posts on social media.”

  • Broligarchy: A term used to define powerful male tech billionaires as a blend of “bro” and “oligarchy.” These bros are wealthy and successful members of the tech world and are now assuming greater political power.

  • Mouse Jiggler: The increase in remote working settings since the pandemic has created the new dictionary entry “mouse jiggler,” a device or piece of software used to make it seem like you are working when you are not.

  • Snackable: Reflecting on our ever-shorter attention spans, “snackable” describes content that one can read or play in small amounts or for a short time.

  • Lewk: A deliberate misspelling of “look,” to describe a stylish, distinctive and memorable fashion moment or outfit.

    Work Spouse: A phrase for workplace platonic relationships, where two people help and trust each other.

  • Forever Chemical: It refers to artificial chemicals used to make different products, which stay in the environment for a long time and are harmful to the health of people and animals.

To monitor how different people use new words, how often and more, Cambridge Dictionary reportedly uses the Cambridge English Corpus, a database of more than two billion words of written and spoken English.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2025 03:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).