From Lockdown Foot and Boffices to Dragging Sites and Quit Lit, the world is changing rapidly – and so is the way we describe it. Language expert Adam Jacot de Boinod presents the annual list of new words entered into the dictionary in the last 12 months.
Anthropause: An era in which activity and movement of humans are significantly reduced.
Ask gap: This is the difference between people asking for (and receiving) more than they actually earn.
Black sky: An event that results in widespread power cuts, like a cyber-attack.
Lockdown foot was one of the new 2021 terms. This is a condition that results from wearing slippers or bare feet at home, and making it painful or difficult to get normal shoes back.
Boffice: Bed used for working at home as an office.
Cardening: Caring for and growing plants.
Comfort and Luxury: Comfury refers to a type of clothing that mixes comfort and luxury.
You can remove parts from a device, such as the mobile phone’s battery or charger for recycling.
Dragging website: An online platform that severely critiques people.
Dunchfast: This is breakfast, lunch, or dinner that’s served once per day.
The Eco Score is information on how food packaging affects the environment.
Finfluencer: A person who is able to draw attention on social media through financial advice.
Glitch (pronounced “glitch”): This dance is popular on TikTok. The moves are fast and awkward, giving the impression that viewers have a poor internet connection.
Day of heat: A day when children don’t have to be at school or work because it is too hot.
The Human Cloud: This is a freelance workforce that works remotely from anywhere in the world.
Hurry Syndrome: You rush things because you are stressed.
Hyperpop: Online pop music which exaggerates elements of the genre.
Inflammage is a rapid increase in the ageing process due to inflammation.
When a lot of people are notified by their phone that they have a problem, it is known as a “pingdemic”. This refers to the disturbance caused when many people lose contact with Covid-19.
Lockdown foot: This is when you spend too much time at home wearing slippers and barefoot, which makes it hard or painful for you to put on normal shoes again.
Metaverse is a shared online space that allows people to interact with each other through avatars.
Microdelivery: Delivery of one item, usually food or beverage, within a short time after the order is placed online.
Midweeker: A short holiday taken outside of weekend.
Minimony is a small ceremony for a wedding that takes place before or instead of a larger celebration.
Pingdemic is a disruption that occurs when large numbers of people get a telephone alert in order to isolate themselves after having contact with Covid-19.
One pill that includes multiple drugs: Polypill
Reverse lie in: You go to bed earlier than you usually do and then wake up much sooner the next morning.
Quit lit is a book about quitting alcohol consumption or how to quit your job.
Sadwear: Wear clothes that help you feel more positive when you are sad.
A “social hangover” is feeling tired and ill after time spent with friends or family.
Shecession is a recession that only affects women.
Skin fasting is a way to avoid using too many or even very few skincare products for a period of time. Some believe this can be beneficial for your skin.
Sleepcast: A podcast of sounds or voices designed to give you a good night’s sleep.
Social hangover: Feeling tired and ill after time spent with loved ones, especially after being locked down.
Spatial audio: A way of playing music that makes the sound seem as if it’s coming from many places.
Sponge City: An area that is more susceptible to flooding and has been rebuilt so that rainwater can be absorbed into the ground.
Spread booking: You can book multiple trips, but only one trip will be cancelled before your travel date.
The Stretchologist: A person who can improve your posture, flexibility and teach you proper stretching.
Tornado Omelette: This is a type of omelette that involves whisking eggs using chopsticks to form a cone.
Vitamin S: The benefits of social contact with others are as important as vitamins for our health.
Zombie Storm: This is a type of storm which dies but gains more energy.