New Words Including Rizz and Simp Added to the Dictionary

The English language is always evolving, so it’s standard for new words to appear, and it’s even more common for old words to take on new meanings. While slang is something older generations always struggle to understand, its importance to language means that slang words are always popping up in the dictionary! It’s a good way to help those from older generations keep up with all of the new terms popping up and understand their meaning.

The Ones That Stand Out

Since technology and the internet have become popular and people and cultures are mixing more and more, it’s only natural that more and more slang words have started to make their way into everyday language. Here are some of the most unusual and interesting ones that made their way into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in September of 2023!

“Rizz” comes from the word charisma, and it basically means that someone is very charming, especially in terms of romantic partners. Then there’s “zhuzh,” which is when a small improvement completes something, like a look or taste. It’s often said as “zhuzh up.” “Padawan” has also taken on a new meaning beyond the Star Wars franchise, now just meaning any young naive, or inexperienced person.

The Most Trusted Dictionary

Merriam-Webster is known throughout America as one of the most trusted dictionaries, so it’s no wonder people are confused by the new slang words added. A total of 690 new terms were added, showing that Merriam-Webster is keeping up with the times!

There are plenty of other slang words like doggo, cromulent, and goated, and even abbreviations such as NGL, TFW, and more. Not gonna lie, we’re excited to see how language continues to evolve and grow with each new year passing by and generation giving dying words a new meaning.