You’re not delulu, the English language just got a little more skibidi after the Cambridge Dictionary added thousands of words over the last 12 months. These include words popularized by social media, celebrities, Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Among the 6,212 new words added are delulu, lewk, skibidi and tradwife — and Gen Alpha, meaning those born between 2010 and 2024.
“Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the Dictionary,” Colin McIntosh, a program manager at Cambridge Dictionary, said in a statement this week. “We only add words where we think they’ll have staying power.”
If you’re still confused, you’re not alone. Here’s what some of the newly added words and terms mean, according to Cambridge Dictionary.
Broligarchy: It combines the words “bro” and “oligarchy” and is defined as “a small group of men, especially men owning or involved in a technology business, who are extremely rich and powerful, and who have or want political influence.”
The term has been used to describe America’s tech leaders, like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
Delulu: It’s a play on the word “delusional” and means “believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to.”
Inspo: The word popularized on social media is short for “inspiration.” It’s defined as “something, especially something posted on the internet, that gives you ideas for doing something or that makes you want to do something.”
Lewk: It’s a playful twist on the word “look,” and means “a particular style, fashion, or outfit, especially one that is unusual and impressive.” It’s often used on social media or in fashion journalism and was made popular by the reality TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Mouse jiggler: A rise in remote work culture prompted this phrase, which means “a device or piece of software used to make it seem as though you are working when you are not.”
Skibidi: The slang term has different meanings, like “cool” or “bad,” or it can be used with no real meaning at all. The word was coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series called “Skibidi Toilet,” and the phrase became popular on social media.
Tradwife: It’s a shortened word for “traditional wife” and is defined as “a married woman, especially one who posts on social media, who stays at home doing cooking, cleaning, etc. and has children that she takes care of.” It represents a growing, controversial social media trend that embraces traditional gender roles.
The internet has crowned Hannah Neeleman of @ballerinafarm the queen of tradwives. Neeleman has over 10 million followers on Instagram and lives on a farm in Utah with her eight children, helps run the farm, cooks meals from scratch and competes in beauty pageants.