If the use of “yeet” or “zaddy” makes you say “oof,” things
are about to change for you.
All three words are among the 300 new words and definitions
added to Dictionary.com in its latest update.
“The latest update to our dictionary continues to mirror the
world around us,” says John Kelly, managing editor of Dictionary.com. “Long
COVID, minoritize, 5G, content warning, domestic
terrorism – it’s a complicated and challenging society we live in, and
language changes to help us grapple with it.”
The entries are meant to
demonstrate the role of Dictionary.com in documenting and educating on all
aspects of language, from changes in culture and tech due to the pandemic and
keeping track of ways that people reckon with their identity.
“Snack” has a whole new connotation, thanks to newly added slang sense of the word
meaning a “sexy and physically attractive person,” and you can feel confident
calling an attractive man a “zaddy” knowing it is recognized as its own word.
Marking its spread into the mainstream vernacular, “y’all”
has finally received its own entry as well.
Dictionary.com also adopted new entries inspired by changes
in technology, such as “5G,” and new words describing COVID, such as “long
haul,” “long hauler,” and “long COVID,” which describe the long-term effects of
the virus.
There are also a number of new words meant to reflect the
growing awareness of inequality, inequity, and their deeper causes, including
the addition of “DEI,” standing for “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and
“JEDI,” or “justice, equity, diversity , and inclusion.”
The site will offer a new AI-backed writing tool that
provides users with grammar corrections, and a “Dictionary Academy” offering
tutors to help students reach academic success.