If you didn't know that there were cool, new and exciting words recently added to the English dictionary in the past decade, well... now you know! Most of these words recently added to the English dictionary are commonly used words or slang words. They're used so much by the general population that they had to be added. Continue reading below to find out what words the Oxford dictionary authors couldn't help but to add!
Definition: "To Remove (someone) from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking site." I wasn't surprised when I found out that "Unfriend" was among the words recently added to the English dictionary. It's so common! Ever since the rise of Myspace, Facebook, and other social networks, "Unfriend" has been used quite frequently, especially when those social network friends aren't being so friendly! So you see, the dictionary authors just had to add it!
Definition: "To make a posting on the social networking service Twitter." I'm pretty sure the word "Tweet" was already in the dictionary, however, it referred to a sound made by a bird. Now, the secondary definition has been added, referring to Twitter posting! How cool is that?
Definition: "To track the activities or postings of (a person, group, etc.) by subscribing to their account on a social media website or application." "Follow" is another word recently added to the English dictionary referring to social networking. The word is used so much across so many different social networking sites (e.g. Twitter, Tumblr, Bloglovin, etc) that the dictionary authors felt it was necessary to add an alternate definition to the dictionary.
Definition: "A situation in which a platonic relationship exists between two people, one of whom has an undeclared romantic or sexual interest in the other." Although it's a word that describes an unfortunate situation, it's still use very frequently among English language speakers, especially those from North America.
Definition: "A large group of people organized by means of the Internet, or mobile phones or other wireless devices, who assemble in public to perform a prearranged action together and then quickly disperse." Flash mobs are magnificent, and they've become so popular lately! It had to be added to the dictionary, because of its increased popularity! I saw a flash mob of more than 50 people, and I asked, "What is that?" The guy next to me said, "It's a Flash mob!" I immediately looked up the word, and there it was! I would've never known what the group was and what they were doing, if I didn't find it in the dictionary!
Definition: "An intimate and affectionate friendship between men." A bromance is an intimate relationship, but know that it's a non-sexual one. I always love seeing bromances develop! Men can be so distant, and to see a bromance form is refreshing. It shows me that some men like to have close guy friends as much as women like to have close girl friends! Adding "bromance" to the dictionary was a good call, since it's another word that's so popular!
Definition: "The female genitals; the vagina." I saved this one for last because I think it's the funniest of them all! Va-jay-jay is simply a humorous way to say "vagina." It's a hilarious addition to the dictionary, however I'm not sure why it was added; I don't hear it much from the general population. Do you?!
It's amazing how we make up words, share them, and sooner or later they become part of the English dictionary! Are there any other cool words you know were recently added to the dictionary? What words were you surprised to find on the list? Share your thoughts!
Sources: oed.com, oxforddictionaries.com