Merriam-Webster is giving its dictionary another “glow-up,” adding 1,400 words and definitions.The dictionary publisher announced the new additions on its website on Tuesday.The new words and definitions include “shapewear,” “looksmaxxing” and “meme coin.” “The new entries reflect words and meanings that have demonstrated widespread use over time, offering a window into the world today,” the company said in the release.Other words and definitions that made it into the dictionary include “parasocial,” “compute,” “vibe coding,” and “superfood,” food rich in nutrients, including salmon, broccoli, and blueberries.As temperatures drop across the country, Merriam-Webster fittingly added “cuffing season” to its dictionary.
The company defines the term as “a time of the year when people who are not married or in a relationship begin looking for a short-term romantic partner to spend the colder months of the year with.”And amid widespread fears about AI’s impact on humanity in recent days, the company added “uncanny valley” to its collection of definitions.Merriam-Webster defines the term as “that creepy feeling that results from something artificial appearing almost—but not quite—human.”The nod to AI follows Merriam-Webster’s word of 2025, “slop,” which the company defines as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.”Merriam-Webster has not yet announced a Word of the Year for 2026.
The company typically makes the announcement later in the final quarter of the year.The company said on its website that it adds new words and phrases to its repertoire based on frequent, widespread, and meaningful use.“The definer must judge whether there is enough evidence to put a new word in; that judgment will be reviewed by more senior colleagues as the dictionary moves through the editorial process, but there’s no committee, no advocacy, no meetings for...