Boop! The dictionary has more words now — though some might give you the ick.
The Cambridge Dictionary added more than 3,200 words this year — including some Gen Z slang terms that will have some people feeling old.
While some slang terms and words often disappear from people’s dialects thanks to a constantly evolving language, Wendalyn Nichols, Cambridge Dictionary’s publishing manager, told the BBC that these new additions have “staying power.”
The new additions have gained popularity online and in youth culture in recent years. Here are the Gen Z terms that can now be found in the dictionary:
Made popular by the reality show “Love Island,” the Cambridge Dictionary defines “the ick” as: “a sudden feeling that you dislike someone or something or are no longer attracted to someone because of something they do.”
The dictionary used “give someone the ick” as an example, using it in a sentence: “I used to like Kevin, but when I saw him in that suit it gave me the ick.”
Those of you who religiously watch “Schitt’s Creek” have probably already added “boop” into your vocabulary thanks to Alexis Rose.
“Boop,” an affectionate touch, is defined as “a gentle hit or touch on a person’s or animal’s nose or head, showing that you like them or as a joke.”
For example, “A boop is a playful poke on the nose, often accompanied by saying ‘Boop!'”
The commonly used abbreviation has found its forever home in the dictionary, which stands for “if you know you know.”
Cambridge Dictionary says it is “used, for example on social media and in text messages, to show that there is a shared joke or shared knowledge with the reader that other people might not understand.”
Someone’s face journey is their series of expressions as they react to something in real time.
As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary: “a series of expressions that appear on someone’s face showing different emotions that they are experiencing as a reaction to something.”
This addition to the dictionary is chef’s kiss — the movement a chef makes to indicate that something tastes good.
“A movement in which you put your fingers and thumb together, kiss them, then pull your hand away from your lips as a way of showing that you think that something or someone is perfect or excellent,” the dictionary definition says.
Some gaming terminology has also been added to the dictionary, as many terms are now being used in day-to-day conversations.
“These gaming-inspired words have also begun to influence how we talk about our offline lives,” Colin McIntosh, Cambridge Dictionary’s program manager, said.
For example, in the gaming world, speedrun means “to complete a computer game, or part of a computer game, as quickly as possible” — but offline, it means “to complete something much faster than it is usually done.”
Side quest means “a part of a computer game that has its own aim and story but is not part of the main game” online, but IRL it means “an activity that is done in addition to another activity and is less important than it.”
For example, buying shoes to complete the outfit when the main mission was to shop for a dress would be a “side quest.”