Pokémon, Woke, Butthurt, and Ghosting Added to Dictionary.com Because Language Never Sleeps

Pokémon, woke, butthurt, ghosting, health goth, mom jeans, and more just got added to Dictionary.com.

Not Available Lead
Image via Complex Original
Not Available Lead

Imagine trying to read this article without words—you couldn't. Even ardent non-readers, after all, are fans of slang and common vernacular. So we can all rejoice in this moment, as Dictionary.com has wisely and ceremoniously introduced its latest batch of new additions. Sick of explaining what "butthurt" means to your mom? Now you can point her to a vaguely official definition instead!

"We get over 5.5 billion word lookups every year, and we analyze those lookups to identify new words that we haven't seen before," Liz McMillan, Dictionary.com CEO, toldTIME Tuesday. "And when we see a critical mass of volume against a particular word, our lexicography team will start researching." The final process of word selection, so as to prevent straight-up trolling efforts, is described by McMillan as "algorithm first, human second." Good! Humans should never be first in anything.

In addition to the debut of butthurt, the latest update includes the arrival of ghosting, health goth (it me?), lamestream, Pokémon, woke, mom jeans, and many more. For clarification purposes, the announcement of new words also means the unveiling of succinct definitions. For example, Dictionary.com considers "woke" to mean being "actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices," while "butthurt" is summarized as a state of "mental distress or irritation caused by an overreaction to a perceived personal slight." Compelling work, Dictionary.com.

"With technology we have an opportunity to make the dictionary more of a living, breathing thing, like language itself," McMillan told TIME, reinforcing all that stuff I typed earlier about words being cool and what not. What's that? You actually don't like words?

Peep the full list of inductees here.

Latest in Life