Cambridge Dictionary online adds ‘Skibidi’ & ‘BrainRot’ as official terms

LONDON: Cambridge University Press has introduced 6,000 new words and expressions to the Cambridge Dictionary online edition during the past year.

Some new additions are terms made famous by Gen Z and Gen Alpha crowds, typically with online media such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Among them is “skibidi”, an unintelligible term with dynamic meaning, at times employed to describe something “cool,” “bad,” or nothing in particular with a definable meaning. It came from the YouTube meme series Skibidi Toilet, which has been classified as one of the “brain rot” type of digital media, predominantly watched by Gen Alpha.

A new word, “delulu”, is a truncated version of “delusional.” As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, it refers to someone who prefers to think untrue things. The entry features a 2025 citation for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who employed the term “delulu with no solulu” in a parliamentary address.

Social Trends Impact Definitions

“Tradwife,” a portmanteau of “traditional” and “wife,” has been added too. It refers to a trend that has emerged on social media that encourages traditional marriage and gender roles. It has been a topic of both interest and debate on the internet.

Other terms of culture added are “lewk,” which is used to refer to a unique or stylish look, especially popularized by RuPaul’s Drag Race, and “inspo,” shorthand for “inspiration.”

Tech and Environment-Related Terms

The move to remote work has also introduced new office jargon. “Mouse jiggler” is the name given to software or a device that mimics computer use, making distant workers seem busy when they are not.

“Forever chemical” was the term applied to man-made chemicals that last in the environment and have the potential to cause health impacts, and gained prevalence with enhanced exposure to environmental harm and climate change.

Colin McIntosh, Lexical Programme Manager for the Cambridge Dictionary, explained that the team only adds new words when there is definitive proof that they will stick around. “Internet culture is reshaping the English language, and it’s an interesting thing to see and record in the dictionary,” he said.