‘Trigger Warning,’ ‘Hella’ Among Merriam-Webster’s New Words
Your vocabulary is about to expand.
Merriam-Webster has added 2,000 words and phrases to its dictionary. A lot of them you may already know or use ("cold turkey," "revenge porn," "TMI"), while some may be totally foreign to you ("Mx.," "meet cute," nomophobia").
Here's a look at some of the words, along with their definitions. Whether they will remain part of the public vernacular remains to be seen, but for now they have definitely made their presence felt.
Bitcoin n : a digital currency created for use in peer-to-peer online transactions
cold case n : an unsolved criminal investigation (as of a homicide or abduction) that has stopped being actively pursued because of a lack of evidence
cold turkey n : abrupt complete cessation without medication of the use of drugs by a drug addict
compassion fatigue n : apathy or indifference toward the suffering of others as the result of overexposure to tragic news stories and images and the subsequent appeals for assistance
dipsogenic adj : producing thirst
dox transitive verb, slang : to publicly identify or publish private information about (someone) especially as a form of punishment or revenge
FOMO n, informal : fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing
hella adv, slang : very, extremely
ICYMI abbr : used to draw attention to something published or posted online earlier
meet-cute n : a cute, charming, or amusing first encounter between romantic partners (as in a movie)
Mx. n, chiefly British -- used as a gender-neutral title of courtesy
naff adj, British, informal : lacking in style or good taste : vulgar and unfashionable
nomophobia n : fear of being without access to a working cell phone
revenge porn n : sexually explicit images of a person posted online without that person’s consent especially as a form of revenge or harassment
TMI abbr : too much information
trigger warning n : a statement cautioning that content (as in a text, video, or class) may be disturbing or upsetting
wacky tobacky n, slang : marijuana