Three more Gen Z slang words have been added to the dictionary, and reading them will make you feel so old.
Adding internet trending phrases to the dictionary is not a new phenomenon; phrases like “bae” and “rizz” have been added to the dictionary in recent years, reminding us that English is a language that is constantly evolving.
However, with the introduction of social media, language and communication have evolved more rapidly than ever before, meaning phrases like “YOLO,” “game,” and “on point” have long since been relegated to the slang graveyard.
To celebrate the constant change in language, here are three new Gen Z words that remind millennials that they’re no longer the young and cool generation.
The English dictionary is constantly evolving. (Getty Stock Images)
Ik
Let’s start with “ick,” by far the most commonly used of the three, which is how you communicate sudden disinterest or dislike for someone early on in a date.
While no one can fully agree on what constitutes “discomfort” and it often varies greatly from person to person, we all know that feeling uncomfortable can sound the death knell for a budding relationship.
Commonly reported examples of annoying behavior include being rude to restaurant or bar staff, making loud chewing noises, and speaking in a baby voice – but these may actually be good things for your dating life.
Boop
A quick U-turn from the unpleasantness and on to the next addition: boop.
“Boop” or “booping” is more of an action than a phrase, referring to a gentle tap on someone’s nose or head as a sign of affection.
The Cambridge Dictionary cites a video of a golden retriever “getting booped on the nose” as an example of the term.
Is this person trying to learn the latest slang? (Getty Stock Images)
Chef’s kiss
Last but not least, there’s the chef’s kiss, which is another way to show your approval of something or someone you’re talking about, and it’s just perfect.
This is also both an expression and a phrase, but in a chef’s kiss, you pinch your thumb and fingers together and kiss them, then dramatically remove your hand from your lips and say the phrase, or both.
An example from the Cambridge Dictionary is, “She tasted the sauce and got a chef’s kiss.”
Other words added include IYKYK (an abbreviation for “If You Know, You Know”) and gaming terms such as speedrun and sidequest.
Wendalyn Nicholls, publishing manager at Cambridge Dictionaries, said the words were chosen from the thousands of new words created every day because they believed they had more “staying power” in the English language.
Let’s just hope someone doesn’t try to put the phrase brain rot in the dictionary.
