1,400 words added to Merriam-Webster dictionary: Trash panda, looksmaxxing and superfood are some

Merriam-Webster has added 1,400 words and meanings to its lexicon, with internet culture making a strong showing.

America’s oldest dictionary publisher, Merriam-Webster, has added 1,400 words and meanings to its lexicon, with internet culture making a strong showing. Among the new entries are glow-up, looksmaxxing, meme coin, vibe coding and crashout. “The new entries reflect words and meanings that have demonstrated widespread use over time, offering a window into the world today,” the publisher said.

HT Image

From bao to trash panda

Food gets its share too, with bao, cake pop and superfood making the cut. Then there’s trash panda, the affectionate slang term for a raccoon, and whack-a-mole, used for a problem that keeps resurfacing in a new form.

Dating, dread and false memories

Some additions capture very specific modern moods. Cuffing season refers to the colder months when single people seek a partner, while Sunday scaries describes that end-of-weekend anxiety. Mandela effect has also entered the dictionary for the phenomenon of groups sharing the same false memory.

Merriam-Webster is expected to announce its Word of the Year later this year. In 2025, it chose slop, after expanding the term to include low-quality digital content produced in large quantities using AI.

Other additions include

Rickroll: To prank someone into listening to Never Gonna Give You Up by English singer Rick Astley

Uncanny valley: The creepy feeling from seeing something artificial that almost appears real

Parasocial: A one-sided emotional connection

Vibe coding - Using an artificial intelligence system to generate computer code

Sunday scaries: The feeling of anxiety or sadness knowing that the weekend is ending

Crashout: A dramatic ending, loss or defeat, or emotional breakdown