GLOW-UP

Merriam-Webster Adds 1,400 New Words, Including ‘Looksmaxxing’ and ‘Meme Coin’

The dictionary publisher has gotten a “glow-up.”

Having a “crashout” or experiencing the “Sunday scaries”? Ever fallen for a “rickroll”? Merriam-Webster is keeping up with the ever-evolving English language by adding 1,400 new words and definitions to its site. The dictionary’s latest “glow-up” is intended to “reflect words and meanings that have demonstrated widespread use over time, offering a window into the world today,” the dictionary publisher said in a statement on Tuesday. New entries include “California sober”—in which a person abstains from drugs and alcohol while continuing to use cannabis—and “cake pop.” Other new words, such as “looksmaxxing”—a social media subculture focused on using often-controversial methods to increase physical attractiveness—and “parasocial” —referring to a one-sided emotional connection with someone one doesn’t know personally—are inspired by the internet. Many tech- and AI-related terms also made it into the dictionary, including “vibe coding,” “compute” as a noun, “meme coin” and “AGI,” referring to a hypothetical type of AI with human-like intelligence.