“Dad bod” is now in the dictionary.
Merriam-Webster has added 455 new words to its dictionary, in an effort to keep up with our ever-changing language. Along with “dad bod,” entries this year include “FTW,” “amirite,” and a host of terms with which we’ve all become unfortunately familiar thanks to the pandemic, including “super-spreader” and “long COVID.”
“The quick and informal nature of messaging, texting, and tweeting has contributed to a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression,” the dictionary noted about entries like “TBH,” an abbreviation for “to be honest”; FTW, or “for the win”; and “amirite,” the arguably irritating shorthand for “am I right?”
Other words got additional meanings, as does happen, such as “because,” when used sarcastically. The dictionary explains it’s “often used in a humorous way to convey vagueness about the exact reasons for something.” It’s used in the non-explanations like “because reasons,” or “because science.”
“Dad bod” was described as “a physique regarded as typical of an average father; especially: one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.”
“Deplatform” comes from the world of cancel culture: “to remove and ban (a registered user) from a mass communication medium (such as a social networking or blogging website).”
The world of tech added some new words, too, including “copypasta,” described as, “data (such as a block of text) that has been copied and spread widely online. Copypasta can be a lighthearted meme or it can have a more serious intent, with a political or cultural message.”
“Teraflop” also made the list this year, defined as “a unit of measure for the calculating speed of a computer equal to one trillion.”
Check more of the new additions at Merriam-Webster.com, FTW.