Everyone has unconscious beliefs about other groups, and these beliefs can cause them to discriminate against others. “Unconscious bias” is a negative term, which was added to the Oxford English Dictionary last year.
How to use it: In this class, you can’t speak truthiness and expect to get away with it.ĭefinition : unconscious prejudice against people of a certain race, gender, or group It was meant to be a joke, but many dictionaries have now included the word – including Merriam-Webster. With so much disinformation going around right now, we think it’s a great word for 2021. The word “truthiness” became popular after American comedian Stephen Colbert talked about it on his show The Colbert Report back in 2005. He posts so many photos of our dog Jellybean on Instagram because he wants her to be a dog model.ĭefinition : something that seems true but isn’t backed up by evidence Thirsty is informal, and it’s mostly used by young people. “Thirsty” means having a strong desire for attention – especially on social media. We know what you’re thinking: doesn’t thirsty mean needing to drink? Well, Merriam-Webster added a new definition of the word last year. How to use it: My sister is a quarenteen and spends a lot of time on TikTok.ĭefinition : Having a need for attention or approval If it is added, quarenteen will be a homophone for the word “quarantine.” It’ll also be a compound noun of “quarantine” and “teenager.” How to use it: Many healthcare professionals and essential workers still do not have access to PPE.ĭefinition : a teenager during the COVID-19 pandemicĭo you know a “quarenteen?” It’s another word that’s been observed by Cambridge Dictionary – but hasn’t been added quite yet. Masks, gloves, face shields, and goggles are all examples of PPE. This is the clothing people wear to protect themselves from danger. PPE is the abbreviation of personal protective equipment. Many of us first heard the word “PPE” at the beginning of the pandemic, and the word was added by Merriam-Webster last April. I think it’s why I feel so anxious now.ĭefinition: an abbreviation for personal protective equipment How to use it: I was doomscrolling on Twitter today while reading about Covid-19 cases. It’s a combination of the noun “doom” and verb “scroll” – and was made popular by the journalist Karen Ho last year. And, we’ve all done it. Doomscrolling is when you become obsessed with staying up to date with bad news. Doomscrollingĭefinition: Reading the news on social media and expecting it to be bad – so much so that you become obsessed with looking at updatesĭ added “doomscrolling” last summer. How to use it: Our family started to shop at a new grocery store, because we wanted the option to have contactless delivery. Merriam-Webster added the word to their dictionary in April, right at the beginning of the pandemic.
People who choose contactless delivery get their groceries or food delivered to the doorsteps, but don’t have to go out to receive them. “Contactless” delivery became a popular option for shoppers last year. Contactlessĭefinition: not having to physically touch or interact with people
How to use it: Today on our awe walk we noticed a tree we’d never seen before. The word was actually coined by the authors of a recent psychological study, which found older people who took awe walks felt more positive and less stressed over time. So when someone says they will take an awe walk, it means they’ll notice – and feel grateful for – all the small things around them. The word “awe” means a feeling of respect. “Awe walk” hasn’t been added to the Cambridge Dictionary yet – but they have noticed it’s been used quite a bit. Awe walkĭefinition : Taking a walk outside and making an effort to look at the things around you We clean the whole house every Saturday! 2. How to use it: My roommates and I are adulting during lockdown. In December, the Oxford English Dictionary added the word “adulting.” It’s often used by young people when they talk about doing tasks that are essential to every-day life – like cooking meals, buying insurance, or paying taxes. Adultingĭefinition : The action of becoming or acting like an adult So, what are some of the words that got added last year? Let’s explore 10 new words you’ll need for 2021: 1. But when the pandemic began, many words we’d never heard of suddenly became part of our day-to-day vocabulary – think words like “ furlough”, “stay at home order”, and COVID-19 (which was only invented in February). With this, dictionaries raced to add new entries, and helped us to define our “new normal”. Hundreds of new words are added to the dictionary each year, and it often takes months of consideration to decide which ones.