From Memes to Meaning: Slangs Like Skibidi, Inspo, Delulu, and more get Cambridge Dictionary recognition

The evolution of language continues to be closely influenced by digital spaces and online behavior, and this influence is increasingly being formalized. In 2025, the Cambridge Dictionary added over 6,000 new words. Many of the most eye-catching ones came straight from Gen-Z memes and how they use social media. Words like skibidi, delulu, inspo, and broligarchy aren't just found in TikTok comments or Reddit posts anymore; they've become accepted ways to communicate.

The Cambridge team checks its English Corpus (a huge collection of words from real-life use) to see if a word is stable and common enough to add.  As a result, many colloquial or informal words tend to be recognized much sooner here than in more historically focused works like the Oxford English Dictionary.

The words "skibidi," "delulu", and "tradwife" are among the latest Cambridge Dictionary additions of more than 6,000 new words and phrases over the past year.

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Here are some notable Cambridge dictionary additions and their meanings

Below are some of the most notable new entries, along with the description used by Cambridge Dictionary to define them:

• Skibidi – A flexible word that can mean something positive or negative (such as “cool” or “bad”), or may sometimes be used with no literal meaning at all, purely as a joke or expression.
• Delulu – A shortened form of “delusional,” referring to a state of believing things that are not real or true, typically because a person willingly chooses to accept a more ideal version of reality.
• Inspo – Short for “inspiration,” used to describe something (often from online content) that sparks ideas or motivates someone to act or create.
• Broligarchy – A blend of “bro” and “oligarchy,” describing a small group of wealthy and powerful men, particularly in the tech sector, who either hold or seek considerable political influence.
• Gen Alpha – a term used to describe individuals born during the 2010s and the early 2020s.
• Green flag – a positive indication that something is going well or has a high chance of success, commonly used online to refer to desirable qualities in a romantic partner.
• Tradwife – Refers to a married woman who performs traditional household roles such as cooking and childcare, and often shares this lifestyle on social media. The term is derived from “traditional wife.”
• Mouse jiggler – A physical device or software tool designed to move a computer mouse slightly so that it appears the user is active, even when they are not.

While this faster, usage-based inclusion strategy sets Cambridge apart, the more conservative Oxford English Dictionary is likely to integrate the same terms at a later stage once they gain broader representation in formal and written contexts.