These Slang Terms Are Now Entries on Dictionary.com

(SPOT.ph) Human experience shapes how language evolves, and it’s only a matter of time before your office lunch’s new fave buzz word hits the mainstream. Some slang terms have officially made their debut as terms on Dictionary.com, a.k.a the Internet’s unofficial-yet-somehow-official glossary of terms. Some of them, like girl dinner and bed rotting, are awfully familiar, while some are foreign and yet describe a feeling we all share.

If the past years were defined by terms that arose during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, this year’s official entries are about the human condition in a post-lockdown world filled with stress, rising costs, and an ever-changing online landscape.

Here are the meanings behind new slang terms, as defined by Dictionary.com

Greedflation (noun)

ILLUSTRATION Warren Espejo

You’ve heard of shrinkflation, now it’s time for greedflation. It’s defined as rise in the prices of commodities, not because of market pressure or anything economically organic, but because of corporate greed. Think executives, landlords, and a board of directors just…wanting to increase profits.

Used in a sentence: “I swear, only your landlord is raising the prices of rent. All of us are paying the same rate. That’s greedflation for you.”

Girl dinner (noun)

ILLUSTRATION Warren Espejo

Ah yes, the ubiquitous girl dinner. Legend says people are still trying to figure out the true components of a real girl dinner. Allow us to be the first to say it varies per person, but we’ll stick with the definition anyway. The word is defined as a medley of snacks that involve little preparation, usually in small quantities, “deemed insufficient to constitute a meal for one.”

Used in a sentence: “My usual girl dinner consists of leftover vienna sausage, some cheese, a slice of bread with peanut butter, and some chocolates my officemate gave me. And a juice.”

Bed rotting (noun)

ILLUSTRATION Warren Espejo

Don’t worry, it’s not like your wooden bed is about to fall apart, it’s actually just you rotting in the bed. Bed rotting is defined as “the practice of spending many hours in bed during the day, often with snacks or an electronic device, as a voluntary retreat from activity or stress.” It’s usually a much-needed break from the world, and can be a form of self-care for some.

Though the Internet has used it excessively to the point that it might not be cause for concern, the very act of being unable to get out of bed for prolonged periods of time can be a symptom for mental illness. If at any point you feel everything is too much, please inform your loved ones and seek the help of a professional.

Used in a sentence: “All I did this weekend was bed rot.”

Slow fashion (noun)

Sustainable fashion worn with intention has long been the rage, and now slow fashion has earned its spot in the Internet’s dictionary. More than just a manufacturing process, slow fashion is a movement among clothing producers and consumers that puts an emphasis on high-quality clothing that is eco friendly and can be repaired to prolong its life. It’s the opposite of fast fashion.

This term is often used in contrast with fast fashion, and likely arose from slow versus fast food.

Used in a sentence: “I’m trying my best to shop from local slow fashion brands to reduce waste and support Filipino workers and designers.”

The ick (noun)

ILLUSTRATION Warren Espejo

It is defined as “a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike, often in response to the actions of another person.” We imagine “the ick” to be “Disgust” from Disney animated film Inside Out if it were a character or person. It’s often used in the context of dating culture to describe someone’s attitude or vibes.

According to Dictionary.com, the now-TikTok favorite phrase traces its origins back to popular 1990s television show Ally McBeal.

Used in a sentence: “The way he treated the waiters gave me the ick.”

Bussin’ (adjective)

Simply put, this word means great, wonderful, or amazing. It can be used in a variety of contexts, but we’ve mostly seen it used to describe food that’s reall good.

The term “originates in African American culture and is likely based on various senses of bust meaning “to explode,” “to do well,” or “to enjoy.””

Used in a sentence: “Have you eaten at the new joint? Their burgers are bussin’!”

Pretty privilege (noun)

ILLUSTRATION Warren Espejo

Have you ever had a friend that got things for free or had an easy time or was taken to the front of the line just because they were pretty? Or maybe you were lucky enough to be born with this grace. Pretty privilege is defined as “an unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that a person has by fitting into the beauty standards of their culture.”

Used in a sentence: “Karen keeps saying she worked hard for the job, but we can all agree it was at leat 80% pretty privilege, right?”

Enshittification

Root words are pretty great clues when it comes to deciphering the meaning of a much longer word. And for this new one, you can bet poop hit the fan. Enshittification is “the gradual degradation of an online platform or service’s functionality, as part of a cycle in which the platform or service first offers benefits to users to attract them, then pursues more and more profits at the expense of users.”

X, formerly known as Twitter, is the example Dictionary.com used. However, it can be used to describe any platform, service, or game that was once great, and now no longer. This term was popularized by writer Cory Doctorow.

Used in a sentence: “The enshittification of Twitter was disappointing, and yet inevitable.”