10 surprising words that have been added to the dictionary this year

A stack of dictionaries. WIN-Initiative/Neleman via Getty Images The Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster add new words every year. This year, the OED added “influencer,” “side hustle,” and “pumpkin spice.

” Merriam Webster added “yeet,” “subvariant,” and “Galentine’s Day” to the English language. The Oxford English Dictionary added the word “influencer” this year. An influencer in the wild.

martin-dm/Getty ImagesInfluencer (noun): A well-known or prominent person who uses the internet or social media to promote or generate interest in products, often for payment. The OED also added “side hustle. “Dog walking is a popular side hustle.

Robert Nickelsberg/Getty ImagesSide hustle (noun): (originally in African-American usage) a part-time job or occupation undertaken in addition to one’s main job in order to earn extra income. “Pumpkin spice” made the cut. Pumpkin spice lattes are popular at Starbucks during the fall.

Christina Tkacik/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesPumpkin spice (noun): A mixture of ground spices (typically including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) originally used as an ingredient in pumpkin pie filling, and now added as a flavouring to a variety of food items. Also: a mixture of artificial ingredients designed to imitate the taste or smell of pumpkin spice. As did “TERF,” an acronym for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

“A person holds a protest sign reading “No TERFs on our turf. “Belinda Jiao/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesTERF (noun): Trans-exclusionary radical feminist. A feminist whose advocacy of women’s rights excludes (or is thought to exclude) the rights of transgender women.

Also more generally: a person whose views on gender identity are (or are considered) hostile to transgender people, or who opposes social and political policies designed to be inclusive of transgender people. “Enby,” a colloquial word for “nonbinary,” was added. Jonathan Van Ness is nonbinary.

Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty ImagesEnby (noun and adjective):  A person who has a non-binary gender identity. With the addition of “second gentleman” last year came the addition of “first gentleman” to the OED in 2022. First gentleman Gauthier Destenay of Luxembourg poses with other spouses of world leaders in Brussels in 2017.

YORICK JANSENS/AFP via Getty ImagesFirst gentleman (noun): the husband or male partner of a president or other leader. The slang word “yeet” became official, according to Merriam-Webster. Yeeting garbage out of a car window.

Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank/Getty ImagesYeet (interjection, slang): used to express surprise, approval, or excited enthusiasm. Verb: to throw especially with force and without regard for the thing being thrown. Merriam-Webster added the word “dumbphone” this year.

A flip phone. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty ImagesDumbphone (noun): a cell phone that does not include advanced software features (such as email or an internet browser) typically found on smartphones. Merriam-Webster also added “subvariant.

“COVID tests can help detect new subvariants. Massimiliano Finzi/Getty ImagesSubvariant (noun): one of two or more distinctive forms or types of the same variant. “Galentine’s Day” is now a real holiday.

The Galentine’s Day episode of “Parks and Recreation. “NBCGalentine’s Day (noun): a holiday observed on February 13th as a time to celebrate friendships especially among women. Read the original article on Insider.