The Cambridge Dictionary welcomed 6,212 new words, phrases and meanings in August 2025. Social media, influencers, the Internet, remote work, gen z and gen alpha: interesting sources of inspiration for new, very popular words!
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10 new English words to know in 2025
10. Work spouse
A work spouse is a colleague with whom you have a close, but not romantic, relationship. You help and trust each other a lot at work.
A work spouse is also called a work husband or work wife.
9. RAAC
RAAC stands for Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. It’s a type of concrete that contains metal rods. RAAC is used to build roofs, floors and walls.
This abbreviation has been used a lot recently following safety concerns in UK public buildings.
8. Delulu
Delulu means that you believe things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to. Delulu means delusional.
7. Mouse jiggler
A mouse jiggler is a device or piece of software used to make a computer mouse move for you. You can use it to prevent your laptop from going into sleep mode or to pretend you are working when you’re not.
6. Lewk
This slang word describes a style, a look or an outfit that is unusual and impressive. It’s often used by gen z and gen alpha to talk about fashion. Lewk also became very popular after people heard it in RuPaul’s Drag Race, an Emmy Award-winning reality TV show highlighting drag performances.
5. Broligarchy
The term broligarchy refers to a small group of men who are extremely rich and powerful, and who have political influence. These men often own one or several tech companies, like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
Broligarchy is a blend of bro (brother) and oligarchy.
4. Snackable
The meaning of snackable has been updated. Now the term describes:
- A small amount of food that you can eat as a snack.
- A content that you can read or play in small amounts or for a short time (Shorts or Reels, for instance).
3. Tradwife
A tradwife, a traditional wife, describes a stay-at-home wife who spends her days cooking, cleaning and taking care of her children and who posts her life on social media (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube). Tradwives embrace “traditional” gender roles. This controversial way of living is very popular in the US.
2. Inspo
The term inspo, inspiration, is used to describe social media posts that give you ideas. The social platform Pinterest is one of the most popular places to find inspo.
1. Skibidi
Skibidi has different meanings, such as cool or bad, and can be used as a joke. In this case, skibidi has no real meaning. The term became popular on YouTube after a track called Skibidi was released in 2018 and an Internet sensation video series, Skibidi Toilet, was published.
What the skibidi does it mean about the English language?
“Internet culture is changing the English language…”
Colin McIntosh, Lexical Programme Manager, Cambridge Dictionary