‘Tradwife’, ‘Skibidi’, ‘Delulu’: Internet Slang Makes It Into Cambridge Dictionary

Over the past year, the online edition of the Cambridge Dictionary has added 6,000 new words and phrases, many of which have been popularised by Gen Z and Gen Alpha and have been included in the esteemed reference work.

From Tradwife to Delulu

One of the new terms is "Tradwife," which is a shorter form of "traditional wife." According to AFP, the dictionary describes it as reflecting a growing but controversial social media trend on Instagram and TikTok, where some women embrace traditional gender roles.

The task of defining "skibidi," a term derived from viral memes, was also taken on by the publishers. The meaningless word, which became popular due to the Skibidi Toilet YouTube series, is frequently associated with the sporadic, "brain rot" content that predominates in Gen Alpha's online behaviour. Skibidi word has various different meaning in some cases it can mean "bad" or "cool," or it can be used in a meaningless way, according to the dictionary.

Another term that the government now recognises as an acronym for delusions is "Delulu." It refers to someone believing things that are unrealistic, often out of choice. The dictionary cites a speech by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2025 in which he made a joke about being "delulu with no solulu" as an illustration of its expanding use.

Fashion and lifestyle terms

Other cultural entries include "inspo," which is short for inspiration, and "lewk," a daring fashion style made popular by RuPaul's Drag Race. The shift to remote work has also produced terms such as “mouse jiggler”, describing a device or trick that keeps a computer active to make it seem like someone is working. Beyond internet slang, the dictionary has added “forever chemical”, referring to harmful man-made substances that linger in the environment for decades.

"New additions are carefully chosen," said Colin McIntosh, Lexical Programme Manager for the Cambridge Dictionary. "We only use terms that we think will stand the test of time. He said it's exciting to observe and record how internet culture is changing the English language.

Published on: Monday, August 18, 2025, 02:14 PM IST