‘Throuple,’ ‘Nordic Noir’ + Over 200 Words and Phrases Added to the Dictionary in 2022
Every year, Dictionary.com bestows society with a special gift: a contemporary new batch of words in the English language. In 2022, the popular phrasebook has added a whopping 235 words to its Rolodex of phrases and idioms.
But they didn't stop there.
To help better explain life and make sense of the world through words, Dictionary.com also added 72 fresh definitions for some existing words and revised 1,024 definitions for words already found in its vaulted pages.
With the mission to make way for a bigger, bolder and better vernacular, according to Dictionary.com new additions are needed each year to help support changes in important areas of society and culture; climate- and environment-related developments; and transformations to social sciences.
Some of Dictionary.com's new words and phrases for 2022 include:
Unsheltered: Being without a house or lacking permanent housing; houseless; homeless.
Forest bathing: The practice of being in nature, especially an area with trees, as an act of sensory immersion undertaken for physiological and psychological health benefits.
Chair yoga: A form of yoga in which modified postures and breathing exercises are performed while seated or with the support of a chair.
Memeify: To turn into a meme; make the subject of a meme.
Throuple: Three people who are engaged or married to one another or involved as romantic partners.
Anti-vaxxer: A person who distrusts or is against vaccination, often someone who is vocally opposed to vaccines.
Megadrought: A severe drought lasting for two or more decades.
Trigger: To initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.).
Generation A: The generation born between about 2010 and 2025.
Hamburger menu: An icon or graphic consisting of a stack of three short horizontal lines, which reveals a list of options when tapped or clicked on.
Zeitgeisty: Relating to or expressing the general trend of thought, feeling, or tastes characteristic of a particular period.
Nordic noir: A genre of fictional literature, television, and film set in Scandinavia and featuring dark, complex stories of crime that unfold within an otherwise ordinary or bland social environment, usually expressed in very plain language.
Gameplay: The interactive content a player experiences while playing a game, specifically when playing video games.
See the complete list of new words and phrases for 2022 here.