Slang Added to the Dictionary in the Last Five Years

Some slang terms sweep through society like metaphorical wildfires. You might see a new word pop up on social media one day, and the next, you hear it deployed in a casual conversation on the street. But fame is fickle, and many slang terms fade into obscurity as quickly as they first became popular.

For all the forgotten slang terms (RIP, “da bomb”), others exude impressive staying power. That enduring popularity is what makes any word — slang or otherwise — likely to earn a spot in the dictionary. For proof of this phenomenon, here are 10 slang terms that have been enshrined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary over the course of the last five years.

Merriam-Webster added “amirite” — a slangy take on the more formal “Am I right?” — to the dictionary in 2021. The expression, coined in 1998, is often used as a tag question, a term tacked on to the end of any statement in order to gain assent. You may say, “It’s a beautiful day out, amirite?” or, “That movie was hilarious, amirite?”

The year 2021 also saw the abbreviation “FTW” added to the dictionary. The slangy shortening of the phrase “for the win” is often used in text communication, but if said out loud, you would use the full words. People typically use the abbreviation in the context of a triumphant feeling. For instance, you may text a friend, “cute blue dress FTW,” with a picture of said dress when you stumble on an outfit that really suits you, or type, “total dominance FTW,” in the game chat when winning at online video games. 

“Yeet” was inducted into the dictionary in 2022. This slang term has two primary uses, the first of which dates to 2007 when it was coined as an interjection meant to express surprise, approval, or enthusiasm. In 2017, people began using “yeet” as a verb; “to yeet” something is to throw it with a lot of force and very little regard for its well-being.

We also saw the term “janky” earn a permanent place in the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2022. While its origins are uncertain, some etymologists posit that it’s a regional AAVE (African-American Vernacular English) pronunciation of the word “junky,” as in something of inferior quality. “Janky” has been in use since 1989.

The word “goated” — sometimes written as “GOATED” or “GOATed” — was added to the dictionary in 2023. It was coined in 2017 to refer to anything considered the greatest of all time (GOAT), whether it be a star athlete or the tastiest meal you’ve ever eaten. 

Pet owners have been referring to their beloved fur babies as “doggos” for decades, but it was only in 2023 that Merriam-Webster finally added this playful slang term to its dictionary. It’s worth noting that “doggo” has another definition dating back to the late 19th century, when it was used as an adverb meaning “in hiding to avoid notice.”

The youth had their voices heard in 2024 when Merriam-Webster added many popular Gen Z slang terms to the dictionary. This includes “nepo baby,” which refers to a person who gains success through familial connections — think Paris Hilton as the daughter of a famous hotelier, or actor Jack Quaid as the son of actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. The term originated in 1992, long before Gen Z was even born, though it gained renewed popularity in recent years.

“Shadow ban” is a slangy verb that refers to when a user is hidden from others on an app or website. Unlike standard bans or blocks, the person being shadow banned typically doesn’t know they’ve been banned, as no direct warning is issued. For instance, when someone is shadow banned on a dating app, their profile is hidden from many other users, though they may not realize it and will continue to use the app as normal. The slang term was coined around 2007 and was added to the dictionary in 2024.

Millennials came up with one of their favorite slang terms in 2013: “adulting.” The verb form refers to conducting the everyday tasks often associated with adulthood. For instance, you may say, “I’m adulting,” after doing your taxes or going to the bank. It was added into the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2025, 12 years after being coined.

Have you ever laid awake in bed endlessly reading all the terrible news stories on your phone? If so, you’ve doomscrolled, which is slang defined as “spending excessive time scrolling through online content that makes one feel sad, anxious, or angry.” “Doomscroll” was added to the dictionary in 2025.