‘Looksmaxxing,’ ‘crashout’ among 1,400 new words added to Merriam-Webster dictionary

Merriam-Webster has added 1,400 new words and definitions to its online dictionary, including internet slang and terms like “looksmaxxing” and “crashout.”

The dictionary publisher announced the update on its website, saying the new entries reflect words and meanings that have “demonstrated widespread use over time” and offer a look into the world today.

“Looksmaxxing” refers to the practice of taking “sometimes extreme or dangerous measures” to increase a person’s physical attractiveness.

“Crashout,” meanwhile, has been added with definitions referring to a mental or emotional breakdown, an emotional outburst, or a tantrum.

Other internet and social media terms that made the cut include “parasocial,” which describes a one-sided emotional connection with someone—particularly a celebrity or fictional character—whom a person does not personally know and “Rickroll,” the classic internet prank involving tricking someone into hearing Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up.

Merriam-Webster now recognizes “vibe coding,” “AGI,” or artificial general intelligence, and “compute” as a noun referring to the computational resources needed for a computer or program to function.

Also making it to the update were terms tied to dating and everyday experiences, including “cuffing season,” referring to the time of year when single people look for short-term romantic partners during colder months, and “Sunday scaries,” describing feelings of anxiety or sadness as the weekend comes to an end.

Food and culture likewise made their way into the dictionary, with new entries like “superfood,” “cake pop,” “shishito,” “bao,” “chili crisp,” “yacht rock,” “shapewear,” “copium,” “trash panda,” and “Mandela Effect.”

According to Merriam-Webster, words are not added simply because they become temporarily popular. “We’re looking for three criteria: frequent use, widespread use, and meaningful use,” it said.