19 new words added to the dictionary for 2021

What do freelance writers, Uber drivers, and artists all have in common? They’re gig workers, of course! Merriam-Webster defines the phrase as “a person who works temporary jobs typically in the service sector as an independent contractor or freelancer.” This broad term refers to anyone who makes an income from project to project rather than on a steady salaried or employed basis. Even Airbnb owners could consider themselves part of the gig economy.

Sokolowski says this new definition was initially difficult to pin down. “It shifted from a very specific and technical meaning in linguistics to a much broader general use that seems so transparent in meaning that it’s surprising that the new meaning, the disapproving ‘done for show,’ is so recent,” he explains. The new, nuanced definition of performative is typically attached to an action that’s obviously done only to make a positive impression on others. So, sending a bouquet of roses to the boss you despise? Generous, sure, but also performative. The same goes for slapping a Black Lives Matter sticker on your laptop but never using your words or actions to combat racism.

Here’s an example of a social media term that has made it into mainstream conversations. On Twitter, one person can tag someone else by using the sign @ before their username. The phrase “Don’t @ me” indicates that the person doesn’t want to be tagged or dragged into the conversation. Over time, this has come to be tacked onto potentially controversial opinions. For example, you might write, “Let’s be honest: Tom Brady just isn’t as good as he used to be. Don’t @ me.” Now, Merriam-Webster defines @ as an informal way of “responding to, challenging, or disparaging the claim or opinion of (someone) – usually used in the phrase don’t @ me.”

“I love seeing the verb use of ‘@’ now in the dictionary,” Sokolowski says. “Unlike other symbols, like ampersand or hashtag or even dollar sign, it needs to stand for itself instead of being spelled out in letters. It’s the language evolving right before our eyes.”

COVID-19 has changed the English language forever. Though long hauler can be used to refer to someone experiencing the after-effects of any serious illness, the term skyrocketed from medical jargon to popular culture in the middle of the 2020 pandemic. Merriam-Webster defines the phrase as “a person who experiences one or more long-term effects following initial improvement or recovery from a serious illness (such as COVID-19).”

Here’s an example of an old word gaining new meaning. Pod has long referred to vegetables (pea pods!) and social groups of whales (look at that orca pod swim!). As of January 2021, it is also defined as “a usually small group of people (such as family members, friends, co-workers, or classmates) who regularly interact closely with one another but with few or no others in order to minimise exposure and reduce the transmission of infection during an outbreak of a contagious disease.” It’s a lengthy definition with a simple premise: To stop the spread of COVID-19, mask up and social distance when you’re with anyone outside your pod.

These 20 photos really define the era of social distancing.

Like pod, bubble got a new meaning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Merriam-Webster defines the term as “an area within which sports teams stay isolated from the general public during a series of scheduled games so as to prevent exposure to disease.” The bubble includes everything from the team’s lodging to the sports arena itself.

Here’s a term for word nerds. A sapiosexual is “characterised by sexual or romantic attraction to highly intelligent people.” Sokolowski says, “I like sapiosexual because it seems to symbolise as a word what it stands for: Using the Latin sapio-, meaning ‘wise’ or ‘smart,’ makes it a word that only word nerds would understand anyway. They speak to each other in their own language, perhaps.”

To boost your chances with the sapiosexuals in the room, study up on these 20 words that are their own opposites.

This term proves that pop culture is finally embracing grey hair. Merriam-Webster defines a silver fox as “an attractive middle-aged man having mostly grey or white hair.” The phrase is usually bestowed by others as a compliment. For instance: George Clooney is such a silver fox!

How did this word take so long to land in the pages of Merriam-Webster? Maybe it’s just because the original Jedi warriors were in a galaxy far, far away. Regardless, it’s officially in the pages with a newly broadened definition for 2021: “a person who shows extraordinary skill or expertise in a specified field or endeavour.”

Have you ever had tingly, soothing response to crinkling paper, sand falling through an hourglass, or a stranger whispering? You’re not the only one. ASMR – an acronym that stands for autonomous sensory meridian response – is “a pleasant tingling sensation that originates on the back of the scalp and often spreads to the neck and upper spine, that occurs in some people in response to a stimulus (such as a particular kind of sound or movement), and that tends to have a calming effect.” ASMR has become a popular topic of YouTube channels and even niche soundtracks. It’s similar to why so many people love watching pimple-popping videos.

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Source: RD.com