Cambridge Dictionary Welcomes 6,000 New Words, Including ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Tradwife’
The Cambridge Dictionary has added over 6,000 new words, including internet slang like “skibidi” and “tradwife,” reflecting shifts in language driven by social media and modern lifestyles. The update highlights how digital culture and environmental concerns are shaping English vocabulary.

The Cambridge Dictionary, the world’s leading online dictionary, has expanded its lexicon by over 6,000 words in 2025, reflecting the evolving nature of the English language driven by internet culture. Among the standout additions is “skibidi,” a quirky slang term originating from an animated YouTube series, which can signify “cool,” “bad,” or serve as a playful, meaningless quip. Colin McIntosh, the dictionary’s lexical program manager, remarked, “Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the dictionary,” emphasizing the inclusion of terms with lasting relevance.
Other notable entries include “tradwife,” shorthand for a “traditional wife”, a married mother who manages household duties and shares her lifestyle on social media, and “delulu,” a clipped form of “delusional,” describing someone who embraces unrealistic beliefs by choice. Christian Ilbury, a senior lecturer in sociolinguistics at the University of Edinburgh, notes that many of these terms, especially “delulu,” have roots in longstanding speech communities, gaining prominence through platforms like TikTok where young people predominantly connect. He explained, “It’s really just the increase in visibility and potential uptake amongst communities who may not have engaged with those words before.”
The dictionary also introduces “mouse jiggler,” a tool or software used to simulate activity during remote work, a trend spurred by post-pandemic shifts, and “forever chemical,” a term for persistent environmental pollutants. These additions are informed by the Cambridge English Corpus, a vast database of over 2 billion words of written and spoken English, which tracks usage patterns, frequency, and context. Ilbury added, “If you look at what a dictionary’s function is, it’s a public record of how people use language and so if people are now using words like ‘skibidi’ or ‘delulu,’ then the dictionary should take account of that.” McIntosh stressed that only terms with “staying power” were selected, ensuring the dictionary remains a reliable reflection of contemporary language trends.