Looksmaxxing, cuffing season, vibe coding and more: US dictionary Merriam-Webster gets a ‘glow up’ with 1,400 new words

Merriam-Webster added 1,400 new words to its dictionary including words like Looksmaxxing, cuffing season, vibe coding and more. It also gave a nod to AI with the new word uncanny valley.

From "looksmaxxing" to "cuffing season" to "glow up", the internet is filled with several words that only Gen Z and Alpha can decode. But worry not. The meanings of these words are now available in America’s oldest dictionary. Merriam-Webster has officially added 1,400 new words, including “shapewear,” “looksmaxxing”, and “meme coin", to the US dictionary.

“The new entries reflect words and meanings that have demonstrated widespread use over time, offering a window into the world today,” it said in the release, as quoted by NBC News.

Cuffing season, vibe coding, superfood

Other internet-popular words and definitions that are now available in the dictionary are “parasocial,” “compute,” “vibe coding” and “superfood”.

Ahead of the year-end, Merriam-Webster also added “cuffing season” to its dictionary. It defines the word as “a time of the year when people who are not married or in a relationship begin looking for a short-term romantic partner to spend the colder months of the year with.”

Nod to AI

Amid the AI boom and its fearful impact on humans, the company added “uncanny valley” to the collection. It defines the term as “that creepy feeling that results from something artificial appearing almost—but not quite—human.”

Last year, Merriam-Webster added the word "slop", which it described as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” It was the word of last year.

Sunday scaries, cake pop, chili crisp

The list of new words also included "Sunday scaries". It refers to the feeling of anxiety, dread or uneasiness that is often experienced by people towards the end of the weekend.

Besides these, several words describing food have also made the cut this year. Words such as “superfood,” “cake pop,” “shishito,” “bao” and “chili crisp" are now a part of the dictionary. "Superfood”, another IG hit word, is also a part of the list. It typically refers to foods that come packed with high nutrients.

Word of the year

Meanwhile, Merriam-Webster has not yet announced the word of the year for 2026. It is usually announced by the company in the last quarter of the year.

The company updated on its website that it continues to add new words and phrases to its repertoire depending on frequency, popularity and meaning of words.

“The definer must judge whether there is enough evidence to put a new word in; that judgment will be reviewed by more senior colleagues as the dictionary moves through the editorial process, but there’s no committee, no advocacy, no meetings for new word inclusion,” it said.

About the Author

Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.

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