Merriam-Webster has just added 1,400 words and definitions, a glow-up to their iconic dictionary.

It says a word gets into the dictionary “when it is used by many people who all agree that it means the same thing.”

A window into the world today – my Top Ten new words & definitions

➕ Glow-up (noun) ➡ “Informal term for a (perceived) dramatic positive change in someone or something’s physical appearance. The related verb, glow up, refers to undergoing or causing such a change.”

➕ Parasocial (adjective) ➡  “A one-sided emotional connection with someone (especially a celebrity or fictional character) whom one does not know personally.”

➕ Uncanny Valley (noun) ➡  “That creepy feeling that results from something artificial appearing almost—but not quite—human.”

➕ Sunday scaries (plural noun) ➡  “The feelings of anxiety or sadness that arise on Sunday from the knowledge that the weekend is almost over.”

➕ Cuffing season (noun) ➡  “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.”

➕ Whack-a-mole  (noun) ➡ “A situation in which a new problem appears as soon as an existing similar problem has been addressed.”

➕ Superfood (noun) ➡ “A food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in nutrients.”

➕ California sober (adjective) ➡  “Using only marijuana while abstaining from alcohol and other drugs.”

➕ Mandela Effect (noun) ➡ “A phenomenon in which many people collectively misremember a specific fact, event, or detail in a consistent manner : the experience of many people having the same false memory.”

➕ Crashout (noun) ➡  “Vehicular crash /  dramatic ending or failure  /  a disqualifying loss or defeat  /  mental or emotional breakdown  /  tantrum.”

No words removed!

Gregory Barlow, the president of Merriam-Webster, dictionary, said that the company did not remove any words in its latest update.

Barlow added, ““The online dictionary has limitless space to add all the words that merit inclusion, even if some words turn out to be relatively ephemeral.”

Do you know what ephemeral means?

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/us/merriam-webster-new-words-looksmaxxing-yacht-rock.html?ae=oa&emc=edit_nn_20260918&nl=the-morning&segment_id=226681

Merriam-Webster online dictionary