It's a sign of the times. Dictionary.com, the world's top online source for definitions, has added new words and phrases like "hellscape" and "trauma dumping" to its repository, to reflect the modern chaos.
Words describing the state of work culture and identity politics in the present times have also been added to the online dictionary. "Digital nomad" and "pinkwashing" are some examples.
There is also a nod to the social media influencer culture.
"The most recent additions to Dictionary.com come from just about everywhere, spanning the multiverse-like complexity of modern life," Dictionary.com said, while announcing the update. "Our lexicographers observe it all, documenting language change wherever it’s happening and defining the terms that help us to understand our times."
Take a look at the new words and their definitions:
Hellscape: a place or time that is hopeless, unbearable, or irredeemable.
Trauma dumping: unsolicited, one-sided sharing of traumatic or intensely negative experiences or emotions in an inappropriate setting or with people who are unprepared for the interaction.
Rage-farming: intentionally provoking political opponents, typically by posting inflammatory content on social media.
Pinkwashing: promoting the civil liberties of the LGBTQ+ community, but superficially.
Digital nomad: a person who works remotely while traveling for leisure, especially when having no fixed, permanent address.
Cyberflashing: sending someone unsolicited, sexually explicit images or video using digital platform
Petfluencer: a person who gains a large following on social media by posting entertaining images or videos of their cat, dog, or other pet.
Cakeism: the false belief that one can enjoy the benefits of two choices that are in fact mutually exclusive, or have it both ways.
Anti-fat: someone who is opposed, hostile, or averse to fatness and fat people.
Cli-fi (climate fiction): a genre of fiction in which climate change and other environmental concerns are major themes.
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