The word “skibidi” has officially been added to the Cambridge Dictionary.
The slang term, which became popular on social media, is one of about 6,000 new words added to the online dictionary over the past year. Experts at Cambridge say only words with “staying power” are chosen.
Skibidi began as a nonsense word used in viral videos online. Today, the dictionary defines it as a flexible word that can mean things like “cool” or “bad,” or even be used just for fun without a clear meaning. The word first spread through a YouTube animated video series and later became one of the most-liked slang words for children, ranking just behind “slay” and “sigma” in an Oxford Dictionary survey.
Other new words have also been added, including shortened terms such as delulu. This comes from the word delusional and describes someone who believes things that are not true, often because they want them to be real.
Colin McIntosh, who manages word choices for the Cambridge Dictionary, explained that internet culture is rapidly changing how English is used. He said the dictionary aims to capture words that will last, not just disappear after a short trend.
