100 New English Words and Phrases You Should Know

The English language is constantly evolving, with new words emerging every year that reflect how we live, work, and communicate. Whether it’s technology, pop culture, or social trends, our vocabulary keeps expanding. Learning these fresh additions to English can not only enhance your communication skills but also help you stay current with global conversations.

Where Do New Words Come From—and Why Do They Matter?

Have you ever wondered how a brand-new word makes it into the dictionary? It doesn’t happen overnight. Words typically begin in everyday speech—someone invents a term, others pick it up, and gradually it spreads through conversations, social media, journalism, or professional fields. If enough people use a word consistently with the same meaning, dictionary editors (called lexicographers) take notice and may officially add it.

However, not all new words become household terms. Some remain specific to certain industries (like “amelogenesis” in dentistry) or online subcultures. Others—like “LOL” or “banana bread”—become so widely used that they earn a permanent spot in our vocabulary.

Why Should You Learn New English Words?

• To communicate more naturally and confidently
• To understand trending topics in media and online
• To prepare for academic exams like IELTS, where vocabulary variety is key
• To keep your language skills current in a globalized world

Let’s explore a list of 100 modern English words and phrases, along with their meanings, many of which were recently added to major dictionaries.

100 Modern English Words and What They Mean

Here’s a curated list of new and trending English words you’ll hear across different contexts—from casual chats and online trends to professional settings:

• A-game – One’s top performance
• Ambigue – A statement open to multiple interpretations
• Anglosphere – Group of English-speaking countries (UK, US, Canada, etc.)
• Anti-suffragism – Historical opposition to women’s right to vote
• Aperol – A bright orange Italian drink
• April Fool’s – A day for lighthearted pranks (April 1st)
• Ar / Arr – Expressions often mimicking pirate speech or agreement
• Assault weapon – A powerful, military-grade firearm
• Athleisure – Clothing suitable for both workouts and daily wear
• Aucklander – A resident of Auckland, New Zealand
• Awedde – Overcome with extreme emotion or madness
• Awesomesauce – Something extremely good
• Awfulize – To treat something as awful
• Awfy – A Scottish term meaning “very” or “extremely”
• Bidie-in – A live-in partner (non-married)
• Bigsie – Someone acting self-important or arrogant
• Bok – A term from South Africa, often slang
• Broigus – Yiddish for being angry or upset
• Bukateria – A casual Nigerian food stall
• By-catch – Unintended fish caught during fishing
• Cab sav – Short for Cabernet Sauvignon wine
• Cancel culture – Withdrawing support from public figures due to controversy
• Chicken finger – Fried strips of chicken meat
• Chickie – A term of affection
• Chipmunky – Looking or acting like a chipmunk—often cute or mischievous
• Chuddies – A casual term for underwear (especially in Indian English)
• Contact tracing – Monitoring people who were exposed to an infectious disease
• Contactless – Technology that doesn’t require physical contact (e.g., payments)
• Coulrophobia – Fear of clowns
• Covid-19 – A global respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus
• Deepfake – Edited media that convincingly impersonates someone else
• De-extinction – Attempt to revive extinct species
• Deleter – A person or tool that deletes data
• Delicense – To revoke someone’s legal license
• Denialism – Rejecting established facts (like climate change denial)
• Denialist – A person who engages in denialism
• Destigmatizing – Reducing the shame or stigma around an issue
• Dof – A South African term meaning silly or slow-witted
• Droning – Using drones for photography or surveillance
• E-bike – A bicycle powered by an electric motor
• Eco-anxiety – Stress caused by environmental concerns
• Enoughness – The state of feeling sufficient or adequate
• Epidemic curve – A chart showing how a disease spreads
• E-waste – Electronic waste
• Fantoosh – Flashy or showy, often in a pretentious way
• Forehead thermometer – Used to measure temperature without contact
• Franger – Australian slang for a condom
• Hair doughnut – A sponge ring used for hair buns
• Hench – Muscular and strong
• Hir – A gender-neutral possessive pronoun
• Hygge – A Danish concept of coziness and comfort
• Influencer – A person who shapes trends or opinions, especially online
• Jerkweed – A derogatory term for an annoying person
• Kvell – To express pride or admiration
• Kvetchy – Complaining or irritable
• LOL – Laughing out loud
• Macaron – A colorful meringue-based French dessert
• MacGyver – To improvise a solution cleverly
• Mama put – Nigerian street food vendor
• Mentionitis – Constantly mentioning someone (often due to romantic interest)
• Microtarget – Delivering personalized ads or messages to individuals
• Misgendering – Referring to someone with the wrong gender identity
• Next tomorrow – Nigerian English for “the day after tomorrow”
• Oat milk – A dairy-free milk alternative made from oats
• Onboarding – Integrating a new employee into a company
• Patient zero – The first person identified in a disease outbreak
• Pronoid – Believing the world is out to help you (opposite of paranoid)
• Puggle – Either a baby echidna/platypus or a pug-beagle crossbreed
• Quilling – Offering bribes for votes
• Rat tamer – Slang for psychologist or therapist
• Report – Someone who reports directly to a manager
• Sadfishing – Exaggerating emotional struggles to gain sympathy online
• Sandboxing – Isolating software for safe testing
• Schnitty – Slang for schnitzel
• Segway – A two-wheeled personal vehicle
• Self-isolate – To quarantine oneself to prevent spreading illness
• Shero – A female hero
• Single-use – Designed to be used once only
• Skunked – Slang for being drunk or high
• Slow-walk – To delay intentionally
• Social distancing – Staying physically apart to limit disease spread
• Stepmonster – A humorous or derogatory term for stepmother
• Tag rugby – A non-contact version of rugby
• Theonomous – Governed by divine law
• Thirsty – Desperate for attention or approval (especially online)
• Title bar – Displays file or window names on software interfaces
• Topophilia – Emotional attachment to a place
• Truthiness – Belief in something that feels true, regardless of evidence
• UFO – “Unfinished Object” in crafts
• Unfathom – To understand something difficult or mysterious
• Weak sauce – Something unimpressive or disappointing
• WFH – Work from home
• WIP – Work in progress
• Zoodle – Spiralized zucchini used as a pasta substitute

How to Use New Words in Real-Life Sentences

Here are a few examples of how you can use some of these terms in daily conversation or writing:

• MacGyver: “I forgot my tripod, so I MacGyvered a phone stand using my wallet and a water bottle.”
• Cancel culture: “Some celebrities have been impacted by cancel culture after their past comments resurfaced.”
• Thirsty: “Posting five selfies in one day? He’s definitely feeling a little thirsty.”

Are These Words Really ‘New’?

Not always. Some “new” words have existed informally for years before being added to dictionaries. Others are familiar words given new meanings (e.g., “cookie” now also refers to a web-tracking tool). The dictionary just formalizes and validates how people already use these terms.

FAQ – About New English Words

Q1: Are these words acceptable in IELTS or academic writing?
Some are! Words like “contactless” or “onboarding” are widely accepted in formal writing, but slang like “thirsty” or “LOL” should be avoided in academic contexts unless you’re analyzing them.

Q2: How can I remember these words?
Use them in context—write a sentence or short paragraph with each word. Flashcards and quizzes help too.

Q3: Will old words disappear as new ones come in?
Not necessarily. Language expands, but some older words do fall out of use. It’s a cycle of evolution driven by how people speak and write.

Q4: Are these words used globally?
Many are, especially those related to tech or pop culture. However, some are regional—like “bukateria” (Nigeria) or “fantoosh” (Scotland).