Every year, new words are introduced to the English language. Some of these words are added to the dictionary. Others are old words that have gotten new meanings. These words prove the evolution of language and problems that are affecting the world today.

These new words In English language also tell a story of a new generation of future-minded individuals and these new words in English also help to reflect on the current trends in politics, in the environment as well as the lifestyle of the people. Below are some new words in English with meaning 2020 as well as other abbreviations that have gained popularity and are often used in every day conversations today. We hope by reading this, you will be motivated to learn even more ways to learn new words in English with their meaning.

 

Agric (Noun) –

 Nigerian English. Designating an improved or genetically modified type/variety of crop or breed of livestock, especially a type of commercially reared chicken that is bred to grow quickly to a big size.

“Which is bigger: agric fowl or native fowl?”

 

Agric (Noun)

Agricultural science as an academic subject or course.

“I can’t believe I failed agric again this term.”

 

Anti-Semitism (Noun)

The belief or a hostile behaviour towards Jews because they are Jewish. The belief may take the form teachings (religious) that proclaim the inferiority of Jews or political efforts to oppress or otherwise, injure them.

“My brother will not hesitate at any point in time in condemning racism and anti-Semitism”

 

Awedde (Adjective)

It means to overcome with anger, madness, or distress; insane and Mentally disturbed”

 

Awe-inspiring  (Adjective)

This is the feeling of great respect and admiration and sometimes, fear.

“Liverpool stadium during European nights is often thought to be awe-inspiring”

 

Awesome sauce (Adjective)

It is used to say  that something is extremely good, or that one is extremely pleased

“That was amazing! Awesome sauce!”

 

Awfulize (Verb)

It means to class something or someone as awful or terrible

“I do not intend to awfulize my childhood in my parent’s house.”

 

Awfy (Adjective)

This is Scottish slang for, ‘awfully’, which means extremely, very.

“Must have been an awfy hot afternoon”

 

Awel (Noun)

Any of the different types of hook or hooked instruments; especially one used as an instrument of torture.

“When we entered his room, there were all sorts of awel on display that it left us shaking in our boots.”

Babemba (Noun)

This refers to a large group of Bantu people primarily in the Northern, Laupula, Muchinga, the Northern part of Central Province inhabiting the north-eastern part of Zambi and the neighboring areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Bagel (verb)

In tennis, it is a situation in which a player has beaten his/her opponent by 6 games to 0.

Barthesian (Noun)

A follower or advocate of the theories of Roland Barthes (Barthes is greatly known for his development of structural and post-structuralist modes of cultural and textual analysis) 

 

Bauer- (Noun)

In Germany or German-speaking countries, the word refers to a peasant, farmer, a smallholder”

 

Bemba (Adjective and Noun)

People who belong to or have the characteristics of the Bantu speaking parts of North-Eastern part of Zambia.

Noun

Bemba is designating the Bantu speaking people.

 

Bialy – (Noun)

This is a flat breakfast roll that has a depressed center and is usually covered with onion flakes.

“Bialy is one if my favourite things to have in the morning”

 

Bird Colonel (Noun)

This is a US military slang which refers to a member of the United States Armed forces having the rank of full colonel, different from a lieutenant colonel. The origin is from the Insignia of rank, which bears a depiction of an eagle.

“I am a bird colonel and he is merely a lieutenant colonel.”

 

Bochur: Noun

A Jewish term which refers to a young unmarried man, especially a student of Talmudic and rabbinical writings at Yeshiva

 

Bokeh -(Noun)

This word has its root in Japan, it is the hazing or blurring in the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image; this is a visual effect or an artistic effect especially as rendered by a particular lens

 

Bombogenesis (Noun)

This word is gotten by compounding bombs and genesis. It is a process of a phenomenon characterized by a rapid and sustained fall of barometric pressure in the center of an extratropical cyclonic weather system, indicative of the strengthening of the cyclone into a powerful storm, also called explosive cyclogenesis.

“Climatology shows that a high frequency of ‘bombogenesis’ occurs over the ocean.”

 

Bridge Coat (Noun)

This is (also known as a peacoat, pea jacket ) a long heavy double-breasted woolen overcoat traditionally worn by Naval officers on the bridge of a ship in cold weather. It is characterized by a short length, open large wooden, vertical slash pockets, broad lapels, metal, or plastic buttons.

 

Broke (Noun)

This is a North African dish, especially in Tunisia that consists of thin pastry around a filling, commonly deep-fried. The most popular version of the dish is the egg brik, a whole egg in a triangular pastry pocket with chopped onion, parsley, harissa, and tuna.

“Brik is one of the best things I love about Tunisia.”

 

Broigus (Noun and Adjective)

The word is from a Jewish word Yiddish broygus meaning dispute or quarrel (as a noun). As an adjective, it is gotten from the Hebrew word bēe-rōgez meaning ‘in anger’.

(Noun)- The word broigus means a bitter feud or conflict, disagreement,  feud

“There was a rift between the new wife and her mother-in-law which translated into a big family broigus”

• adjective

Angry bitter

 

Buka (Noun)

The word is of multiple origins. Borrowed from Yoruba (búkà) and the Hausa (búkkàa)

• Nigerian English

It is a roadside restaurant or street stall with a seating area, where cooked food is sold at low prices.

 

“Every day after they had finished playing ball, they went to a buka and had Amala with Ewedu.”

 

Bukateria (Noun)

It is Nigerian English gotten from compounding Buka and cafeteria.

It is a roadside or street stall with a seating area, where food is sold at low prices.

 “Her previous job was at a bukateria where her mother sold food.”

Chicagoese (Adjacent)

Of relating to or characteristic of the city Chicago, the language or speech used there or its inhabitants.

“Although Alex had only been in Chicago for less than ten years, he was more of chicagoese than many people who were born there. It difficult to believe he’s only lived there for 8 years.”

 

 

Chichi (Noun)i

This word is usually in plural and it refers to a woman’s breasts. Also, sometimes in singular: a breast.”

 

Chicken Fat (Noun)

This is the fat gotten from chicken. It is mostly rendered and it used especially in cooking food.

 

Covid-19

This word is gotten by clipping or shortening Coronavirus disease 2019.

It is an accurate respiratory illness in humans caused by a coronavirus, able to cause severe symptoms and death especially in the elderly and others with underlying health conditions.

“COVID-19 according to studies can survive airborne droplets for several hours.”

 

Infodemic (Noun)

It is the proliferation of diverse, often unsubstantiated information relating to a crisis, controversy, or event, which disseminates rapidly and uncontrollably through the media outlets and other social media platforms and is considered as intensifying public speculation or fears.

“The director-general of the World Health Organization has called on governments, companies, and news outlets around the globe to tackle ‘infodemic’ or fake news, which he characterized as being as dangerous as the coronavirus itself.”

-Christain Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 18 march

 

Self-isolate (Verb)

this refers to strictly remaining at home or an identified accommodation, far from circumstances where you mix with members of your family or the general public for a period of 14 days.

“After my son came back from China, he had to self-isolate for a period of 14 days before anyone in the family could see him.”

 

Self-isolation (Adjacent)

This is the process, fact, or action of deliberate isolation of oneself. Self-isolation is undertaken so as to avoid catching or transmitting infectious disease, or as part of community initiatives to inhibit the spread.

 

Self-quarantine-  (Verb)

This means to undertake self-imposed isolation in order to avoid catching or transmitting an infectious disease.

Social distancing (Noun)

The action or practice of maintaining a degree of remoteness or emotional separation from another person or social group.

It Is also the action or practice of maintaining a specified physical distance from other people or of limiting access to and contact between people especially friends and family, so as to avoid catching or transmitting an infectious disease or as part of a community initiative to inhibit its spread.

“The citizens are encouraged by the government to maintain social distancing.”

 

Social isolation (Noun)

This is a term that refers to the absence of social contact. It is a state of being cut off from normal social networks, which can be triggered by factors such as unemployment, health issues, and loss of mobility.

 

Shelter in place(Noun)

This is a safety protocol invoked during an emergency in which there is an immense threat to life or health, instructing people to find a place of shelter in their present location or immediate surroundings and stay there until an all-clear is given.

It is a loss a public directive requiring people to remain indoors (commonly at home ) at all times, invoked as a preventive measure for example to inhibit the spread of an infectious disease.

“This will not be able to be a

shelter in place for a week to two weeks. It will probably have to look more like multiple weeks to months to get the desired effect.”

              -St. Pioneer Press (Minnesota)

 

PPE (Noun)

Refers to personal protective (or protection) equipment: clothing and equipment designed to provide the user or wearer protection against hazardous substances in the environment, or to prevent transmission of infectious diseases.

Social recession

This is a period of widespread deterioration in the quality of life among the members of a community, especially due to reduced interactions or weakened social bonds.

 

Amotivation

This refers to a state of having no motivation for a purpose.

“Stephen hasn’t played any football for weeks since that ugly defeat to St. Paul’s. He looks very amotivated.

 

Angeliferous–

This is a person who has a beautiful, innocent, or sweet face like that of an angel.

“That baby looks angeliferous.”

 

Angried

This refers to a person who is troubled or upset as a result of being angry

“I felt so angried when mother woke me early from my sleep.”

 

Bare-bones

It is the basic or essential elements of something; simple, minimal, basic

“My neighbour’s house is pretty bare-bones. She definitely needs to get more furniture.”

 

Beachside

This refers to an area beside a beach

“My Sister and I with some of our friends are planning to have a picnic beachside tomorrow.”

 

 Blert

This refers to a weak, useless and cowardly person.

 

Chillax-

This word has its origin from compounding chill and relax. It means to calm down and take it easy.

“Bro, chillax, nothing will happen to us.”

 

Comp-

It means to give something free of charge, usually as a favor.

“Every time my sister returns from the states, she always comps my data plans for as long as she’s around for.”

 

Cryptocurrency

This is a digital or virtual currency used on the internet and depending on cryptography for security.

“My brother paid for his new PlayStation with cryptocurrency.”

 

Microfinance–

This refers to the financial services given to poor individuals and groups in poor developing areas.

 

Nomophobia

This refers to the fear of not having access to a mobile phone or mobile phone services.

“My phone broke last night, I’ve been feeling a little homophobia all day.”

 

Shave ice-

This is a frozen drink made by finely shaved ice and sweet syrup

“We should buy shave ice on our way home from the game.”

 

Sim–

This is a computer program that allows the sim user to simulate a certain activity, such as building a city of flying an airplane.

“I told my uncle I wanted a new sim game as a graduation present.”.

 

Simples

This indicates that something is very simple or easy to do. It is usually used after presenting the solution to the problem.

 “Just take a slide immediately the ball gets to his feet and he won’t try to mess with you on the pitch, he fears high boots. Simples.”

 

Whatevs or whatev-

Short for whatever. It is used in a verbal response to a question to which the speaker is either disappointed with or doesn’t care what the answer is.

“I have to go to work, I might not be able to visit you today.”

“Whatevs.”

 

 

 

 

Contactless:

 This means not having contact. Likewise, the physical, as well as technological meanings of contactless, are being used more frequently.

 

Forehead Thermometer:

This is a thermometer that is passed over, placed on or pointed towards the head to measure a person ‘s temperature.

 

Intensivist:

This word refers to a physician who specializes in the treatment and care of patients in intensive care.

 

Epidemic curve:

 this refers to a visual representation in the form of either a chart or a graph showing the progression of an outbreak of disease, especially an Infectious disease in a particular population.

 

Immune surveillance:

this refers to the monitoring system of the immune system  that detects and destroys foreign cells, substances or tissues

 

Community immunity and herd immunity:

this means a reduction with a specific disease (such as influenza or measles) that occurs when a significant proportion of the population has become immune to the infection (as because of vaccination or previous exposure) so that susceptible individuals are much less likely to come in contact with infected individuals.

 

Farbrengen (Noun)

The word is borrowed from Yiddjsn farbrengen that means a social gathering

This refers to a Hasidic gathering, usually with eating, singing, drinking, and discussion of Hasidic teachings usually held on the day of Sabbath and other festivals or significant days.

 

Flag-off (Noun)

This refers to the moment at which a race, especially a motor race begins.

“The flag-off to the presidential election began yesterday.”

 

 

Elbow bump (Noun)

This is a blow with or to the elbow; it also refers to a gesture, usually that of greeting in which people lightly bump their elbows with each other as an alternative to embrace or a handshake especially to reduce the risk of catching or spreading an infectious disease

 

WFH (Noun) 

It means working from home, either as a periodic or a permanent alternative to working at the office.

 

Freegan

The word Freegan combines the words Free and Vegan. Also known as a dumpster diver, a freegan refers to a person who believes that throwing food away when millions of people around the world are hungry is wrong. As a result of this belief, freegans only eat fold that is gotten free which is usually food that’s been thrown away or wasted.  Freegans commonly rely on food that is found in the dumpsters of supermarkets.

 

Hothouse

This is a word that’s only newly taken on a new meaning. In the past, it solely referred to the greenhouse ( a glass building built to help planets grown more quickly). Today, the word describes a place or situation that facilitates the rapid development of emotions, knowledge, and ideas.

“University campuses, colleges, and social organizations make the perfect hothouse for fresh new ideas.”

 

Hellacious

This word is used to describe an awful experience like weather, traffic, or even a period in time (e.g. a hellacious winter). The word is also used a lot in sport in discussing a hellacious hit or punch.

 

Anthropocene (Adjective)

This word relates to the current geological age, viewed as the time when human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.

 

Anytown (Noun)

It refers to a real or fictional place regarded as being typical of a small US town

“It is debatable whether the proliferation of these chain stores turns places like Farmington or Lock Haven into Homogenous Anytowns”

 

Autotune (Noun)

This is a device or facility for turning something automatically, especially a computer program that enables the correction of an out-of-tune vocal performance.

“While we may cringe at the autotuned quality of her voice, we can’t help but agree with these lyrics.”

 

Badassery (Noun)

This means characteristics, actions, or behaviour that is considered formidably impressive.

“Most significantly, he learned how to make and shoot an arrow (we don’t have a clue go how he got his awaken now) plus he’s developed cat-quick jumping skills that he mixes with all sort of non-gun-reacted badassery.”

 

Big Data (Noun)

This refers to really large data sets that may need to be evaluated computationally to reveal trends patterns and associations, especially relating to human interactions and behaviour.

“Many businesses will harness on-demand supercomputers for analysing growing volumes of big data.”

 

Binge-watch (verb)

This is the watching of many episodes of a television program in quick succession, unusually through digital streaming or DVD means.

 

Buzzworthy (Adjective)

This refers to the likelihood of arousing the attention and interest of the public.

“The 2018 world cup is shaping up to be the most buzz-worthy event in football’s history.”

 

Bling (Noun)

This usually refers to a very expensive piece of jewellery and ostentatious clothing.

“The bling he wears on his neck is just unnecessarily show off.”

 

Bromance (Noun)

This refers to non-sexual close relationship between two men

“Dan and John have this bromance that’s been between them for a week now.”

 

Crunk (Noun)

This means to be full of energy or to be very excited

“You should take things slow you know. There is more to be life than being crunk and spending nights at the club.”

 

DIY ( Adjective and Noun)

This refers to the activity of building, making repairs, and decorating one’s home by themselves without employing a professional expert.

“We intend to have a DIY birthday.”

 

D’oh (Exclamation)

This is an exclamation that is used to comment on a stupid or foolish action, especially one committed by one’s self.

 

Drool-worthy (Adjective)

It means extremely attractive or desirable

“Such a drool-worthy chocolate cake, I just want to dive in already.”

 

Fatberg(Noun)

This is a very big/large quantity of solid wasted found in a sewerage system, it consists mainly of personal hygiene products and fingered fats that’s been flushed down a toilet.

“Using high-pressure water jets, the workmen removed the fatberg.”

 

Frankenfood (Noun)

This is food that is genetically modified.

“It’s been three years now since the government banned frankenfood in the country.”

 

Geekfest (Noun)

This refers to a gathering of geeks, usually to have technical discussions; a solitary ongoing activity that is particularly appealing to geeks.

“There’s a geekfest taking place in the next building, that must be where the argument is from.”

 

Grrrl (Noun)

This is a young woman considered as strong and independent or aggressive, particularly in her sexuality or in her attitude to people of the other sex.

“I forgot to mention that there were moments during the interview where I was couldn’t help but admire the grrrls who spoke to us.”

 

Guyliner (noun)

This is an eyeliner that men wear.

“I believe the man over there is on a guyliner.”

 

Hater (Noun)

This refers to a person who extremely dislikes a thing or a specified person.

“I believe Twitter is just a platform where unnecessarily rude people and haters are bred.”

 

Illiterati (Noun)

This word refers to people who are not well informed or well educated about a sphere of activity or a particular subject.

“Rescinding the Arts Council could put a lot of money into our pockets that could enable us to patronize opera or any other platform we prefer – out of our own choice and not out of the will imposed on us by the illiterate.”

 

 

 

Infomania (Noun)

This word refers to a compulsive need to accumulate or check news and information, usually via a computer or mobile phone.

” According to new research carried out by a psychologist, “infomania” was identified as an addiction that manifests itself in an obsessive desire to heed and respond immediately to email phone and messages.”

 

Jeggings (Noun)

This is tight-fitting stretch trousers worn by women. It is styled to look like a pair of denim jeans.

“Is that your sister wearing jeggings? I thought she wore only skirts.”

 

La-la Land (Noun):

This word refers to a dream world or a fanciful state. Los Angeles is also commonly referred to as La-la land.

“That guy looks like he’s been in La-la land the whole day. Are you sure he is okay?”

 

Listicle (Noun)

This is a piece of writing or any other content submitted wholly or partly in the form of a list.

 “Michael has useful listicle on what insurance can and cannot do.”

 

Locavore (Noun)

This word refers to a person whose diet consists mainly of only foods that are grown or produced locally.

“It’s safe to Uncle Paul is a localvore, he doesn’t eat anything that’s not bred within our small town.”

 

Mankini (Noun)

This is a brief one-piece bathing garment for men, with a T-black.

“A lot of people at my office commented nicely regarding mankini I wore.”

 

 

Mansplain (verb) 

(Of a man) explain something to someone, in most instances, a woman, in a way considered patronizing or condescending.

“I realized that you can not sell a second-hand car for as much as a new one. I’m so happy he mansplained that to me.”

 

Microaggression (Noun)

This refers to an incident, a statement or an action considered as subtle or indirect discrimination of a marginalized group like an ethnic minority or race.

“My elder brother says enduring microaggressions can damage a person’s mental health.”

 

Mini-me (Noun)

This word refers to a person who closely resembles a younger or smaller version of another.

“You should see my sister if you are wondering what a mini-me would look like.”

 

Muffin Top (Noun)

This is a roll of fat that is obvious above the top of a pair of women’s tight-fitting low-waist trousers.

“The tighter the jeans, the more prevalent the muffin top, this is the law of anatomy.”

 

Muggle(Noun)

This word refers to a person that is not conversant with a skill or a particular activity.

“He is a muggle: no IT background, knowledge or aptitude of any sort.”

 

Noob (Noun)

This word refers to an individual who is inexperienced in a particular field of activity, especially the use of the internet or computing.

“It took me years to figure out how an illustrator works; I still consider myself a noob even after 4 years.”

 

 

Obvs (Adverb)

This another way is saying obviously.

“I’m happy, obvs. Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

OMG (Exclamation)

This is used to express the feeling of surprise, disbelief, or excitement. This word dates back to 1917.

“OMG! Mike is coming here! He’s coming. OMG! I don’t know what to wear. “

 

Po-po (Noun)

This is the police.

“And anyhow, Mr. George said, the police were on their tail. Or more specifically, the “po-po’, as he called them.”

 

Purple state (Noun)

This refers to a state in the United States both the Republican party and the Democratic Party have a close level of support among the voters.

“Colorado, in my opinion, has always been a purple state.”

 

Screenager (Noun)

This refers to an individual in their teens or twenties who has a knack for the Internet and computers.

“This documentary of mine will be based on how screenagers see the world through their mobile phones and computers, all that kind of thing.”

 

Sexting (Noun)

This refers to the sending of sexually explicit messages and photographs via mobile phone.

“It is more likely for older teens to engage in sexting than their younger counterparts.”

 

Text speak (Noun)

This refers to a language considered as characteristic of text messages that consist of acronyms, abbreviations, emoticons, initials.

 

Totes Adverb)

This means totally

“Are you going to the gym today?”

“Totes.”

 

Truthiness (Noun)

This is the quality of being felt to be true even if not necessarily true.

“For most talk show hosts, it’s not been about the truth but truthiness.”

 

Lamestream (noun)

This word blends “lame” and mainstream and it refers to the traditional, mainstream media which has become so average, it’s now thought to be lame.

“The lamestream media still makes excuses.”

 

Bae (Noun)

This is an acronym for “before anyone else” and it often used to refer to a person’s girlfriend or boyfriend. This word is commonly used on social media.

 

Brain Fade (Noun)

This word means the temporal inability to focus or think clearly. Brain Fade is the cousin of the brain fart, also commonly known as a tip-of-the-tongue syndrome.

“And he’s lost the ball again! That’s a poor turn from Pirlo, he must have had a brain fade. That’s a position he should score with his eyes closed by his standards.”

 

Pharmacovigilance (Noun)

This is the practice of overseeing the impacts of medical use after they have been licensed for use, especially to identify and examine adverse reactions that weren’t reported. 

“With this new partnership, we hope to develop diagnostic tools to improve pharmacovigilance.”

 

Hot mess (Noun)

This does not necessarily mean a good thing. However, a hot mess is used to describe a fascinating yet spectacularly unsuccessful person or thing.

“That boy is totally out of control and a hot mess.”

 

Janky (Adjective)

This word is used to describe a thing that is not reliable and is of poor or inferior quality.

“I shouldn’t have gotten that oven from my Grandmother, it’s way too Janky.”

 

Abnegation (Noun)

This refers to the action rejecting or renouncing something

“It sickens me every time I read about the abnegation of human rights in some countries around.”

 

Aggrandize (Verb)

This word refers to an increase in power, status, or wealth. The word is taken from the French (agrandiss) and Italian (aggrandire) words which mean “lengthened stem of aggrandir” and “large” respectively.

“Dan must have hoped to aggrandize himself by dying a hero’s death.”

 

Alacrity (Noun)

This word refers to brisk and cheerful readiness

“The woman accepted what was given to her with alacrity.”

 

Anachronistic (Adjective)

This word means belonging to a period other than the one being depicted, especially an earlier period that such person is made to seem or look conspicuously old-fashioned.

“Jane told me earlier this week when I asked her what was with the new look, she said she will not be drawn into the anachronistic morality of her parents. She claimed she’s her person, and it’s her own life.”

 

 

Archetypical (adjective)

This word relates to or denies an original which has been imitated.

“John in our class for us was the archetypal Christian believer.”

 

Ascetic (Adjective)

This word is characterized by extreme self-discipline abstaining from every form of indulgence, usually due to religious reasons.

 “Brother Paul claimed he has always lived a rigorously ascetic life as well as observe the monastic precepts faithfully.”

 

Beguile

This word is used to describe the act of charming or influencing a person often in a deceptive way.

“He beguiled the ladies with his sweet voice and the good looks.”

 

Banishment (Noun)

This refers to a pleasing statement or flattering or action employed as a means of gently persuading a person to do something.

“For all his threats, persuasion, and banishment, I am happy he was not able to get his heart’s desire.”

 

Cajole (Verb)

This means to persuade someone to do something usually by flattering and coaxing the person.

“My brother hoped to cajole our mother into buying us the new Play Station Five.”

 

Callous (adjective)

This is a late Middle-age English. It comes from the Latin word “callous” which means ‘hard-skinned”

The word callous refers to having or showing a cruel and intensive disregard for others.

“Jim’s callous comments about the recent racism protest and the man who died me very angry.”

 

 

 

Camaraderie (Noun)

This word is used to describe a mutual friendship and trust among people that spend a lot of time together. The word is from the mid-nineteenth century and is gotten a French word. 

“The new school football team shows a lot of team spirit and camaraderie and that’s why I believe we will go far into the competition.”

 

Circumlocution (Noun)

This refers to the use of many words where only a few would be enough, this is done usually in a deliberate attempt to be evasive or vague.

“No more circumlocution please, just state what you want us to do, so we can get out of here. Please!”

 

Clamour (Noun)

This is a confused and loud voice, especially that of people shouting

“The loud clamour of metal against metal at the workshop beside our house is our alarm every Saturday morning.”

 

Cognizant (Adjective)

This refers to having awareness or knowledge. The word cognizant is gotten from cognizance, an early 19th-century word.

“We are very cognizant of leaving Stella to herself when she refuses to talk to anyone in the house. She will come back to herself and that’s when you can engage in the conversation of ” what happened? With her.

 

Construe (Verb)

This means to interpret an action or a word or action in a particular way.

“The words that escape his lips can hardly be construed as an apology.”

 

Convivial (Adjective)

This word is used to describe an atmosphere or event that is enjoyable or friendly.

“Liverpool’s stadium, Anfield, is never convivial to supporters or teams or opposing team during their visit.”

 

Demagogue (Noun)

This word is used to describe a politician who desires support by appealing to the prejudices and desires of ordinary people instead of using rational argument.

“Socrates during his time was one of the most critical opponents of the demagogues.”

 

Denigrate (Noun)

This means to belittle and criticize unfairly.

“I hate that new blog, I believe it insults the intelligence of the readers and denigrates the entire point of delivering news in the first place.”

 

 

Didactic (Adjective)

This means intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

“That new Nigerian movie has a strong didactic and moral character than most movies.”

 

Disparate (Adjective

This word means essentially numerous in kind; not able to be compared.

“Your ability to query these disparate data sources means you should be able to combine them.”

 

Eclectic (Adjective)

This refers to the deriving of style, taste, or ideas from a broad and different range of sources.

” Toby on the other hand to me possess eclectic taste and his opinions about art neatly worked out.”

 

Egregious (Adjective)

This means outstandingly bad, shocking.

“You want to make money so bad? Do something outrageous or egregious enough.”

 

Enervate (Adjective)

This refers to the lacking of energy or vitality.

“The kids seem to be putting on an enervate behaviour. Do you know what is wrong?”

 

Ephemeral (Adjective)

This means lasting for a very short time.  The word is taken from a Greek word known as ephēmeros.

“Trends are ephemeral, fickle things: once you’ve identified something, it will change out of recognition, or as a matter of fact, it’s gone before you know it.”

 

Equanimity (Noun)

This word refers to the composure and calmness a person exhibits, especially in a difficult situation.

“Despite the provocation and clamour from his students, the teacher behaved with equanimity and handled the situation carefully.”

 

Fatuous (Adjective)

This means silly and pointless.

“I didn’t bother saying anything because I was very pissed and anything I say would have come out fatuous.”

 

Gratuitous (Adjective)

This word is used to describe something uncalled for or done without a good reason.

“The moment you get over all the widespread misogyny and gratuitous comic-book violence, it’s an entertaining night in.

 

Iconoclast (Noun)

This word is used to describe someone or people who criticize or attack cherished beliefs or institutions.

“Film-maker John Ford and Aaron Copland who was a classical composer are two boldest Iconoclasts I know about in America.”

 

Incumbent (Adjective)

(Incumbent on/upon) necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility.

“It is incumbent upon everybody to take responsibility for what is happening in our community today. “

 

Inveterate (adjective)

This word refers to a particular activity, interest, or habit that is long-established and unlikely to change.

“Those men drink as much beer as their salary would permit, make the most awful statements in the world, and are invertebrate gamblers.”

 

Libertarian (Noun)

This word refers to a supporter or advocate of a political philosophy that endorses only minima state intervention in the free market and the private life of citizens.

 

“I have always believed that even the hard-core libertarians accept restrictions on liberty, should this behaviour put anybody in harm’s way.”

 

Licentious (Adjective)

This word is used to describe a person who is unprincipled and promiscuous in sexual matters.

“Unlike a lot of the artists of this modern age, Mr. Eazi does not live a licentious life.”

 

Mendacious(Adjective)

This means not saying the truth; lying.

“It has just been revealed that the promise he made to us was mendacious nonsense.”

 

Multifarious (Adjective)

This means various types and many.

“We arrived at a walled courtyard and complex that turned out to be where the friends I made in Beijing last year were living, this was after Tayo and I had been traversing multifarious crossroads. I was so relieved to see familiar faces.

 

Obdurate (Adjective)

This word refers to when a person stubbornly refuses to change their course of action or their opinion.

“Despite all my pleads and the nights I spent trying to reason with him, he remained obdurate and that’s when I packed my bags and left. “

 

Ostracism (Noun)

This word refers to exclusion from a group or society.

“I believe a lot of the students in our school refuse to speak due to their fear of retribution or ostracism.”

 

Pejorative (Adjective)

This involves expressing disapproval or contempt.

“Honestly, I do not feel sorry for people who desire to have pejorative terms to characterize a negotiation process.”

 

Pertinacious (Adjective)

Thus involves firmly holding on a course of action or an opinion.

“She realized eventually that he was only so pernicious due to the immense love he had for her.”

 

Phlegmatic (Adjective)

This refers to a person having an unemotional and stolidly calm deposition.

“Without a doubt, the man is probably the most phlegmatic sportsman in the world. “

 

Promulgate (Verb)

This word means to make widely known or promote a cause or an idea.

“Immediately the idea is promulgated, it will be regarded as a fact.”

 

Quotidian (Adjective)

This word involves something of or occurring every day; daily

“She admired her husband for his morality, his casual acceptance of the dark, and for his quotidian life; all the things she knew she wasn’t.”

 

 

 

Recalcitrant (Adjective)

This is used to describe the behaviour of having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards discipline or authority.

“Let us all vote here and now for everyone who fails to show up for meetings face the disciplinary board. It is obvious these people are recalcitrant and must be punished.”

 

Sanctimonious (Adjective)

This involves making a show of being morally superior to other people

“In truth, fairy tales do not entirely exist, they bribe us with thoughts of happy endings so we can accept their sanctimonious morality.”

 

Solipsism (Noun)

This word refers to the theory of view that the self is all that can be known to exist.

“Without adding any more words, it only leads to solipsism- question everything but your very existence – However, the means they propose to minimize scepticism are astonishing.”

 

 Travesty (Noun)

This refers to an absurd, distorted, and false representation of something.

“Abiola’s death on the 12th of June was a travesty of democracy denying a seat in the office despite winning the elections held fair and square.

 

Ubiquitous (Adjective)

This word is used to describe something that is appearing, present, and found anywhere.”

“One of the things that have been neglected is the ubiquitous presence of radiation.”

 

Vicissitude (Noun)

This refers to a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

“It is impossible for the government to protect citizens from all the vicissitudes and circumstances of life.”

 

 

Vociferous (Adjective)

This means expressing or characterized by vehement opinions; loud and forceful.

“I don’t reckon there’s anybody in this room that was vociferous in condemning the actions of the principal than Mr. Lucky here.

 

Twerk (Verb)

This involves dancing to a popular song or music in a sexually provocative manner like in a low, squatting stance and thrusting hip movements.

“All we see in music videos these days are half-naked women twerking in front of the camera.”

 

Anti-suffragism (Noun)

This word refers to opposition to the extension of women’s right to be voted into political positions; this is the political movement dedicated to this.

 

Aperol (Noun)

This is a proprietary name for an orange-coloured Italian aperitif flavoured with gentian, a variety of herbs and roots, and rhubarb.

 

Assiniboine Noun).

This refers to a member of a Siouan people of the Great Plains, now living mainly in Southern Saskatchewan and northern Montana.

 

Aucklander (Noun)

This is a native or inhabitant of the city or the region of Auckland, New Zealand. “

 

Barack (Noun)

This is a type of apricot brandy that is made in Hungary;

 

Beaten-up (Adjective)

This refers to the whisking or stirring of an egg or other liquid ingredients vigorously.

Bidie-in (Noun)

This is used to describe a person or an individual who lives with his or her partner in a non-marital relationship; a cohabiting partner.

 

Bigsie (Adjective)

This involves having an exaggerated sense of one’s importance; pretentious, conceited, and arrogant. 

 

Biofortification (Noun)

This refers to the treatment of seed with microorganisms like nitrogen-fixing bacteria to improve the growth of subsequent seeding. “

 

Biofortified (adjective):

this refers to designating waste from the brewing industry that has been enriched with the protein of animal origin, typically used as chicken feed.”

 

Bowfing (Adjective)

This is used to refer to a foul-smelling, stinking smell. Also generally: horrible, unpleasant.

 

Cannabusiness (Noun)

This refers to a branch of business that deals in the production and sale of cannabis or cannabis-related products.

 

Cannabutter (Noun)

This word refers to butter instilled with cannabis and it is also utilized as one of the ingredients in making cannabis edibles like brownies and cookies.

 

  Caucusing (Adjective)

This is usually used to refer to a person who possesses the characteristics or looks like a chipmunk; usually as a result of the person ‘s perky mischievous character or due to the person having prominent cheeks.

 

Chuddies (Noun)

This word is used to refer to short trousers or shorts. However, now it is majorly used to refer to underpants and underwear.

 

Connectome (Noun)

This word refers to the network of nerve cells and their connections found in the brain or other various parts of the nervous system; a description or a map of such network.

 

Coorie (verb)

This means to crouch, stoop, or keep low especially for protection. Usually with down, in.

 

Dof (Adjective)

This word means Stupid, uninformed, clueless and dim-witted.

 

Dorgi(Noun)

This word is used to refer to a dog cross-bred from a dachshund and a corgi; these categories of dogs are regarded collectively as a breed.

 

Eskimoan (Adjective)

This means of, relating to, or characteristics of the Eskimo people or their languages.

 

Exomoon (Noun)

This refers to a satellite orbiting an extrasolar planet.

 

Fantoosh (Adjective)

This means flashy, showy, and; exotic,  sophisticated, fashionable, stylish. It is often used disparagingly, implying ostentatious or pretentious.

 

 

 

Favourite (verb)

This is an old word with new meaning. It is also known as the act of storing a link (a web page) in a web browser (to bookmark), this way, quick access in the future can be carried out.

 

Febrous (Adjective)

This means to be affected or characterized by fever; causing or indicative of fever; feverish. The word is often used in figurative contexts.

 

Geggie

This word refers to a person’s mouth

“Shut your geggie!”

 

Hok (Noun)

This word refers to an enclosure for domestic animals.

 

Imbizo (Noun)

This word refers to an assembly, meeting, especially a gathering of the Zulu people called by a traditional leader.

 

Joburg (Noun)

This word refers to a nickname for the city of Johannesburg.

 

Neurostimulator (Nouun)

This means any of the different types of devices that are used to stimulate nerves or neural tissue employing electrical current, for experimental or therapeutic purposes.

 

Santee (Noun)

This word refers to a member of a now-extinct North American people formerly dwelling in South Carolina.

 

Sitt (Noun)

This word is used in Arabic-speaking contexts. The word is mainly used as a title or form of address preceding a name.

 

Skunked (Adjective)

This word means Drunk,  intoxicated… It is used to describe people under the influence of marijuana.

 

Sprit(Noun)

This word refers to a sudden quick movement, a leap, spring, or jump.

 

Bridezilla (Noun)

This word is gotten from compounding “bride” and “Godzilla”. The word is used to refer to a lady who is extremely difficult to work with and very demanding during the process of her wedding.

 

Cougar(Noun)

This word is used to describe a middle-aged woman that is searching for a romantic relationship, especially with a younger man.

 

Crowdfunding

This involves the provision of funds, (money) for a project by many people who contribute a small amount of money each.

 

F-bomb

This refers to a polite way to say the word “fuck” without actually saying the word. An example is this, you could say the man mistakenly dropped an F-bomb while giving a speech in church.

 

Game changer

This word involves an element that’s newly been introduced and yet changes an exciting activity or perhaps, the situation in an important way.  An example is in a game of soccer when a new player is introduced and changes the tides of the game, taking his team from a losing position to one where they emerge out as comfortable winners. Such a player will be referred to as a game-changer

 

Helicopter parent

This word refers to a parent that’s too involved in the affair and life of his or her children; constantly hovering above their child to make sure nothing is wrong or they are fine.

 

Mash-Up

This refers to something that’s created by joining elements from two or more sources. A good example is a song that’s digitally created through the combination of two different songs.

 

Newbie

This word refers to a person that is inexperienced and new to an activity or an area like a school compound.

 

Sick

This is an old word that’s gotten a new movie down the years. Sick is a slang used by teenagers on social media for good, awesome, and excellent.

 

Spin

This involves the deliberate action of presenting news or information in a manner that tries to manipulate or affect the reader of readers me viewer’s opinion.

 

Staycation

This word is gotten from combining “stay” and “vacation”. It refers to a vacation you spend at home or in your local area. This way, you save money you would spend on traveling.

 

Aromantic (as an Adjective)

This word refers to the lack of interest in the desire to be romantically involved in any relationship.

“Even as an aromantic, there are nights you consider the thrill it would feel to be lying in the arms of another, especially at nights when you’re all alone.”

 

(As a noun)

This refers to a person who does not desire the need to be in a romantic relationship.

“My brother views aromantic people as people who are devoid of emotions or “robots” as he calls them. However, I just feel your life doesn’t need to revolve around emotions and being with the opposite sex. There’s so much more to life.”

 

Deep dive (Noun)

This involves an in-depth examination or thorough analysis of a topic or issue.

“After reading the book, we took a deep dive into the plot and setting of the story before we discussed the themes in class.”

 

Elevator Pitch (Noun)

This word refers to a brief talk that’s intended to win or sell approval for a thing.

“No matter what business you’re involved in, elevator pitches are very important in winning your customers over.”

 

Latin@

This word is used to describe a person that’s of American origin or descent

“For a lot of Asian and Pacific Islanders as well as the latin@, English is their second language.”

 

Afrofuturism (Noun)

This is a cultural movement that’s expressed through literature, music, art, cinema, and fashion and uses the frame of science fiction and fantasy to reimburse the history of the black culture and to conjure a vision of a technically advanced and generally hopeful future in which black people thrive.  This movement was popularized by the movie Black Panther, a 2018 blockbuster movie.

 

Whitelash (Noun)

This word refers to a violent or hostile response by white people towards the influx of other ethnic or racial groups. The phenomenon is not new even though it was only just recently added to the dictionary some time ago. The word was first recorded in 1965-70.

 

Toxic Masculinity (Noun)

This involves sets of attitudes and the different behavioural manners stereotypically associated with or expected of men such as dominance, virility… considered as having a negative impact on men and society as a whole.

“Toxic masculinity is associated with destructive messages that can lead men feeling privileged to beat women or engage in violent actions against women.”

 

Dad joke (Noun)

This refers to an unfunny or unoriginal joke of a type supposedly told by elderly men or middle-aged men.

“Grandfather cracked a dad joke during dinner and we all nodded and pretended to laugh.”

 

Rage-quit (Verb)

This means angrily abandoning a pursuit or activity that has become frustrating, especially when playing a video game.

“I tried about four different formations  and still, I couldn’t get the ball from falling into the back of my net, I always wound up rage-quitting.”

 

Welp (Exclamation)

This is a non-standard way of speaking of well, representing a pronunciation (typically used to convey or disappointment.)

“Welp, it seems summer break is over after all.”

 

Virtue signalling (Noun)

This refers to a practice or action of expressing sentiments and opinions intended to indicate a person’s character or the moral correctness of the position of a lesson of a particular issue in public.

“By staying on the side-lines, saying how awful the situation only massages your ego by virtue signalling.

 

Shitposting (Noun)

This involves the action of deliberately posting off-topic comments or provocative comments on social media, usually in order to annoy others or direct them away from the real conversation.

“Of course they know they know the only way they can get away with shitposting is by posting anonymously.”

 

 

 

White Fragility

This means the tendency to have a wounded, angry, defensive, or dismissive reaction to proof of racism by members of the dominant white cultural group.  The word was coined by Author Robin DiAngelo in 2011 in an article she wrote called “White Fragility.”

 

Colourism (Noun)

This involves discrimination or prejudice against dark skin tone individuals, usually among people of the same racial and ethnic group.

“You should read this article. It talks about the roots of colourism and the way it has affected the interaction between light-skinned women and black-skinned women.”

 

Coulrophobia

What this means is the fear of clowns. The word itself just came into use, however, the phobia itself has existed for years.

 

Escape Rooms

This refers to game rooms in which a group of participants is locked in a room and to get out of the room, they must solve a set of puzzles. The rooms only began to gain popularity in the mid-2010s.

 

Free Solo

This is a type of rock climbing where rock climbers do not wear any safety ropes or safety equipment, instead, they are made to rely on their own strength and skill to scale a mountain or structure.

 

Go-cup (Noun)

This refers to a paper cup or plastic cup that is designed to have an alcoholic drink taken out of a restaurant or a bar. They were first originally used in the southern United States

 

Omnicide

This involves the decimation of every human life by man-made means, like via nuclear war. In recent years, the word has come to be used to convey some other catastrophes caused by man, most especially those in relation to climate change.

 

Page view

This refers to the act of a person clicking on a web page. The word first came into existence in the year 1995, around the period the internet began to get popular. Especially now that page views can be tracked, the word has become used often in digital analytics.

 

Qubit

This is also known as a quantum bit. It represents the basic unit of information in a quantum computer, denoted by the state of an atom or elementary particle.

 

Rhotic

This word is an abbreviation for any type of session, such as a recording or drinking session. The word itself as first uttered in 1940. It is also known to indicate a low-key hang out among friends. The word was commonly used among American and British soldiers during the second world war but it only became popular about four years ago as a result of an internet meme.

 

Stan

This word can be used both as a verb and a noun. As a noun, the word refers to an obsessive fan or an overly zealous fan. As a verb, it can also be used in the same context. The word originally came in 2000 from “Stan”, a song by Eminem. Today, an adamant fan is referred to as stan but it has lost most of its negative meaning.

 

Twitterati (Noun)

This word refers to frequent or keen users of the social networking site called Twitter

“I have often seen the Twitterati so uncontested in their animosity for one man.”

 

Unfriend (Verb)

This refers to the act of removing someone from a list of contact of friends on a social network site

“If Tony continues to post insensitive things on his wall, I will unfriend.”

 

Upcycle (Verb)

This involves reusing discarded materials or objects in such ways as to develop a higher quality of a product that the original

“Sarah is obsessed with the idea upcycling handmade things and developing them new functional groovy work.”

 

Vlog (Noun)

This refers to a social media account or a personal website where a person regularly posts short videos.

“Oba wants to open a vlog where he intends to be posting all the videos he’s been taking and making recently.”

 

YouTube (Noun)

This is a person that produces, uploads, or appears in videos on the video-sharing website called Youtube.

“My father said yesterday that almost everybody in this present generation is a YouTuber or an aspiring YouTuber.”

 

Henpecking (Noun)

This refers to when a woman continually nags at or criticizes her husband/male partner or when she orders him around in a manner that can be considered as domineering

“Do you remember how much hen-pecking the poor man had to withstand in his home in the past five years? Please, he’s better off where he is now.”

 

Kannywood (Noun)

This word refers to the Nigerian Hausa-language film industry that has its base in Kano. The City Kano in Nigeria is viewed as the Centre of this industry.

“After many trials and failures in the Nigerian English Entertainment industry, Muhammad returned to Kannywood and it was there in the North he became a national film celebrity.”

 

K-leg (Noun)

This word was formed compounding K and leg. K-leg refers to a condition in which a person’s leg or both his legs are turned inward. Thereby resulting in a noticeable gap between the feet when standing, causing the knees to meet.

“Mr. Benson’s K-leg is not visible until you see him in a short and not the usual long trousers he’s always on.”

 

Non-indigene (Noun)

A member of an ethnic group considered not to be ingenious to a particular area.

“Non-indigenes living in our area have promised support to the new governor-elect.”

 

Noonie (Noun)

This word is mainly British. It refers to the female genitals; the vulva or virginal.”

“I can’t think of any other reason why her noonie is on display other than she’s lost it.”

 

Okada (Noun)

This word refers to a motorcycle that people can use as a taxi service in Nigeria.

“The government announced yesterday they are banning the use of Okada on all commercial roads in the city.”

 

Snowflake (Noun)

This word is used to describe an overly sensitive person, or a person who gets offended easily, or a person that feels they should be given special treatment based on their belief that they possess some supposedly unique qualities. The word snowflake was first used in the 1860s as a slang term.

Today, the word snowflake is used in referring to liberal people who are easily offended by a language thought to be politically incorrect.

“My account was suspended last week because some snowflake got offended by my post.”

 

Swole (Adjective)

Swole refers to having a highly muscular physique. It is a term that is largely used in the bodybuilding culture. The word first came into existence in 1988. Again, like so many words, the internet has played a role in bringing the word back into the modern scene, popularizing the use of the word.

“There’s a chance that if you are swole, anything will look good on you.”

 

Ember months (Noun)

This word is used to refer to the final four months of the year (September, October, November, and December) which is commonly considered to be as a very busy period.

“My father doesn’t like the ember months, he considers them to be the most stressful quarter of the year.”

 

Onboarding (Noun)

This refers to the process by which a new employee is being integrated into an organization. It is used often as a modifier, as in the onboarding process, onboarding program.

“My new focus is on restructuring how we do things when we onboard a client in this company.”

 

Danfo

This word has its origin in the south-western people of Nigeria, the Yoruba’s. Danfo refers to a yellow minibus that carries passengers for a fare as part of an informal transport system in the most populated black city in the world, Lagos.

“My father always takes Danfo to work every morning.”

 

Gist (Noun)

This refers to idle chat people engage in. It could mean people talking about rumors or gossiping.

“Have you heard the new gist concerning Will Smith and his wife?

 

So there you have some new words in English language, that have just been added to the dictionary. New words in English language  provide here will introduce you to the new slangs, words that are being used around today.

SOURCES

• New words list January 2020 | Oxford English Dictionary. https://public.oed.com/updates/new-words-list-january-2020/
• New Dictionary Words | April 2020 | Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/new-words-in-the-dictionary
• New words list March 2019 | Oxford English Dictionary. https://public.oed.com/updates/new-words-list-march-2019/