New English Words Added to the Dictionary in 2013

buzzworthy (adj.)

something that will probably get interest and attention from the public. The word “buzz” can mean general excitement and activity.

The new movie will be one of the most buzzworthy films of the year.

clunker (n.)

an old machine – especially an old car – which doesn’t function very well. It can also mean something that fails, more generally.

My father’s owned that clunker for the past 25 years and he doesn’t want to sell it.

flash mob (n.)

when a lot of people go to a public place and suddenly perform a song, dance or other type of performance, then disperse into the crowd. Flash mobs are usually organized by social media or the internet.

YouTube video

geekery (n.)

actions or behavior typical of geeks, people who have intense dedication to or knowledge about an unusual or highly technical subject

Randy and Paul spent all afternoon talking about Star Trek geekery.

live blog (n. / v.)

a blog that makes short, frequent posts that comment on an event while it is taking place

Sarah live-blogged the main sessions of the conference.

selfie (n.)

a photograph a person takes of himself/herself – often with a smartphone or webcam – and then uploads to a social media website

It’s annoying when people post a new selfie on Facebook five times a day.

binge-watch (v.)

watching TV – usually a single show – for a longer time span than usual. The word “binge” refers to consuming food or drink in excess, so “binge-watching” means watching an excessive amount of TV, especially a lot of episodes in a row.

We stayed up all night binge-watching The Big Bang Theory – I have all the episodes on DVD.

digital detox (n.)

a period of time when you don’t use electronic devices like cell phones or computers. It’s an opportunity to reduce stress and focus on enjoying the real world. The word “detox” is used for when people addicted to drugs stop using the drugs.

Carla is going on a digital detox during her vacation. She wants to be completely disconnected!

New English Words Added to the Dictionary in 2013 Espresso English

During a digital detox, you unplug from your electronic devices! (image source)

prep (n./v.)

short for “preparing” or “preparation.”

The professor does a lot of prep before each lesson.

We’ve been prepping for the show for the past half hour.

babymoon (n.)

a relaxing or romantic holiday that a husband and wife take before their baby is born; OR the period of time after the baby is born when the new parents can establish a connection with their child. Combination of baby + honeymoon (a honeymoon is the trip newly-married couples take after their wedding)

We’re going to spend our babymoon at a luxury hotel.

emoji (n.)

a small digital image or icon used to express an emotion online or in text messages, like this 🙂

omnishambles (n.)

a situation that has turned into a disaster because of various mistakes and bad organization.

First the seminar was rescheduled without authorization, then nobody was informed of the change, and finally our international visitors arrived on the wrong date. It was a complete omnishambles.

defriend (v.)

remove someone as your friend on a social network. Also “unfriend.”

I defriended my ex-boyfriend on Facebook so that he wouldn’t know about my new relationship.

me time (n.)

time you spend relaxing by yourself, not working or doing things for other people.

No, I’m not going to the club this weekend. It’s been a rough week and I need a couple days of me time.

New English Words Added to the Dictionary in 2013 Espresso English

“Me time” allows you to relax from the demands of others. (image source)

Want to increase your vocabulary
& improve your fluency?

New English Words Added to the Dictionary in 2013 Espresso English

Learn more about the Vocabulary Builder Course