19 Words That Will Make You Look More Intelligent, Hip, and Erudite

19 Words That Will Make You Look More Intelligent, Hip, and Erudite
Language is changing. Either keep up with it or get left behind.

Time's they are a changing. Language too. And if you don't want to get pegged as someone with an old person's vocabulary, you need to keep up with it all.

This week, Dictionary.com rolled out hundreds of words that it's adding officially to its database. They're a good start--a place to check your words and phrases against the rolling tide of language and history.

You don't necessarily want to just go throwing these into your daily speech, but at the very least you want to know what many of them mean when others use them.

Cool point: This isn't just about what some editor thinks people should count as new words, but instead about what real people have been searching for. As Dictionary.comCEO Liz McMillan told Time.com: 

"We get over 5.5 billion word lookups every year, and we analyze those lookups to identify new words that we haven't seen before, and when we see a critical mass of volume against a particular word, our lexicography team will start researching."

With hundreds of new words and sayings we can't go through them all, but here 19 to get your started.

1. al desko

adjective, adverb, Facetious. (of meals or eating) at one's desk in an office:

2. athleisure

noun. a style of clothing worn as athletic apparel but also suitable for casual, everyday wear:

"Athleisure looks great whether you're working out or just running errands."

3. butthurt

noun. mental distress or irritation caused by an overreaction to a perceived personal slight, a bad outcome, etc.; adjective. feeling such mental distress or irritation:

"The comments section is full of butthurt idiots."

4. free-range parenting

noun. Informal. a style of child rearing in which parents allow their children to move about without constant adult supervision, aimed at instilling independence and self-reliance.

5. ghosting

noun. Informal. the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a person without explanation, especially in a romantic relationship: "He was a victim of ghosting."

Also called French goodbye, Irish goodbye. the act of leaving a social event or engagement suddenly without saying goodbye:

"Ghosting might be the best option if we want to get home before midnight."

Digital Technology. the removal of comments, threads, or other content from a website or online forum without informing the poster, keeping them hidden from the public but still visible to the poster.

6. hijra

noun, (in South Asia, especially India) 1. a person whose gender identity is neither male nor female, typically a person who was born male and dresses as a woman;

2. a person who is transgender or is transitioning to another gender.

7. hot take 

noun, Informal. a superficially researched and hastily written journalistic piece, online post, etc., that presents opinions as facts and is often moralistic: "a hot take on healthcare reform."

8. intersectionality

the oppression and discrimination resulting from the overlap of an individual's various social identities: "the intersectionality of oppression experienced by black women."

9. lamestream

1. noting or relating to traditional print and broadcast media, when regarded as lacking the fairness, creativity, etc., of independent online news sources.

2. noting or relating to a person or thing that has achieved mainstream popularity but is perceived as no longer original, creative, etc.

10. long-form

adjective, 1. noting or relating to journalistic content or a genre of journalism characterized by stories or essays that are several thousand words long, typically combining factual reporting with a narrative and empathetic style:

"A long-form article can illuminate and humanize your subject."

noun, journalistic or other media content so characterized:

"I've started writing more long-form on my blog."

11. lumbersexual

noun 1.a man whose style of dress and appearance is reminiscent of the ruggedly masculine stereotype of the lumberjack, as in wearing plaid shirts and having a beard.a man whose style of dress and appearance is reminiscent of the ruggedly masculine stereotype of the lumberjack

12. manspread

verb (used without object), Informal. 1. (of a man) to sit with one's legs far apart, taking up too much space on a seat shared with other people:

13. mom jeans

noun, ( used with a plural verb) 1. Informal. unstylish women's jeans.

14. NBD

acronym for no big deal: "I'll just stay home, NBD."

15. panromantic

adjective, 1.noting or relating to a person who is romantically attracted to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities:

"The singer came out as queer and panromantic at age 17."

16. presstitute

noun, Slang: Disparaging. 1. a journalist or media source whose news coverage is considered to be inappropriately influenced by business interests, political motives, etc. (often used attributively):

"claims made by the industry and trumpeted by the corporate presstitute media."

17. train wreck

noun. Slang. a person who has experienced a personal failure, disaster, etc.; a disastrous situation, occurrence, or process: "

His football career has been a train wreck."

18. woke

adjective, Slang. (often used in the phrase stay woke) actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights:

"In light of recent incidents of police brutality, it's important to stay woke."

aware of the facts, true situation, etc. (sometimes used facetiously):

"The moon landing was staged. Stay woke!" 

19. ze

pronoun 1. (occasionally used with a singular indefinite pronoun or singular noun antecedent in place of the definite masculine he or the definite feminine she): "My friend didn't want to go to the party, but ze ended up having a great time!"

Thank you to Bill Murphy for writing this article.