Oxford’s new words prove English has gone delulu
Oxford officially added new words to the English dictionary, and we’ve gone from Shakespeare to Brainrot
The English language has survived a lot. Plagues, wars, the Victorians; but nothing has shaken it quite like TikTok.
The Oxford English Dictionary recently announced the addition of more than 6,000 new words, and the ones making headlines are pure TikTok brainrot: skibidi and delulu.
Yes, Shakespeare gave us “bedazzled.” Millennials gave us “adulting.” Gen Alpha? They’ve given us “skibidi.”
What the skibidi does that even mean?
The dictionary now defines skibidi as: “a word that can mean cool, bad, or nothing at all, used mostly as a joke.”
The term took off thanks to the viral Skibidi Toilet videos - the ones where human heads pop out of toilets.
Humanity peaked, and then immediately plummeted.
As US writer Lee Escobedo told The Guardian, “Skibidi brainrot encapsulates a generation fluent in irony but starved for meaning.”
Translation: the kids are alright… but also slightly broken.
Living in a delulu world
Next up is delulu, short for delusional. It started as K-pop fan slang for people who genuinely believed they’d marry their idols.
Fast-forward to now, and TikTok has adopted it as a mantra: “delulu is the solulu” (basically, manifestation with extra glitter).
Even Australia’s prime minister has used it to roast his opponents in parliament.
If world leaders are quoting TikTok slang, maybe we really are doomed.
What in the “Tradwives, broligarchies, and mouse jiggles” is happening?
Other gems in the dictionary update include:
Tradwife: A woman who celebrates being a traditional stay-at-home wife, especially if she’s posting about it online.
Broligarchy: A small group of ultra-rich tech bros pulling the strings of the internet.
Mouse jiggler: A sneaky little device/software that fakes mouse movement so your boss thinks you’re working. (Remote workers everywhere just whispered “thank you.”)
Work spouse: Your office bestie who knows when you need coffee, gossip, or to scream quietly in the bathroom.
So… we went from Shakespeare’s “to be or not to be” to Gen Alpha’s “skibidi toilet”. Yoh!
The English language is evolving faster than you can say “yeet.” Maybe in 100 years, schoolchildren won’t be studying Macbeth but instead debating the deeper meaning of “delulu is the solulu.”
Until then, the dictionary has spoken: brainrot is officially part of the English language.
Honestly, Oxford. That’s kind of skibidi.
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