New words in the dictionary in 2024: IYKYK

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack

Published December 18, 2024 at 2:27 PM EST

A woman with short curly black hair wearing glasses, a yellow top, and a blue sweater

1 of 3 — Amanda Chestnut.jpg

Amanda Chestnut

Provided

A smiling man with short brown hair and a brown beard and mustache wearing a blue button-down shirt and a blue blazer

2 of 3 — Fanning-Chris-21.jpg

Chris Fanning

Provided

A smiling woman with short black hair and glasses wearing a blue sweater and necklace

3 of 3 — Linda Sue Park.jpg

Linda Sue Park

Martin Hawk / Provided

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

Merriam-Webster added 200 new words to its dictionary in 2024. Cambridge added more than 3,200. That means it’s time for one of our favorite annual Connections traditions: our discussion – and quiz(!) – about those new words!

If you’re bed rotting or hoping to pass the time as you prep for a bussin’ girl dinner, join us for the conversation, the competition, and the exploration of how language changes over time.

Our guests:

Amanda Chestnut, co-founder, curator, and publisher for “In This Moment”
Chris Fanning, deputy director of Writers & Books
Linda Sue Park, author of “Prairie Lotus,” “A Long Walk to Water,” and many more

*Notes:
To read more about new words in Merriam-Webster's dictionary, click here.
To read more about new words in Cambridge's dictionary, click here.