'The ick,' 'Barbiecore,' and 'goblin mode' among new terms added to the dictionary

'The ick,' 'Barbiecore,' and 'goblin mode,' are just some of the different words being added to the Macquarie Dictionary this year.

As time goes by language continues to evolve, and there's always a new term people begin to use that gains popularity - particularly with social media and the internet speeding up this process.

And so, as a result there are a lot of different words coined by Gen Z that are getting added to the dictionary of Australian English.

Other examples include menty-b (short for mental breakdown), spicy cough (COVID-19), bachelor's handbag (a takeaway roast chicken), and situationship (a romantic relationship that lacks clear definitions, boundaries or commitment).

Goblin mode - which was Oxford University Press's 2022 word of the year - means "a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations".

Barbiecore has also become a popular term that means to encapsulate the aesthetic and spirit of the Mattel doll which became a popular trend due to the release of the live-action Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and directed by Greta Gerwig.

"This edition has been quite distinct with the pandemic and other social trends that people are following. The role of the dictionary is to simply present language as it is currently being used in Australian English," Macquarie’s managing editor, Victoria Morgan told The Sydney Morning Herald.

She also noted how COVID was a "significant time" linguistically as they "haven’t had this many terms created by a single crisis or catastrophe pretty much since the world wars".

"There’s so much new language evolving because any new product, any new trend or behavioral practice often creates its own new language. In a way, we’re always playing catch up,” Morgan added.

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