New words – 12 January 2026

On By Cambridge WordsIn New words4 Comments
Luis Alvarez / DigitalVision / Getty

bio-baiting noun [U]
UK /ˈbaɪ.əʊ.beɪtɪŋ/ US /ˈbaɪ.oʊ.beɪtɪŋ/
writing an online dating profile that makes you seem much more interesting, attractive etc. than you really are

Like catfishing, bio-baiting involves a bit of deception – but this time it’s all about overselling your dating app bio in ways that don’t quite hold up in real life. A poll found that nearly 63 per cent admitted to feeling let down after meeting someone who didn’t live up to their carefully polished dating app profile. Ultimately, the best defence against bio-baiting is to move the conversation off the app and into real life quickly.
[indy100.com, 26 September 2025]

See also catfishing

chatfishing noun [U]
/ˈtʃæt.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/
using AI tools to write messages to other people on dating apps

It’s a well-worn adage of the Internet age: people often aren’t what they seem to be online. But until recently, you could at least be assured that they were people. Now, though, “chatfishing,” a new wave of online deception, is taking over dating apps. Instead of “catfishing”—using an entirely fake identity—people are using artificial intelligence to help them chat up prospective love interests and secure dates.
[scientificamerican.com, 22 October 2025]

grim-keeping noun [U]
/ˈgrɪm.kiːpɪŋ/
forming a relationship with someone based on disliking the same things

Grim-keeping flips the script on dating compatibility. Forget matching over favorite TV shows or whether you both like long walks on the beach. This trend is about uniting over the stuff you can’t stand. From universally annoying habits to oddly specific gripes, grim-keeping makes negativity the new love language.
[huffingtonpost.co.uk, 30 October 2025]

About new words

Ice-cold and freezing: words for describing things that are cold

On By Liz WalterIn Synonyms, the English language, Vocabulary13 Comments

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By Liz Walter

In my last post I wrote about hot and warm temperatures. Today’s post looks at vocabulary for things that are colder, again with an emphasis on what each word or phrase can describe.

Something that is cool is quite cold. This is almost always a positive description, especially when it contrasts with something that is too hot:

There was a lovely cool breeze coming from the sea.

If we say that there is a chill – or more informally a nip – in the air, we mean that the weather is rather cold. A person who is very cold might describe themselves as being chilled to the bone. Chilly describes cold places, people or parts of the body, while nippy is used for the weather or the air but not usually people or parts of the body. Neither adjective is very emphatic:

There’s a real chill in the air this morning.

After two hours waiting at the bus stop, I was chilled to the bone.

I was feeling rather chilly.

It’s a bit nippy outside today.

There are several words or phrases for talking about very cold temperatures. A general and very common one is freezing or freezing cold. This can be used for objects, weather and people:

My feet are absolutely freezing!

It was a freezing cold day.

Something that is icy is either covered in ice or extremely cold. This adjective can be used for most things, as can the expressions ice-cold and as cold as ice, which both emphasize extreme coldness. Stone-cold tends to be used rather negatively for something that was once hot or which should be hot:

We shivered in the icy wind.

I’d love an ice-cold drink.

Her hands were as cold as ice.

By then, the soup was stone-cold.

We can say that a place or the weather is bitter or bitterly cold.  These words are negative and imply that the cold is painful:

We tried to shelter from the bitter wind.

It was bitterly cold on the mountain.

In extremely cold climates, we may talk about sub-zero temperatures. Glacial and arctic are also emphatic adjectives for extremely low temperatures:

Parts of the country experienced sub-zero temperatures last night.

Glacial temperatures added to their problems.

The temperature in his room was positively arctic.

Liquids that are  only slightly warm may be described as lukewarm or tepid. Both these words usually express disapproval and imply that the thing being described should be hotter:

The food was lukewarm.

The water in the bath was tepid.

I hope these temperature words are useful. Let me know in the comments if you can think of any more!

New words – 5 January 2026

On By Cambridge WordsIn New words2 Comments
Caia Image / Collection Mix: Subjects / Getty

readaway noun [C]
/ˈriːd.ə.weɪ/
a short holiday where the main activity is reading and talking about books

Weekends away have had an intellectual upgrade, where small groups of friends are now heading off for the purpose of reading and discussing literature. The Unpack 2026 report, revealing the top travel trends for the year ahead, shows “readaways” – a weekend getaway focused on reading, relaxing and quality time, is the next big thing in travel.
[thepost.co.nz, 15 October 2025]

thrift tripping noun [U]
/ˈθrɪft ˌtrɪpɪŋ/
the act of planning a holiday around visiting vintage shops, flea markets etc. to buy second-hand clothes and other items

Google search data reveals demand for market tours increased 61% over the past year, whilst location-specific vintage shopping queries have exploded. The trend, dubbed “thrift tripping,” sees travellers specifically planning destinations around vintage shops, flea markets and thrift stores.
[globetrender.com, 10 September 2025]

salvaged stay noun [C]
/ˈsæl.vɪdʒd ˌsteɪ/
an old building that has been converted from its original purpose into a hotel

“Travellers are craving more than just a place to sleep; they want a story to tell,” explains Melanie Fish, spokesperson for Expedia Group. “Salvaged stays are the perfect blend of character, culture and comfort. This year alone I’ve stayed in an old post office, a prison and a warehouse – the past definitely has a future in hospitality.”
[countryliving.com, 21 October 2025]

About new words

Talking about death (Part 1)

On By Kate WoodfordIn Synonyms, the English language, Vocabulary25 Comments

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by Kate Woodford

The theme of today’s blog post may not be exactly cheerful, but you might just find it useful. The subject is death and dying. Whether we like it or not, it’s something that we all talk about at some point in our lives. Continue reading “Talking about death (Part 1)” →

New words – 29 December 2025

On By Cambridge WordsIn New words5 Comments
danm / Moment /Getty

frost-jacking noun [U]
UK /ˈfrɒstdʒæk.ɪŋ/ US /ˈfrɑːstdʒæk.ɪŋ/
the act of stealing a car that has been left unattended with the engine running to defrost it in very cold weather

Drivers have been issued a warning after three cars were stolen during a “frost-jacking” spree in Fife on Friday. The thefts occurred between 8am and 8.50am while the vehicles were left defrosting outside properties. Detective inspector Sammi Davidson said: “With temperatures expected to remain low I would urge residents not to leave their cars unattended as it only takes seconds for an opportunist to take the vehicle.”
[news.stv.tv, November 2025]

See also carjacking

ghost charging noun [U]
UK /ˈgəʊst ˌtʃɑː.dʒɪŋ/ US /ˈgoʊst ˌtʃɑːr.dʒɪŋ/
the act of using a charging bay for an electric vehicle as a parking space and not actually charging your car while you are parked there

Ghost charging is when an EV driver uses a dedicated charging bay simply to take a handy parking space. They park up and plug in when they don’t need to charge, to the annoyance of other EV drivers who do need to charge.
[www.petalite.io, 2 April 2025]

T-plate noun [C]
/ˈtiːpleɪt/
a square, white sign with a green letter T on it, attached to the back and the front of a vehicle that is being driven by a tourist in an area where road accidents are frequent

Tourists driving in the Highlands are being encouraged to display “T-plates” in the hope it will reduce accidents. The signs are intended to alert other road users that the driver might not be familiar with Scotland’s roads. It comes after Transport Scotland warned earlier this year that the number of crashes caused by “inexperience of driving on the left” had increased sharply.
[bbc.co.uk/news, 11 September 2025]

About new words

Red-hot and roasting: words for describing things that are hot.

On By Liz WalterIn Synonyms, the English language, Vocabulary4 Comments

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By Liz Walter

There are a lot of words for talking about temperature in English. Many of them describe particular types of thing. For example, some adjectives can be used to describe the weather but not food or people. This post is the first of a pair, and looks at some common words for things that are hot or warm.

I’ll start with red-hot, which is an emphatic word for something that is extremely hot. We use this adjective for objects, often metal objects, and not usually for weather or food:

Don’t touch that saucepan – it’s red-hot!

We talk about blistering or scorching (hot) weather, but we don’t usually use these words to talk about how people feel when they experience it:

They worked all afternoon in the blistering heat.

It was a scorching hot day.

There are however several words that can refer to both hot weather and the way we feel in it. These include baking (hot), boiling (hot), roasting (hot) and sweltering:

Everyone on the train was baking, but we couldn’t turn the heaters off.

It’s boiling hot here in the summer.

There was no shade on the beach and we were roasting.

We were forced to walk miles in the sweltering heat.

Scalding is an emphatic word used for liquids and implies that they will hurt you if you touch them. On the other hand, piping (hot) usually describes food or drink and is a rather positive description:

She accidentally put her hand in the scalding water.

Make sure the food is piping hot before you eat it.

If someone is too hot because they are ill, we say they have a temperature/are running a temperature, and if they are very hot because of a fever, we might say that they are burning (up):

Tom was running a temperature and feeling very ill.

She was burning up in the night.

If something is warm, it is fairly hot but not very hot. This word usually describes a pleasant temperature. Two more positive words are toasty, which usually describes a person’s body or sometimes a place that is comfortably warm, and balmy, which describes warm weather:

Make sure you stay warm if you’re going out in the snow.

My thick coat kept me toasty.

It was a balmy afternoon and we sat outside.

If you have found these words useful, look out for my next post, which will look at some of the words that describe things that are cold, or only slightly warm.

New words – 22 December 2025

On By Cambridge WordsIn New words, the English language1 Comment
Yurii Yarema / iStock / Getty Images Plus

quiet cracking noun [U]
/ˌkwaɪ.ət ˈkrækɪŋ/
the situation where an employee keeps coming into work and doing their job, but feels privately unhappy and disengaged

Quiet cracking is when workers continue to show up to work and do their job but “struggle in silence while they do it”, according to Frank Giampietro, EY Americas chief wellbeing officer. In an interview with Business Insider, Giampietro said a lot more workers who wanted to leave were feeling trapped in their current roles as a result of the current hiring downturn.
[peoplemanagement.co.uk, 18 August 2025]

job hugging noun [U]
UK /ˈdʒɒb ˌhʌgɪŋ/ US /ˈdʒɑːb ˌhʌgɪŋ/
the fact of staying in a job because it provides security, even if you don’t enjoy it and it no longer feels rewarding

A cute new term for a morbid reality has cropped up online, describing workers who cling to their jobs out of fear about reentering the dismal job market: “Job hugging.” In many ways, the “job hugging” trend is a reversal of the so-called “great resignation” of the pandemic era, when workers felt safe walking away from positions they didn’t want, confident they’d find work elsewhere.
[independent.co.uk, 4 November 2025]

See also the Great Resignation

hybrid creep noun [U]
/ˈhaɪ.brɪd ˌkriːp/
the gradual increase in days employees are expected to come into the office, even though the company officially has a hybrid working policy

There has also been a recent increase in employers gradually pushing to bring employees into the office more frequently, often without a formal announcement, known as “hybrid creep”. According to career expert Peter Duris, it’s becoming more commonplace. “However, some employers may want to see more faces in the office, but do this without formally updating any policies.”
[stylist.co.uk, 30 October 2025]

About new words

All hands on deck! (Nautical Idioms, Part 2)

On By Kate WoodfordIn Idioms, the English language9 Comments

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by Kate Woodford

Today’s post is the second of a pair focusing on nautical idioms, that is, idioms relating to sailing and the ocean. Part 1 covered idioms with the words ‘boat’, ’ship’ or ‘water’. Today, I’m looking at idioms containing a range of other nautical words. Where an item of vocabulary or the nautical origin of a phrase is not clear, I have given a brief explanation. Continue reading “All hands on deck! (Nautical Idioms, Part 2)” →

New words – 15 December 2025

On By Cambridge WordsIn New words4 Comments
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Rad noun [C]
/ræd/
abbreviation for “rich autumn dad”: a man who dresses in the style of wealthy country gentlemen, for example wearing tweed and corduroy clothes, even if he is young and has no children

The leader of this new style pack, known among fashion watchers as the Rads, is David Beckham. The former England football captain appears in Country Life in a variety of looks including a tweed blazer and corduroy trousers. British country attire is now being embraced by men of all ages who want to emulate old money style. They may not be rich. They may not be a dad. But they can still look like a Rad.
[theguardian.com, 24 October 2025]

Gen Z stare noun [C]
UK /ˌdʒen zed ˈsteə/ US /ˌdʒen ziː ˈsteər/
a facial expression, used of young people, where the face appears blank and emotionless, generally to signal indifference or boredom

The Gen Z generation is getting a lot of press lately, sending shock waves through the work world with something called the “Gen Z stare.” It’s described as a long, blank and expressionless stare in a variety of social situations. Although many critics reduce the look to a silly, disengaged expression, experts argue that … the ‘Gen Z stare’ is more than just a viral buzzword; it is not a new problem, but it is a pervasive one, highlighting a larger issue in today’s workplace: a growing generational disconnect in employee communication and expectations.
[forbes.com, 21 July 2025]

hub-son noun [C]
/ˈhʌb.sʌn/
an adult male who continues to live with his parents, contributes little or nothing financially, but does housework and other household chores

Basically, a hub-son (a play on husband/son, obviously) is a son who lives at home with his mom/parents, holding no job other than performing traditional household tasks. Think of them like a stay-at-home tradwife, but … just an unmarried son who doesn’t want to move out of mommy’s house. But hey, in this economy, can we blame ’em?
[vice.com, 8 October 2025]

About new words

The beginning of the end? Phrases with ‘end’ (2)

On By Liz WalterIn Idioms, the English language10 Comments

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by Liz Walter

My last post looked at phrases containing the word ‘end’ in the sense of the part that is furthest from the centre of something. Today’s post looks at phrases containing the word ‘end’ in its other main sense: the final part of something such as an activity or a period of time.

If something is at an end, it is finished and if it comes to an end, it finishes. On the other hand, if there is no end to something, it will never finish:

Eventually the rescuers arrived and her ordeal was at an end.

That period of my life was about to come to an end.

There seems to be no end to the conflict.

In the end, means finally, for instance at the end of a series of events or after a long discussion. We sometimes describe the point where something starts to get worse until it finishes or fails completely as the beginning of the end:

I made several attempts to call her, but in the end I went to her house.

It was the beginning of the end for our band when the drummer left.

If you do something to/until the bitter end, you continue until it is finished or completed, usually facing great problems or knowing that the result will be bad:

Their opponents had by far the better team, but they fought to the bitter end.

If you say that something is not the end of the world, you mean that it isn’t the worst thing that could happen. We sometimes use this phrase to imply that someone is making too much fuss about something. If someone comes to/meets a sticky end, they die in an unpleasant way. This phrase is slightly humorous, and shouldn’t be used in serious situations:

I know you’re upset about missing the show, but it’s not the end of the world.

The character comes to a sticky end when his car blows up.

I’ll finish with a very common phrase. When people are discussing a situation, they often finish with the phrase at the end of the day, followed by what they consider to be the most important fact about it:

You can complain about the driving test as much as you like, but at the end of the day, if you want to drive, you have to do it.

As you can see from this and my previous post, there are an incredible number of English phrases with the word ‘end’. Is this the same in your language?