superworker noun [C]
UK /ˈsuː.pə.wɜː.kəʳ/ US /ˈsuː.pə.wɝː.kɚ/
someone who works much more productively by using AI tools that can carry out tasks and act on their behalf

Bersin has coined the term “superworker” for how AI is amplifying what an individual can achieve at work. “People don’t have the energy to have another conference call to talk about this and that. But you can wake the digital twin up in the middle of the night and talk to it for an hour – it doesn’t care. It’s incredibly valuable,” says Bersin.
[bbc.co.uk, 17 April 2026] Continue reading “New words – 4 May 2026” →

April Theory noun [S]
UK /ˈeɪ.prᵊl ˌθɪə.ri/ US /ˈeɪ.prᵊl ˌθɪr.i/
the idea that people feel most positive and motivated to set new goals in the month of April

A viral idea born on social media, the “April Theory” frames April as a natural turning point and seasonal reset. After the slower-paced winter and pressure-filled reset of January, spring is the time of year when things start to click, bringing a sense of momentum, clarity, and noticeable shifts in relationships, routines, or personal goals. 
[realsimple.com, 7 April 2026]

slow dopamine noun [U]
UK /ˌsləʊ ˈdəʊ.pə.ˌmiːn/ US /ˌsloʊ ˈdoʊ.pə.ˌmiːn/
a steady, long-lasting sense of satisfaction and achievement caused by doing activities that need patience and concentration

Slow dopamine “refers to anything that requires you to put in effort to attain the result,” says Vignola. That includes going for a walk, washing the dishes, exercising, sauna and cold bathing — really anything that involves time, effort, and delayed gratification. Think: committing to learning guitar, and setting aside time each day to work towards that skill.
[yahoo.com, 10 April 2026]

anxiety bag noun [C]
UK /æŋˈzaɪ.ə.ti ˌbæg/ US /æŋˈzaɪ.ə.t̬i ˌbæg/
a small bag filled with items to help someone feel less anxious

As someone who has battled anxiety since my childhood, my ears pricked up when I first heard the term “anxiety bag,” now trending all over social media … The idea behind an anxiety bag is really quite practical and self aware: It’s a personalized collection of tools designed to help you regulate your emotions and feel more grounded when anxiety hits.
[yahoo.com, 27 March 2026]

See also analogue bag

About new words

slopper noun [C]
UK /ˈslɒp.əʳ/ US /ˈslɑː.pɚ/
someone who relies too much on AI chatbots to make decisions, find out information, etc.

If someone is a “slopper,” it means that they have offloaded most of their cognitive processes to ChatGPT. This cognitive offloading involves asking ChatGPT for guidance on various tasks a person should be mentally well-equipped to handle on their own, such as planning what to do for the evening, how to respond to a text message from a family member, or whether to make a significant life change, like quitting a job.
[fastcompany.com, 16 August 2025]

See also slop

trendslop noun [U]
UK /ˈtrend.slɒp/ US /ˈtrend.slɑːp/
the tendency of an AI model to give an answer that follows popular trends instead of analysing the situation and providing a response that is relevant to it

A recent study found that when various large language models (LLMs) were asked to provide guidance on a workplace issue, they gravitated toward a response that was most aligned with buzzwords, rather than providing guidance that best aligned with the scenario. Researchers dubbed the proclivity of AI to gravitate toward the same jargon to inform their judgments “trendslop.” … The “trendslop” tendencies of LLMs are a result of biases they take on when the models are being trained, researchers noted.
[fortune.com, 10 April 2026]

slopaganda noun [U]
UK /ˌslɒp.əˈgæn.də/ US /ˌslɑː.pəˈgæn.də/
the use of AI-generated information as propaganda

Are you troubled by the way that social media has enabled the spread of propaganda? Well, get ready for slopaganda, which is propaganda that’s AI-powered and unprecedented in terms of speed, scale, audience reach and persuasiveness. “AI slop” is the term used to identify unwanted AI content – the algorithm-driven equivalent of spam email. Slopaganda is turning out to be just as annoying as spam, but far more dangerous.
[Philosopher’s Zone (podcast), 14 October 2025]

About new words

French Sunday noun [C]
/ˌfrentʃ ˈsʌn.deɪ/
a relaxed Sunday, inspired by the French way of life, that involves spending time with friends and family, eating good food, and going for walks, rather than doing chores or housework

Like most fashionable trends, “French Sunday” comes from France, but was most recently popularized by Vogue … According to the Vogue article, “French Sundays” are supposed to be “lazy, stress-free days, when the main activity is to do nothing” — the exact opposite of productivity hacks that encourage people to use Sundays to prep for next week’s meals, do that load of laundry, clean your space, review your calendar, and lay out your work clothes (making Sundays practically a sixth day of work).
[fastcompany.com, 27 February 2026] Continue reading “New words – 13 April 2026” →

meteorosensitive adjective
UK /ˌmiː.ti.ə.rəˈsen.sɪ.tɪv/ US /ˌmiː.t̬i.ɚ.əˈsen.sə.t̬ɪv/
easily affected physically or emotionally by changes in the weather

Fed up with the rain? You might be meteorosensitive. Turns out there’s a term for weather-related depression. Psychologists have identified it as a meteorosensitivity, when our mental and physical health is affected by changes in the weather. If you’re meteorosensitive the weather can cause aches and pains and impact cognitive function, as well as making you moody.
[thetimes.com, 6 February 2026] Continue reading “New words – 6 April 2026” →

competence hangover noun [C]
UK /ˈkɒm.pɪ.tᵊns ˌhæŋˌəʊ.vəʳ/ US /ˈkɑːm.pə.t̬ᵊns ˌhæŋˌoʊ.vɚ/
a feeling of exhaustion that follows a period of taking on too many responsibilities at work and becoming the person everyone relies on

There’s a certain kind of tiredness that women can’t quite name but feel every day at work. The type that builds slowly and silently from years of being the one who remembers, organises, fixes and absorbs – and it’s being termed the competence hangover. It’s not that you want to be that person, but everyone expects you to be. And once you recognise the symptoms of a competence hangover, it becomes impossible to unsee or ignore any longer.
[graziadaily.co.uk, 27 February 2026]

functional freeze noun [C]
UK /ˌfʌŋk.ʃᵊn.ᵊl ˈfriːz/ US /ˌfʌŋk.ʃᵊn.ᵊl ˈfriːz/
a response to stress in which someone continues to function outwardly, successfully managing their workload and responsibilities, while inwardly feeling numb, detached, or anxious.

If you’re on TikTok, you might’ve heard the phrase “functional freeze” making the rounds recently — and while the label might be new, the experience itself is anything but. It’s when you appear to be functioning, but on the inside, you’re emotionally and mentally shut down, as if you’re running on autopilot.
[womenshealthmag.com, 3 June 2025]

burnout blocking noun [U]
UK /ˈbɜːn.aʊt ˌblɒk.ɪŋ/ US /ˈbɝːn.aʊt ˌblɑː.kɪŋ/
the practice of putting strategies in place to prevent an employee from experiencing burnout or to recover from it more quickly if they do

Organizations that focus on burnout blocking, that is, a balance of proactive burnout prevention and effective reactive recovery, can create healthier, more engaged teams. By pairing thoughtful strategies with fair recognition and workplace wellness prevention, HR leaders can build cultures where employees feel supported, valued, and motivated to thrive.
[advantageclub.ai, 17 October 2025]

About new words

potato bed noun [C]
UK /pəˈteɪ.təʊ ˌbed/ US /pəˈteɪ.t̬oʊ ˌbed/
a sleep trend that involves stuffing a fitted sheet with pillows, blankets, duvets etc. to make a soft padded surface to sleep on

If your TikTok feed has recently been filled with pillow-packed beds and people curling up into homemade cocoons, you’re not alone. Enter the TikTok “potato bed”: a comfort-led trend built around the idea of feeling wrapped, supported and deeply snug. As temperatures drop and cosy cravings rise, it’s easy to see the appeal.
[realsimple.com, 30 January 2026]

revenge bedtime procrastination noun [U]
UK /rɪˌvendʒ ˈbed.taɪm prəˌkræs.tɪˌneɪ.ʃᵊn/ US /rɪˌvendʒ ˈbed.taɪm proʊˌkræs.tɪˌneɪ.ʃᵊn/
the act of staying up late to enjoy leisure time you did not have during the day, even when it means you will not get enough sleep

Have you ever stayed up late doom-scrolling, binge-watching, playing video games or just doing nothing, knowing full well you’ll pay for it tomorrow? Of course, you have. You’re not lazy. You’re taking revenge. It’s known as “revenge bedtime procrastination,” and it leads to sleep deprivation that negatively impacts next day’s engagement and productivity at work. It’s not the same as insomnia, because you choose to stay up late, even when tired. It’s more of a psychological habit where you delay sleep to reclaim personal time you feel you lost during the workday.
[forbes.com, 24 April 2025]

bedtime stacking noun [U]
/ˈbed.taɪm ˌstækɪŋ/
a trend that involves going to bed early and having a number of items such as books, a laptop, food and drink items, and skincare products near the bed so that you can carry out various activities before you go to sleep without having to get up again

A new TikTok trend called bedtime stacking is going viral among Gen Z who are transforming their beds into all-in-one spaces for relaxation, productivity and self-care. The idea is simple: go to bed early and complete as many relaxing or productive activities as possible without leaving that spot. Pham described it as doing everything from one place in a mindful way. It turns downtime into a carefully curated ritual.
[news18.com, 5 March 2026]

About new words

dogfishing noun [U]
UK /ˈdɒg.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/ US /ˈdɑːg.fɪʃ.ɪŋ/
using a photo of you with someone else’s dog in your profile on dating apps to make yourself seem more attractive to potential partners

A new word has just dropped in the dating world, and of course, it’s only making everything a lot more complicated. “Dogfishing”: a term to describe the act of using photos of dogs on your dating app profiles to make yourself more attractive to other users. Well, if you were planning on using this foolproof tactic for your own profile, we have some bad news: gals just aren’t into it anymore.
[stellar.ie, 3 October 2025]

See also catfishing

choremancing noun [U]
UK /ˈtʃɔː.mænsɪŋ/ US /ˈtʃɔːr.mænsɪŋ/
a trend where two people combine a romantic date with doing everyday tasks such as food shopping or housework

Forget wining, dining, or getting dressed up for a fancy first date. According to TikTok, you should just throw on some jeans and meet at the grocery store. This dating hack has been dubbed “choremancing,” and it’s all about romancing each other while doing chores. Think grabbing coffee then running a few errands. By doing chores together early on, you’re less likely to end up with a partner who doesn’t know how to cook, clean, or grocery shop the same way you do. Choremancing allows you to see their life skills in action.
[bustle.com, 3 March 2026]

clear coding noun [U]
UK /ˌklɪər ˈkəʊ.dɪŋ/ US /ˌklɪr ˈkoʊ.dɪŋ/
the practice of being honest and open about how you want a relationship to develop when dating someone new, rather than giving hints or confusing messages

You may have heard the whole “clear coding” term floating around the dating world. It means communicating in a clear, accurate, readily readable manner without hidden meanings or surprises. You wouldn’t, for example, design a computer program to act as if it’s not interested in a user when it really is. Similarly, in dating, clear coding is about being frank and open about yourself and your interests and intentions.
[psychologytoday.com, 27 February 2026]

About new words

fail watching noun [U]
UK /ˈfeɪl ˌwɒtʃ.ɪŋ/ US /ˈfeɪl ˌwɑːtʃ.ɪŋ/
a workplace trend where an employee tries to spot colleagues making mistakes, normally because it makes them feel better about their own abilities or performance

The new workplace buzzword “fail watching” is on the rise: watching out for colleagues’ mistakes, sometimes with an unfortunate sense of satisfaction, as it can make people feel better about their own circumstances … It’s important to recognize this behaviour and address it early, as it could escalate into more serious issues like workplace bullying if not caught from the beginning.
[goodmenproject.com, 7 December 2025]

lily padding noun [U]
/ˈlɪl.i ˌpæd.ɪŋ/
the career strategy of moving from one short-term job to another in order to gain specific skills and experience

You’re probably sick of hearing about it, but yes, the UK job market is tough right now. And now it seems “lily padding” is the latest career trend to come out of this difficult working situation. “Lily padding” is when you strategically climb the career ladder, focusing on building experience over seeking a higher salary. It’s about supercharging your employability.
[huffingtonpost.co.uk, 6 December 2025]

microshifting noun [U]
UK /ˈmaɪ.krəʊ.ʃɪf.tɪŋ/ US /ˈmaɪ.kroʊ.ʃɪf.tɪŋ/
the practice of breaking the working day into short blocks of time so that work can be fitted around other activities

Microshifting describes a workday broken into multiple short, flexible “bursts” of focused effort, often around 45 to 90 minutes, separated by stretches of personal time, family duties, or rest. Rather than clocking a continuous 9‑to‑5, a worker might log on at dawn, disappear for school drop‑off or a gym class, and return for another block in the late morning before finishing tasks in the evening.​
[fortune.com, 13 January 2026]

About new words