tool sprawl noun [C usually S]
UK /ˈtuːl ˌsprɔːl/ US /ˈtuːl ˌsprɑːl/
the situation where a company uses too many different apps or other digital tools, making work more complicated and difficult to manage

Consolidating workplace tech, or tackling what’s been dubbed “tool sprawl”, is on the agenda for many organizations right now. We’re all fed up with having to jump between five different apps to complete a simple task. Simply put, “tool sprawl” is the accumulation of a large number of platforms and channels that leads to an inefficient and costly digital workplace, and a frustrating and disengaging digital employee experience.
[workvivo.com, 28 January 2026]

RAMageddon noun [U]
UK /ˌræm.əˈged.ᵊn/ US /ˌræm.əˈged.ᵊn/
a severe global shortage of RAM memory chips

RAMageddon is the fun new term for a not-so-fun trend that is sweeping the tech industry: an ever-increasing shortage of random access memory, or RAM chips, which power pretty much all the tech products we use in our daily lives. As the AI industry has blossomed, the biggest tech companies and AI labs — all vying to have the most powerful and efficient AI — are buying so much RAM to power their data centers that there’s not much left for the rest of us.
[techcrunch.com, 12 April 2026]

See also Armageddon

shadow AI noun [U]
UK /ˌʃæd.əʊ ˌeɪˈaɪ/ US /ˌʃæd.oʊ ˌeɪˈaɪ/
the use of AI tools in the workplace without authorization from the company’s IT department

The use of unsanctioned AI tools, also known as shadow AI, has become more common in the workplace. Top executives prefer the use of shadow AI because it allows work to get done quicker. But while unsanctioned AI tools can be useful, they come with a price. Shadow AI is ranked 3rd in the list of contributing factors to data breach costs. These tools could store or reuse data and cause compliance and regulatory concerns.
[nojitter.com, 15 April 2026]

About new words

NER noun [C]
UK /ˌeniːˈɑːʳ/ US /ˌeniːˈɑːr/
abbreviation for: neither employed nor retired: someone who does not have a job but is too young to retire

Because 11 months ago I became unem­ployed and, des­pite my determ­ined, increas­ingly des­per­ate efforts, I’ve not been able to get another job since. Yet with state pen­sion age less than nine years ahead of me, there’s no option to “call it quits” and take early retire­ment. So instead, I’ve become an NER – that is, Neither Employed nor Retired. And let me tell you, it’s utterly ter­ri­fy­ing, not to men­tion humi­li­at­ing.
[dailymail.co.uk, 17 April 2026] Continue reading “New words – 18 May 2026” →

full nester noun [C]
UK /ˈfʊl ˌnes.təʳ/ US /ˈfʊl ˌnes.tɚ/
someone whose adult children are still living at home

To cope with the additional cost of having their adult children living at home for longer, the report finds that full nesters are making greater financial sacrifices than empty nesters across the board, with some putting their own financial future at risk … A third of full nesters report that they are contributing less to their savings, while more than one in four are spending their savings to meet the cost of everyday living.
[lloydfp.co.uk, no date]

See also empty nester Continue reading “New words – 11 May 2026” →

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