Scrabble adds Gen Z slang ‘yeet’, ‘grammable’ and more to game
Millennial wordsmiths could soon be stumped with the updated Scrabble dictionary as modern Gen Z lingo becomes permissible to use in the board game.
In the first major update in four years, Collins — the makers of the Scrabble dictionary — have added 2,000 new words to the game’s lexicon, including terminology commonly used by the younger generations that could drum up controversy at your next game night.
Among the new words, which can be used in club and tournament play beginning Jan. 1, are “yeet”; “nibling,” a gender-neutral term for nieces and nephews; “floof”; and “grammable,” as in something fitting for Instagram.
Iterations of “boujee” — “boujier,” “boujiest,” “bougie,” “bougier” and “bougiest” — are also included in the new set of words, as are “amirite” — as in, “am I right?” — and “bacne,” a combination of “back acne.”
“For Scrabble enthusiasts, a new edition of Collins Scrabble Words is like Christmas morning,” Chris Lipe, a chairperson of the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA), said in a statement.
“New words mean exciting new challenges and new opportunities at every turn.”
Other new words beyond the Gen Z scope include commonly used words in everyday vernacular that have emerged in recent years or were never included despite their popularity, like “covid,” “anyhoo,” “headbutt,” “thingie” and “autofill.”
“From three-letter gems like ack and int to high-scorers like qameez and zonkey, both tournament and casual players can now add many new words to their arsenal of potential game winners,” Collins Dictionaries managing editor Mary O’Neill said in a statement.
While this marks the first significant addition to the Scrabble dictionary in years, new lingo has been sprinkled into the game’s glossary occasionally. But just like words can be added, they can also be scrapped, like in 2020 when more than 200 slurs and offensive words were removed from the official dictionary.
Earlier this year, Scrabble also introduced a less competitive version of the game that doesn’t keep score, although it is only available overseas.
“Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history, and we want to ensure the game continues to be inclusive for all players,” Ray Adler, Mattel’s vice president, global head of games, previously told The Post.
“For anyone who’s ever thought ‘word games aren’t for me’, or felt a little intimidated by the classic game, Scrabble Together mode is an ideal option.”
