In the 2026 Winter Word Drop, Dictionary.com added more than 1,500 new entries, with science and technology claiming the largest share—26%—signaling how quickly advancements in these areas enter our everyday conversations. At the same time, the update included 55 direct borrowings from other languages, 40% of which came from Japanese, reflecting a surge in global travel and cultural exchange.

“English has historically expanded during periods of significant scientific and cultural change,” Steve Johnson, PhD, Director of Lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning commented . “This update illustrates how AI innovation, conversations about health, international travel and digital communities are shaping our language in real time.”

This winter’s additions paint a clear picture: English speakers are looking outward for cultural influences, inward at trends shaping digital identity and toward scientific advancement. Some of these words are brand new; others—like infostealer—have existed for years but reached a tipping point in usage. Together, the 2026 Winter Word Drop captures English at this very moment. As AI continues to dominate public discourse, new roles and terms are emerging to make sense of it. 

• Prompt engineering (noun): the process of designing appropriate and effective inputs for a machine learning algorithm.
• Large language model (noun): LLM, a type of machine learning software model trained on extremely large sets of language data, and designed to generate new, naturalistic responses to written or spoken prompts.
• Auto-generated (adjective): produced or created by a computer program.

Meanwhile, biomedical research—and the specialized terminology that accompanies it—is increasingly becoming household language.

• Health span (noun): the typical period of a person’s life during which they are consistently in good health.
• Nanoplastic (noun): a tiny particle of plastic, especially one 1,000 nanometers or less, formed from the breakdown of other plastics.
• Biohacker (noun): a person who biohacks or self-improves through strategic experimentation with technology, drugs, hormones, diet, etc.

Online language remains a powerful engine of change, from gaming terms to internet-era metaphors. What begins in niche forums often ends up in mainstream headlines.

• Copium (noun): a metaphorical substance signifying that someone is engaging in self-delusion to deal with a loss or a difficult realization.
• Glamazon (noun): a woman who is beautiful and glamorous as well as being tall, strong, or powerful.
• Side quest (noun): a quest or objective in a story or video game that is related to but not directly part of the main storyline or objective.
• Black pill (noun): something that makes a person believe there is no hope for resolving a major problem or changing society for the better.
• White pill (noun): something that makes someone hopeful about their personal future or about changing society for the better.

Global cuisine continues to travel far beyond its origins, enriching everyday vocabulary.

• Furikake (noun): a mixture of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, salt and often other ingredients such as powdered mushrooms, sprinkled over rice, vegetables or other food as seasoning.
• Karaage (noun): a Japanese cooking technique in which pieces of chicken, other meats, fish, or seafood are marinated and then dipped in a mixture of flour and potato starch before being deep fried.
• Jjigae (noun): a traditional Korean stew.
• Pasta al forno (noun): an oven-baked Italian pasta dish.
• Smashburger (noun): a hamburger with a patty that is cooked by pressing it very thin onto a hot griddle or cooking surface.

Language moves where people move—and people are moving quickly, online and around the world. Luckily, Dictionary.com is keeping pace, offering a window into how we talk, connect and make sense of the world.