English is a complicated language, with more than 400,000 words. That’s more than 1.7 times the size of the dictionary you’re reading right now. And of all, these words are certain to change over time and become slang terms by 2023. Whether you’re a student or are looking to advance your career, it’s important to understand how the English language is developing and how you can use these new terms.
12 English slang terms you need to know in 2022
1. Mahhligon
A word used for something unlikely to happen or unlikely to become true anytime soon. It can also mean remote chance and is often used for making fun of someone’s over-optimistic attitude towards a certain event’s likelihood of happening.
2. Understood the Assignment
This phrasal verb has been around for a while but will most likely be adopted by native speakers by 2022. It means to get or understand the gist of something, such as a message or instruction. The difference between understating something and understanding it is that this new word makes the action implicit in the past tense—you understood something, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.
3. Main Character
This term has been popular in Asian countries but is now making its way into the Western world. It means the main character in a piece of writing, which most people are usually familiar with.
4. Notable gender non-conforming role model
This phrase means an influential person who doesn’t fit the gender stereotypes that everyone is used to seeing. As more people give up on gender and sex roles and instead focus on what they want to be and do, this phrase describes someone who embodies that freedom. As the example below shows, this new phrase is taking off: I guess it’s pretty notable when someone like you becomes a role model for transgender people. But it’s great because you are a transgender role model to the people who look up to you.
5. Real-time
This term was already used as an adjective in the earliest known recorded use in 1879 but has since gotten a makeover and is now often used as a verb. It means something that is happening at the moment or in real-time. You could say your friend’s Instagram story in real-time or that this new ad campaign from Nike is real-time advertising.
6. Bussin’
This word is unique and maybe a term that goes beyond 2022. The word refers to the act of someone putting on some cologne, or affectionately using the cologne, to please a partner. So you could say someone is bussing in his cologne for a date, and it would mean that he pleases his significant other by putting on some cologne.
7. Bae
The meaning of this word had come full circle and is far more popular than it was in 2012 when it first came out. It originally referred to someone you were in love with, boyfriend, girlfriend, and now it has the same meaning as a friend. In 2022, it will be more than just a cute nickname for your friends; it will likely refer to someone who means so much to you.
8. Clout
The word Clout has been around since the late 1960s and is still commonly used today. It refers to power or influence in a business or political setting. So, if someone has clout in the marketplace, they can get his product out to the public without paying for advertising costs.
9. Ebonics
This term refers to the once-popular, now controversial practice of teaching black people a specific way of speaking English in which many words reflecting African heritage are included. The goal was to make English more real, especially for black people. This term is no longer used in political speeches or press releases, and it hasn’t been used in this way for about 30 years.
10. Headlines
Headline writing is becoming less dramatic and more accurate, especially as the Internet makes it easier to check sources and verify the information. It has led to a trend in which articles about discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, and other events are written like headlines. Headline writing is evolving, and not Headline writing is changing.
11. Bae-cation
This term describes the informal meeting between two people who are in a romantic relationship or date regularly. So if your significant other wants to leave work early for a quick dinner during the workweek, that would be considered a bae-cation. According to Google Trends data, this word will most likely be adopted by native English speakers by 2022.
12. BDE
What exactly is big dick energy? Some say it’s when people carry themself with positive energy and confident swag. BDE is an aura and an attitude. You don’t need to be a male to have BDE. Many news publications refer to women like Rihanna and Serena Williams to having this energy as well. You should strive to be considered as someone who has BDE in 2022.
