Merriam-Webster embiggened by addition of 690 cromulent new words — ‘Simpsons’ fans rejoice

D’oh!

Merriam-Webster surprised fans of “The Simpsons” by adding the word “cromulent” to the dictionary as part of the most recent update, making it official with the made-up term that first appeared in a 1996 episode of the game-changing animated show.

A synonym for acceptable or satisfactory, the word joins an array of popular slang and social media terms embiggening the bookshelf staple — 690 in all, nearly two times the number of entries from last September, when there were 370 new additions including “oat milk,” “sus” and “booster dose.”

“We’re very excited by this new batch of words,” Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster, said in a statement. “We hope there is as much insight and satisfaction in reading them as we got from defining them.”

Among the new words are slang words that all the cool kids are using, such as “doggo” (dog), “rizz” (romantic appeal or charm) and “GOATED” (considered to be the greatest of all time).

Many TikTok and Instagram-famous terms also made the cut, including “thirst trap” (desperately seeking attention), “finsta” (secret or incognito account on the Instagram photo-sharing service) and “grammable” (suitable to be posted on Instagram).

Sports fans also have some words to root for in the latest update, including “beast mode” (an extremely aggressive or energetic style or manner that someone — such as an athlete — adopts temporarily, as to overpower an opponent in a fight or competition) and “kayfabe” (a tacit agreement between professional wrestlers and fans to pretend overtly staged events, etc., are genuine).

“Bracketology” (the practice or study of predicting the outcome of elimination tournaments or competitions especially in NCAA college basketball) was also added, and is sure to be used especially when March Madness comes around.

Food-related terms also got some recognition with the addition of “smashburger” (a hamburger patty that is pressed thin onto a heated pan or griddle at the start of cooking) and “chef’s kiss” (a gesture of satisfaction or approval made by kissing the fingertips of one hand and then spreading the fingers with an outward motion).

And OMG — don’t forget the abbreviations. Merriam-Webster also decided to admit “TFW” (that feeling when), “ngl” (not gonna lie) and “TTYL” (talk to you later) into the national vocabulary.

Other notable additions to the long list of new definitions include: “rage quit” (to suddenly stop participating or engaging in something in a fit of anger and frustration), “jump scare” (a scripted moment, as in a film or video game, intended to startle the audience), “zhuzh” (a small improvement, adjustment, or addition that completes the overall look, taste, etc. of something), “smishing” (SMS phishing, or fishing via text message), “UAP” (unidentified aerial phenomenon) and “jorts” (shorts made of denim or jean).

The entire list of new words and terms can be found on the Merriam-Website website.

According to the publishers, a word gets entered into the dictionary when it’s widely used by many people who all agree it has the same definition.

“First, you drop the word into your conversation and writing, then others pick it up; the more its use spreads, the more likely it will be noticed by dictionary editors, or lexicographers.”