20 Awesome New English Words to Learn In 2020

Did you know that thousands of new words are being added to dictionaries each year? Here are the trendy and relevant terms you need to know this 2020. 

 

Because of increased internet and social media activity, new English words are being thrown left and right. These linguistic changes are natural for a continually evolving language like English. If you’re learning English, keeping up with new words is a must. In this article, we will feature the 20 trendy words that people started using in 2020. 

Reasons To Learn New English Words Regularly

One notable benefit of learning new English words is neutralizing foreign accents. Having a “word of the day” practice gives new words to use for everyday conversations. It is also an excellent way to practice pronunciation and improve your English speaking skills. 

 

Another good reason why you should learn new English words daily is vocabulary improvement. By adding new words in your vocabulary, you acquire more ways to express yourself in English. Besides, having a robust English vocabulary will surely impress people around you, even the native speakers. 

Finally, when you learn new English words, both your reading and listening comprehension will improve. Because of a better vocabulary range, language learners can understand more texts and speeches. These improvements are necessary to be fluent in English or any new language a person is studying. Without further ado, here are the 20 new English words that you must learn this 2020. 

20 New English Words To Learn Before 2020 Ends (With Examples) 

1. Social Distancing

• The practice of maintaining a specific physical distance between one person to another in a social setting to avoid physical contact. 

Although the concept is not that new, the word “Social Distancing” saw a resurgence in use this year. News and other information-sharing platforms often use this phrase to warn people about what should be done amidst the medical crisis happening in the world right now. 

 

Example: The Government regularly reminds people to keep social distancing when in public spaces. 

2. Freegan (Freeganism)

• A practice where people only eat food that they get for free 

• Combination of the words “free” and “vegan.”

Freegans live by getting their daily meals for free by retrieving discarded food. The main motive of this practice is to reduce waste and reject the concept of consumerism. 

Freegans do not always get free food excess from food establishments. They also forage for food growing in the wild or their garden. 

 

Example: Jenny doesn’t buy her food and groceries because she’s a Freegan. Instead, she grows fruits and vegetables in her garden. 

3. Cancel Culture 

• A practice where people in social media call for a withdrawal of support for a public figure or establishment due to offensive actions

• A movement where people are no longer supported publicly 

 

The concept of cancel culture might be a little bit confusing for beginners. This term might mean “to cancel” a specific culture, which is far from its intended meaning. 

 

Example: Due to the cancel culture received for corruption allegations, Queen Cersei Lannister will abdicate the throne as soon as possible.  

4. Angsting

• The state of being negatively emotional, anxious, or dreadful; full of angst

• Someone who is worrying too much about something

 

Angsting is considered as the present participle of the word “angst, or feeling of anxiety. If you’re currently feeling nervous and anxious about your grades, you are angsting over it right now. 

 

Example: Mark is angsting because he forgot to turn off the AC before leaving his house. 

5. Bingeable (Binge-Watching) 

• Refers to a TV series with episodes that will likely be watched in a short period, usually a day or two 

 

The word “bingeable” started gaining popularity when more people began streaming more TV shows and series online. Usually used to describe Netflix shows, it can also refer to old shows that you can finish after a day or two of watching non-stop. 

 

Example: Hey, can you suggest more bingeable series? I’m so bored right now. 

6. Hangry

• The state of being angry or irritable due to hunger

 

Hangry is the combination of words “hungry” and “angry.” Although this word has been used way back to the 1950s, its resurgence in the 21st century has been spreading worldwide. Advertisements and social media influencers tend to use the word “Hangry” for their campaigns on TV and the internet these days. 

 

Example: I feel bad when I yelled at him. I was very hangry. 

7. Finna

• The word used when someone is preparing to do something

• Another word you can use if you don’t want to use “gonna.” 

• Might also mean “fixing to”

Finna originated in South America way back in 1917. However, it is only recognized by the Merriam-Webster dictionary recently. The rise in usage can be due to a common type error “finna” instead of the right word “gonna.” 

 

Example: It’s ridiculous, I’m not finna do that. 

8. Hygge (\HEW-guh\)

• A Danish word used to describe the feeling of comfort or coziness at home

• A term to describe a very warm, comforting, and content atmosphere

Hygge is a borrowed word from the Danish language that describes the feeling of well-being and comfort. The context of this word is usually used to describe a lifestyle choice or decoration ambiance in a home. 

 

Example: Laura likes putting hygge decorations in her house during the holidays.  

9. MacGyver

• A new informal term that means “ingenious.”

• To fix something in a very improvised or inventive way.

MacGyver is a character from a very popular 1980s show, MacGyver. This character is known as an ingenious quick thinker who fixes things with what he’s currently holding. When people managed to fix something in a very innovative method, they reference MacGyver to describe their ingenuity. 

 

Example: Richard MacGyver his way and fixed the broken car, to everyone’s amazement. 

10. Buzzy

• Something that makes people excited or enthusiastic

• A topic that creates a lot of talk in town

 

Buzzy is a short term for the phrase “making a buzz.” It is usually used to describe something that gives people a lot of intense excitement. When a topic is buzzy, almost everyone in town knows and talks about it. 

 

Example: The new Minecraft update is getting the community all buzzy over new features. 

11. Frankenfood

• An informal word used for genetically engineered food

• Can also refer to unusual and experimental food fusions 

 

Frankenfood has two meanings; it can refer to Genetically Modified food (coined by Paul Lewis in 1992). The modern definition of this word relates to food fusion and unusual recipes like ramen burger and spam sushi. 

 

Example: Here comes Karen and her Frankenfood. 

12. Swole

• Someone who is exceptionally muscular

• Has a very defined physique

 

Swole is another old word used in modern language with a different context. The term itself originated way back when Middle English was the primary language. It is the past participle to the word “swell.” But since its resurgence, swole has been used to refer to very muscular people. 

 

Example: Martin goes to the gym every week to get swole. 

13. Rage-quit

• Quitting a game or an activity because of anger or frustration

 

The term rage-quit is often used in the gaming community to describe a person leaving the game out of anger. This term is also usable on other social activities such as sports and contests. 

 

Example: He rage-quit because someone’s always out playing him during the clash. 

14. Hellacious

• An informal term used to describe how bad or difficult a situation is; unbearable

• Something astonishing or extraordinary

 

You can use the word “hellacious” to describe an awful situation (e.g., a massive fire, heavy traffic, cleaning a big house, etc.). Another use of this word is to tell a remarkable amount or size of something (e.g., hellacious debt, hellacious job, hellaciously swole bodybuilder). 

 

Example: He let out a hellacious scream when he saw the fake Halloween decoration. 

We had a hellacious catch of fish from our trip yesterday. 

15. Hothouse

• In modern terminology, a place where education is taught and learned at a higher pace; accelerated learning

• A place where plants are grown in an artificially heated environment

• A bustling place

 

Hothouse is another old word that has a different modern meaning. In recent texts, a hothouse is usually a place for enriching ideas and teaching skills for more advanced learners. It can also refer to a very hectic site, usually crowded areas. 

 

Example: Because of its cultural diversity, New York is one of the popular hothouses in the area. 

I plant tomatoes and some herbs at my small hothouse.

The malls are empty; they used to be hothouses before the lockdown.

16. Nomophobia

• The fear of losing or being without a mobile phone 

• Stands for “no mobile-phobia.” 

 

Nomophobia is a new term that describes the irrational fear of people who are not using their phones. Although it is recognized as a symptom of harmful digital media usage, Nomophobia is not considered an actual disease by the World Health Organization (yet). 

 

Example: I can’t leave my house without a phone. I think I have Nomophobia. 

17. Screenager

• A teenager who is always using a computer or mobile devices; tech-savvy

• Can also be used for teenagers and young adults who spend a lot of time playing video game consoles

 

Screenager is the combination of words “screen” and “teenager.” Douglas Rushkoff invented the expression when he wrote his book “Playing the Future.” 

 

Example: I’m not surprised that Keira took computer science as her course. She is a total screenager. 

18. Comp

• Something that has been given for free

• Give someone a free product for promotional purposes.

 

Comp is a transitive verb that means giving someone a thing (product or service) without charging them. The term is often associated with the word “complementary,” referring to free items from magazine purchases in the past. 

 

Example: Great job everyone! We’re celebrating tonight, I’ll comp the bill. 

19. Lit

• In a state of getting intoxicated; getting drunk

• Getting drunk without being wasted

• Another term to describe something amazing

 

The word “lit” has been used throughout the years and was usually associated with being drunk or intoxicated. In the past decade, the use of lit is revived, but with different in context. Lit is now used to describe something that gives pure amazement. 

 

Example: That party was lit! I had a great time with everyone. 

20. G.O.A.T

•  “Greatest Of All Time” 

• Refers to people who are considered the greatest in their field of profession

• Not limited to, but primarily used for athletes and musicians

 

To avoid confusion, this word is spelled as G.O.A.T or GOAT. It is widely used on social media platforms, often replaced by a goat emoji for faster typing on mobile devices. 

 

Example: LeBron is impressive, but Michael Jordan is still the GOAT. 

Final Thoughts

Only three months are left before this year ends. But it’s still not too late to learn new words and terms. More and more people are spending their time online, so expect another influx of new English words again next year. 

If you’re having a hard time learning these words or learning English in general, online platforms such as JustLearn can help you improve your English in no time.