Barbiecore, spicy cough and goblin mode: the new words and phrases of our time
Macquarie Dictionary includes 3,000 new entries in ninth edition. Get ready to drop them into conversation this weekend.

THE NINTH EDITION of the Macquarie Dictionary has just been released and includes over 3,000 new entries, including āsituationship’, ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ and the stunningly effective, āgoblin modeā.
These exciting new words and phrases are a testament to the fact that language is constantly evolving, with global events, pop cultural moments and scientific and technological breakthroughs all informing our expanding vocabulary.
Macquarieās managing editor, Victoria Morgan says editors found the new words and phrases āin absolutely everythingā.
āThe main role of the editors who work for the dictionary is to always have our eyes open,ā Morgan says. āIt doesnāt matter whether weāre reading or watching or listening to something for pleasure, or for work. Anything that just seems a little bit unfamiliar, weāll jot it down and research later.ā
To be honest, this sounds like a heck of a job, essentially casting the dictionaryās editors as societyās stenographers, rustling about in the bushes with notepads in hand, eavesdropping on conversations behind closed doors, waiting patiently for new semantic jewels to be uttered:
āDude, whereās this going? You never talk about the future. You donāt even call me your girlfriend to your mates.”
At this point the dictionary editorās ears begin to prick up, sensing something momentous is brewing.
āYouāre just happy to come over when you feel like sex. We never go on dates.”
The editor is now feverish with excitement, their pen hovering above their notepad, willing the new word to be spoken into existence.
āDamn it, Kevin, Iām tired of being in a situationship.ā
Bingo! The editor jots it down before jumping on the phone to Morgan.
āMorgs, Iāve got one. Youāre going to love it. Itās a new noun to describe when two people are in an undefined (well until now, haha, right boss) relationship that lacks commitment.”
Morgan: āGreat field work, 77. I think the ninth edition is now complete!ā
Of course, thatās probably not how new words are catalogued (or an accurate representation of Macquarieās work practices) but it is certainly true that new words are being uttered all the time, many of them harvested on social media platforms and thrust after hashtags: ābarbiecoreā, for example, sounds like an internet creation if ever there was one.
It must be thrilling then, if you are the person who first uttered a word or stuck a hashtag in front of it. You coin a phrase, let it drift out into the vast ocean of speech and text, and then one glorious day it comes back to you. The problem is the ocean of words is so vast that you can never truly be sure if you were the word or phraseās originator or if the collective hive mind saw it spring up from multiple sources at once. In any case, the sad reality for most of us is that you attempt to get a word off the ground and it goes nowhere: āGretchen, stop trying to make fetch happenā.
The criteria for a word to be eligible to make the Macquarie Dictionary is that it āfills a holeā in vocabulary and is widely used in Australian English. In that spirit, letās try putting a few of these new words into practice.
But before we do, hereās my attempt to make a phrase āhappenā: ādot-deathā. The anxiety of waiting for someone to respond to a message. You see the dots then nothing. You die inside. Word to Morgan and her teamātime of first use: 11.42am, 8/9/23, esquire.com.au.

Words to the wise
Barbiecore
A fashion characterised by an all-pink colour palette, especially bright pink.
Acceptable usage: āLook at Jeanette. Bitch has gone full barbiecore today.”
Goblin mode
A pattern of behaviour characterised by an embrace of indolence and slovenliness.
Appropriate usage: āI was in full goblin mode on Friday night. Had a bag of Doritos and a six-pack and just mainlined Fisk.”
Menty-b
A breakdown in oneās mental health.
Ironic use: āI went totally menty-b after the Matildas lost to Englandā.
Pyrocumulonimbus
A cumulonimbus forms above a source of intense heat, such as a bushfire or volcanic eruption.
Correct usage: āDude, did you see that Pyrocumulonimbus on the news last night. Was hectic, hey.ā
Words like this, which brim with destructive potency and make you sound clever, are also ripe for ironic usage: āMan, Mrs Wilcox lost her shit in English yesterday. I thought a fuckinā pyrocumulonimbus was going to come out of her headā.
Orthosomnia
Insomnia thought to be caused by a preoccupation with obtaining the amount and quality of sleep recommended by a sleep-tracking device, often resulting in anxiety, which can in turn adversely affect sleep quality and the ability to fall asleep.
Appropriate usage: āIām throwing my sleep tracker out. Itās just not worth the orthosomnia Iām gettingā.
Doomscrolling
The practice of continuing to read news feeds online or on social media, despite the fact that the news is predominantly negative and often upsetting.
Appropriate usage: “So, here’s the plan. I’m going to unpack the shopping, put the dinner on for the kids, which should give me about 15-20 minutes to doomscroll before we have to leave.”
Net zero
An adjective resulting in an even balance of something specified after all calculations have been made.
Unacceptable usage: āYou paid me back for that dark web shipment. I gave you 200 grand for that hit on the local councillorās office, so I think weāre at a net zeroā.
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