Scrabble’s Gen Z Words: Is it Yeet or Yet?
It’s that time again, Scrabble fans – the dictionary has been updated, and oh boy, things are getting spicy! Collins has added 2,000 new words, many of which are straight from the Gen Z slang handbook. And while we at Zatu Games are all about the joy of spelling it out old-school, we can’t help but feel like someone’s just added "yeet" as a verb and we’re suddenly playing a whole new game.
But hey, language evolves, right? Every few years, Scrabble’s official word list gets a facelift to keep up with the times, and this time it’s dripping in new lingo. Gone are the days when your biggest challenge was squeezing "qi" onto a triple letter. Now, you might need to fend off your opponent as they drop words like "floof" and "uwu" on the board. Yes, those are real words now.
The Scrabble Gen Z Invasion
For the uninitiated, words like “boujee” (yes, that’s a valid move now) and “peng” might leave you scratching your head, but for some players, it’s a game-changing update. We’re talking about words you’ve seen all over social media or heard while wondering if you’re out of touch. There’s “glamazon” for that friend who’s all glam and muscle, and even “bacne” – yes, that’s exactly what it sounds like. Just think about casually dropping that on a double word score.
![Four young people of the Scrabble Gen Z generation smiling at a photo taken from a low selfie angle in front of some high rise buildings reflecting the sky.](https://cdn.zatu.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/16125250/Gen-Z-sign.png)
Of course, this update isn’t just about adding the freshest phrases. There’s been a whole host of more traditional words included too – like “autofill” and “headbutt” – which, surprisingly, weren’t legal before! You can now also confidently play “COVID” without that pesky capital letter ruining your flow.
Want to explore these new words further? Check out this blog that digs into some of the Gen Z lingo hitting the Scrabble dictionary.
The Good, The Bad, and the Yeetable
Let’s be real here – while some of these additions are definitely going to score big points, others might leave traditionalists feeling, well, a bit “meh.” The thought of seeing “TOMOZ” plastered across a Scrabble board might be enough to make any serious player yeet their tiles out the window. But as frustrating as it might be, this is Scrabble moving with the times. We can almost hear the older generations grumbling as younger players snatch up high scores with new entries like “gank” (a gaming term for stealing) and “nerf” (to weaken something’s effectiveness – also from gaming).
Whether you’re a fan of the classic board game or prefer flexing your lexicon online, these updates could change your approach to the game. Don’t believe us? Here’s another look at what the Scrabble dictionary update means for players.
New Strategies Incoming: Are You Ready?
For those competitive Scrabble veterans out there, the real excitement might be in some of the new high-value words and hooks. If you’ve been playing for a while, you know the importance of building those seven-letter words that rake in the “bingo” bonuses. Words like “altcoin” and “sealion” could be serious game-changers. And let’s not forget new hooks like “mpox” or “ahadith” – the potential for racking up points with minimal effort is real.
But here’s our hot take – while it’s fun to see these new additions, nothing beats the satisfaction of nailing a word like "zeitgeist" (still a whopping 19 points!) and showing off your vocabulary chops. So, while the game may be evolving, the thrill of outmanoeuvring your opponent with a perfectly placed classic word remains.
![A scattering of scrabble tiles on top of a scrabble board, photo taken from the side looking at the tiles](https://cdn.zatu.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/16125721/Scrabble-tiles.png)
The Final Word (For Now)
Like it or not, Scrabble’s dictionary will keep evolving as language does. So, whether you’re embracing the new lingo or sticking to the oldies, just remember that at Zatu Games, we’ve got all the classic Scrabble sets ready and waiting. And who knows? Maybe these new words will freshen things up at your next game night – or spark some heated discussions about what really counts as a word. Either way, we’ll be here, holding on to our tiles and watching as the board game world continues to change – word by word.
Feeling inspired to give these new words a go? Check out our Scrabble selection at Zatu Games and see how “peng” your scrabble skills are!