Do you need a word to describe that feeling when you see a cute puppy or a baby? Gigil is a new word recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary. The word originates from the Tagalog language, and according to psychologists, it means the urge to squeeze or clench something irresistibly adorable.
Oxford English Dictionary Adds 42 Words from Various Languages
Oxford English Dictionary has added around 42 words from different regions, including Southeast Asia, Ireland, and South Africa, on Thursday, Mar 25, 2025. These words were supposedly ‘untranslatable’, which made them even more intriguing. In the English-speaking world, the OED is considered one of the most extensive dictionaries in the world.
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The addition of these 42 words is borrowed from other languages when they spread around the world and come into contact with other cultures. According to the linguist Salikoko Mufwene, it is likely that English Speakers travelling to different countries will come across many of these words.
New Words in the Oxford English Dictionary (March 2025 Update)
| Word | Origin | Meaning |
| Irish English | ||
| Blaa | Irish | A soft white bread roll dusted with flour, particularly associated with Waterford, Ireland. |
| Class | Irish | A general term of approval. |
| Debs | Irish | Short for "debs' ball," a formal social event for students in their final year of secondary school. |
| Ludraman | Irish | A colloquial and derogatory term for a lazy, unproductive, or stupid person. |
| Mineral | Irish | A carbonated soft drink. |
| Morto | Irish | Extremely embarrassed. |
| Spice bag | Irish | A takeaway meal consisting of chips, shredded deep-fried chicken, fried onions, peppers, and spices, often served with curry sauce. |
| To act the maggot | Irish | To behave foolishly. |
| Malaysian and Singapore English | ||
| Alamak | Malay | An exclamation used to convey surprise, shock, dismay, or outrage. |
| Fish head curry | Malay | A dish consisting of a large fish head cooked in a tangy tamarind-based curry gravy with vegetables. |
| Half-boiled egg | Malay | An egg cooked briefly in boiling water so the yolk and white remain runny, served in a bowl with soy sauce and pepper. |
| Kaya | Malay | A jam made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, usually flavored with pandan leaf. |
| Kaya toast | Malay | A sandwich of toasted bread with butter and kaya jam. |
| Ketupat | Malay | A small rice cake boiled in a pouch of woven palm leaves. |
| Mat rempit | Malay | A (typically young) man who participates in illegal motorcycle street racing and often performs dangerous stunts. |
| Nasi lemak | Malay | A dish of rice cooked in coconut milk and flavored with pandan leaf, served with various garnishes. |
| Otak-otak | Malay | A dish of ground fish or seafood mixed with spices and coconut milk, wrapped in banana or palm leaves, and cooked by steaming or grilling. |
| Steamboat | Malay | A dish consisting of thinly sliced meat, vegetables, etc., dipped in boiling stock by the diner at the table. |
| Tapau | Malay | To pack up food to take away. |
| Terror | Malay | Terrible, awful; also can be a term of approval meaning admirable or excellent. |
| Philippine English | ||
| CR | Philippine | Short for "comfort room," a toilet. |
| Gigil | Tagalog/Philippine | The feeling of overwhelming cuteness that makes you want to squeeze or pinch something. |
| Kababayan | Tagalog/Philippine | A fellow Filipino, or someone from the same Philippine region or town. |
| Load | Philippine | Credit purchased for a pay-as-you-go mobile phone. |
| Lumpia | Tagalog/Philippine | A type of Southeast Asian spring roll. |
| Sando | Philippine | A sleeveless garment worn under or instead of a shirt. |
| Salakot | Philippine | A lightweight Filipino hat that is typically domed or conical in shape, with a wide brim, and often has a spiked or ornamental finial at the tip of the crown. |
| Thomasite | Philippine | An American teacher in the Philippines during the American occupation from 1899 to 1946 |
| Terror | Philippine | One who is strict, harsh, or demanding |
| South African English | ||
| Die hel in | Afrikaans | Furious or fed up. |
| Gatvol | Afrikaans | A South African slang term describing a person who has had enough; one who is extremely annoyed, unhappy, or bored, especially with a state of affairs that has persisted for a long time. |
| Makarapa | Bantu/South Africa | A hard hat worn by a miner or construction worker, but it is now more known for its use by sports fans, especially football fans, who paint and elaborately decorate these hats with flags, horns, and badges and wear them at games to show support for their favourite teams. |
| Moggy | South African | Extremely irrational or out of touch with reality; to go moggy is to lose control of one’s emotions or behaviour. |
| Sharp-sharp | South African | A casual way to say hello or goodbye; also a way to compliment someone’s style or to comment on how generally excellent or fantastic they are. |
| Shweshwe | Southern Sotho | A type of printed cotton fabric with intricate, usually geometric, patterns, used for traditional Southern African clothes or accessories. |
| Tjoekie | Afrikaans | Prison or jail. |
| Yoh | Afrikaans/Xhosa | A cry or exclamation used to express various emotions or reactions, such as surprise, wonder, admiration, shock, or distress. |
| Zol | South African | Marijuana, or a hand-rolled cigarette containing marijuana. |
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