Cambridge Dictionary adds slur ‘Love Island’ to its list of official terms

The Cambridge Dictionary has added “the ick” to its list of official terms, along with 3,200 new words.

This expression is defined as “a sudden feeling that you don’t like someone or are no longer attracted to someone because of something they do.”

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Explaining how this word can be used in a sentence, the lexicographers said: “I liked Kevin, but seeing him in that costume hurt me.”

The phrase was coined in the 90s sitcom Ally McBeal, but “the ick” has resurfaced thanks to the reality TV show Love Island.

Contestant Olivia Attwood said in 2017: “When you see a boy and you have a rant, it doesn’t go down.”

Other new expressions popularized among Gen Z include “chef’s kiss,” used to describe something considered perfect.

Video game terms have also crept into the official word list.

A “side quest” is an additional activity in a game, but it has evolved to mean someone leaving a large group for a night out.

Colin McIntosh of Cambridge Dictionary said: “Video game-inspired words have started to influence the way we talk about our offline lives.”

In 2023, “rizz” was voted word of the year by Oxford University Press, meaning “style, charm, or appeal.”