9 months ago
Urban Dictionary's Decline as Slang Defines
Urban Dictionary, once a go-to place for slang definitions, is struggling.
It started in 1999 and was popular for its user-submitted definitions.
But now, big dictionaries like Merriam-Webster are adding slang words faster.
Urban Dictionary has become less trustworthy due to offensive content and too many conflicting definitions.
Merriam-Webster added 5,000 new words in 2024, including 'rizz,' 'doomscroll,' and 'dumbphone.'
The founder of Urban Dictionary says it's still useful for understanding how words are used in real life, but it's facing challenges with moderation and keeping content authentic.
Urban Dictionary, founded in 1999, was once a popular resource for slang definitions.
Merriam-Webster added 5,000 new words in 2024, including 'rizz,' 'doomscroll,' and 'dumbphone.'
Urban Dictionary has declined in trustworthiness due to offensive content and conflicting definitions.
The founder of Urban Dictionary sees it as a 'breaking news' desk for language, documenting how words are used.
Urban Dictionary has listed over 17 million definitions as of 2025 and is working on improving moderation and voting authenticity.
- Who
- Aaron Peckham (founder), Merriam-Webster, Urban Dictionary users
- What
- Urban Dictionary's decline and Merriam-Webster's inclusion of new slang
- Where
- Online, primarily in the United States
- When
- 2024 (Merriam-Webster's update), 1999 (Urban Dictionary founded)
- Why
- Shift in how slang is documented and the decline of Urban Dictionary's trustworthiness
Key facts
- Founder
- Aaron Peckham
- Year Founded
- 1999
- Current Definitions
- 17 million
- Merriam-Webster's New Words
- 5,000 (2024)
- Notable New Words
- Rizz, doomscroll, dumbphone
Quotes
Peter Sokolowski
Editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster
“I do see a rise and fall. Trust is what is at issue. There’s something special about dictionary definitions. People expect them to be written by experts. A dictionary is built on trust, and of course I believe that language is the greatest evidence of human consensus that we have.”
indianexpress.com
“It seems like the textbook case, right?”
indianexpress.com
Aaron Peckham
Founder of Urban Dictionary
“We know that the real world can be offensive and is full of offensive words. But there is a difference between using Urban Dictionary to document the meaning of an offensive word and using it to celebrate or endorse an offensive meaning.”
indianexpress.com
“When someone looks up 'bussin' in a traditional dictionary, they get a definition. On Urban Dictionary, they understand how it lives.”
indianexpress.com
Jess Zafarris
Author of 'Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds'
“It was speed, it was crowdsourcing, it was people paying attention to pop culture. Plenty of song lyrics and community slang hinges on the in crowd’s ability to know what their subcultural colloquialisms mean, and Urban Dictionary was able to document it.”
indianexpress.com
“These aren’t helpful anymore. These are people being funny, being satirical and being ugly in many ways, too. The open model enabled speed, but also toxicity.”
indianexpress.com
Amanda Montell
Linguist and author of a book about language and gender
“Urban Dictionary has devolved into a 'graveyard taken over by the manosphere or general online troglodytes'.”
indianexpress.com
