The Merriam-Webster Dictionary now includes 'Dungeon Crawler' alongside 'touch Grass' and 200 new words and phrases

Merriam-Webster announced today that it had added 200 new words to its online dictionary as part of its latest effort to remain relevant in the arms race with the ever-changing English Language. Merriam-Webster's arcane procedures and metrics to determine which terms are worthy of being added to its records is a mystery. But I know that "dungeon crawler" is now in there, and it is pretty cool.

Merriam-Webster defines "dungeon crawler," as "a videogame in which the gameplay is focused on defeating opponents while exploring a labyrinthine, or dungeon like environment that's usually randomly generated." According to the dictionary its first use was in 1989. This seems a bit late to me considering that people were creating games like dnd or Moria in the 1970s.

Other new additions include media genre terms such as "true crime" or "beach reading." Tony Soprano will be delighted. The political and economic entries include phrases like "nepobaby," "cash grabber," and "late capitalism," which is probably not a bad sign.

Peter Sokolowski is Editor at Large at Merriam-Webster. He said, "Our lexicographers are constantly monitoring a wide range of sources in order to choose which words and definitions they want to add." From academic journals to social networks, these sources give us a thorough view of the English Language.

I don't envy Merriam Webster's job, given how quickly words and phrases can be swept into the maelstrom of our digital hellscape before they become common parlance. The dictionary did a quick turnaround on the phrase "touch grass," however. You'll want to take a screenshot. I'm sure you'll use it a lot.

I'm left wondering, of course, what videogame terms are next to be added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Merriam-Webster has already included "FPS" as well as "MMORPG". If dungeon crawlers are included, then "roguelike" is a logical step. Maybe a dictionary is brave enough to tackle the words "immersive simulation" or "Metroidvania", so we can finally put these arguments to rest.