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'Dad Bod' Is Officially in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary — See the Examples

dad bod stomach
dad bod stomach

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary is keeping up with the times.

On Wednesday, Merriam-Webster announced that 455 new words and definitions have been added to their dictionary, including the term "dad bod."

Described by the organization as "a physique regarded as typical of an average father," Merriam-Webster adds that it is also "one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular."

In examples of how "dad bod" can be used in a sentence, Merriam-Webster included a quote from actor Marlon Wayans, which reads: "… I am not going to have a belly. I think I have too much ego to have a dad bod — even though I'm a dad."

Another example the dictionary utilizes to help convey the meaning of the word comes from journalist Abby Eden, who once said, "The 'dad bod' became the hot new look. Even Hollywood latched onto the more attainable physique with actors sporting bodies that were not chiseled, not incredibly lean, and a little soft in the middle."

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

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Speaking with Today, Merriam-Webster's editor-at-large, Peter Sokolowski, explained how new words are chosen to be added to the dictionary.

Noting that there must be written proof of a word's longevity, Sokolowski said, "If a word is used frequently in publications such as The New York Times or The Atlantic, then it goes into the dictionary."

"We need to see it appear in carefully edited prose over a period of time — and not just in memes and on social media," he added to Today.

Alongside "dad bod" — which Merriam-Webster says got its first known usage in 2003 — other new terms have been added to the dictionary as well.

Some fellow new additions include "air fryer" and "Fluffernutter," a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème, as well as "vaccine passport." Terms such as "amirite," which is used to shorten the phrase "am I right," was also added, alongside the abbreviation "TBH," which stands for "to be honest."

"Slang dictionaries are great and they serve an important function," Sokolowski said. "But Merriam-Webster has to be more researched. We need to see so much evidence of a word's use and so by the time it's entered, it might feel a little stale."