unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
As in, “I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.”
“It has both currency and potential longevity,” notes Christine
Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program. “In
the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its
adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for
Word of the Year. Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives
(unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-”
verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm. It
assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not
since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.” —Oxford University Press blog
Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend
Googling Is for Old People. That’s a Problem for Google.
What have my students learned about creative nonfiction writing? During class they are col...
There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI
Despite its impressive output, generative AI doesn’t have a coherent understanding of the ...
Yes, Duolingo is free and I’ve learned a lot. No, I don’t like the psychological manipulat...
‘It’s mindblowing’: US meteorologists face death threats as hurricane conspiracies surge