New Slang Also Shows the “Jimin Effect”… ‘Delulu’ Added to Cambridge Dictionary



BTS’s Jimin has once again demonstrated his global popularity and influence.



On the 18th (local time), international outlets including The Guardian, CNN, and The New York Times reported that Cambridge University had published this year’s dictionary edition featuring numerous new slang terms popularized by Gen Z and Gen Alpha on TikTok. Among them was “delulu,” a term brought into the mainstream by Jimin, drawing attention. Derived from “delusional,” “delulu” first appeared in overseas K-pop fandom communities in the mid-2010s, referring to fans who believed they could date K-pop idols.



Last year, British media such as The Times reported, “TikTok users are uploading photos of BTS’s Jimin and saying, ‘I’m revealing my boyfriend,’ leading to a surge in the use of the term ‘delulu.’ It is often used lightheartedly within the K-pop world.” This showed that Jimin played a significant role in shaping the meaning and widespread use of the word.



Even before that, U.S. news magazine TIME highlighted Jimin’s global impact, noting that “many people are imitating BTS’s Jimin’s habit of hugging, which he openly shows everywhere,” introducing it as a positive example of a meme phenomenon. This underscored how Jimin has sparked socially meaningful trends worldwide beyond K-pop.



Thanks to this immense popularity and influence, Jimin achieved unprecedented milestones such as becoming the first K-pop solo artist to top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with his solo debut album. Beyond “delulu,” new terms like “Jimin Effect” and “Jimin-level popularity” have also been coined, solidifying his reputation as one of Korea’s representative artists and a true cultural icon.


Written by Mun Wan Sik
Translate by Lee So Yun