Blended words, or portmanteau words, combine parts of two (or sometimes more) words into one new word. They make English fresh, creative, and sometimes even funny.
Today, we’ll look at 50 real examples of blending words—perfect for boosting your vocabulary, understanding the language better, or just having fun.
What Is a Blending Word?
A blending word is created when two words are combined by taking parts (often the beginning of one and the end of another) and merging them into a new word with a fresh meaning.
Example:
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Brunch = breakfast + lunch
Let’s explore more examples below.
50 Blending Words With Their Meanings
Here’s a full list, organized for easy browsing:
1-10: Common Everyday Blends
| Blend | Original Words | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Brunch | Breakfast + Lunch | A meal between breakfast and lunch |
| Smog | Smoke + Fog | Air pollution made of smoke and fog |
| Motel | Motor + Hotel | A roadside hotel for motorists |
| Blog | Web + Log | A personal or informational website |
| Glamping | Glamorous + Camping | Camping with luxury and comfort |
| Infomercial | Information + Commercial | A commercial that informs about a product |
| Spork | Spoon + Fork | A combined spoon and fork utensil |
| Ginormous | Giant + Enormous | Extremely large |
| Frenemy | Friend + Enemy | A person who is both a friend and rival |
| Emoticon | Emotion + Icon | A graphic representing an emotion (like 🙂 ) |
11-20: Tech and Modern Life Blends
| Blend | Original Words | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Webinar | Web + Seminar | A seminar held over the internet |
| Netiquette | Network + Etiquette | Manners used in online communication |
| Sexting | Sex + Texting | Sending sexually explicit messages by phone |
| Malware | Malicious + Software | Harmful software for computers |
| Podcast | iPod + Broadcast | An audio program available for download |
| Pixel | Picture + Element | The smallest unit of a digital image |
| Cyborg | Cybernetic + Organism | A being with both organic and mechanical parts |
| E-book | Electronic + Book | A digital version of a book |
| Bluetooth | Blue + Tooth (named after a Viking king) | A tech term for wireless connection |
| Brangelina | Brad + Angelina | The celebrity couple nickname for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie |
21-30: Food and Drink Blends
| Blend | Original Words | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mocktail | Mock + Cocktail | A non-alcoholic cocktail |
| Cronut | Croissant + Donut | A pastry hybrid of croissant and doughnut |
| Frappuccino | Frappe + Cappuccino | A blended coffee drink |
| Cheeseburger | Cheese + Hamburger | A hamburger with cheese |
| Turducken | Turkey + Duck + Chicken | A dish with chicken inside duck inside turkey |
| Snackrifice | Snack + Sacrifice | Giving up a snack or making a snack sacrifice |
| Hangry | Hungry + Angry | Being irritable because of hunger |
| Snackle | Snack + Tackle | Quickly eating or grabbing snacks |
| Breathalyzer | Breath + Analyzer | A device measuring alcohol in the breath |
| Milkshake | Milk + Shake | A sweet drink made from milk and ice cream |
31-40: Business, Culture, and Society Blends
| Blend | Original Words | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Workaholic | Work + Alcoholic | A person addicted to working |
| Shopaholic | Shopping + Alcoholic | A person addicted to shopping |
| Bollywood | Bombay + Hollywood | India’s Hindi-language film industry |
| Mockumentary | Mock + Documentary | A fictional, humorous documentary |
| Edutainment | Education + Entertainment | Content meant to educate and entertain |
| Cosplay | Costume + Play | Dressing up as characters from fiction |
| Staycation | Stay + Vacation | A vacation spent at home |
| Guesstimate | Guess + Estimate | An approximate calculation |
| Spanglish | Spanish + English | A mix of Spanish and English languages |
| Globish | Global + English | Simplified English used globally |
41-50: Funny and Creative Blends
| Blend | Original Words | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chillax | Chill + Relax | To calm down and relax |
| Brunchfast | Brunch + Breakfast | A light meal before full brunch |
| Mansplain | Man + Explain | When a man explains something condescendingly |
| Textpectation | Text + Expectation | The anticipation of waiting for a text |
| Carjacking | Car + Hijacking | Stealing a car by force |
| Snark | Snide + Remark | A sarcastic or cutting remark |
| Mocktail | Mock + Cocktail | A drink that mimics a cocktail without alcohol |
| Bashment | Bash + Entertainment | A large, lively party |
| Labradoodle | Labrador + Poodle | A crossbreed dog (Labrador Retriever + Poodle) |
| Amortgage | Amortize + Mortgage | A mortgage where payments slowly decrease principal |
Why Are Blended Words Important?
Blended words keep the English language flexible, modern, and alive.
They:
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Reflect cultural trends and technology changes
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Make communication quicker and punchier
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Show how creative language can be
Once you start spotting them, you’ll notice new blends popping up all the time.
Quick Table: 50 Blended Words at a Glance
| Blend Word | Combination | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Brunch | Breakfast + Lunch | Mid-morning meal |
| Smog | Smoke + Fog | Air pollution |
| Motel | Motor + Hotel | Hotel for motorists |
| Blog | Web + Log | Online diary |
| Glamping | Glamorous + Camping | Luxurious camping |
| Infomercial | Information + Commercial | Educational ad |
| Spork | Spoon + Fork | Hybrid utensil |
| Ginormous | Giant + Enormous | Very large |
| Frenemy | Friend + Enemy | Rival posing as friend |
| Emoticon | Emotion + Icon | Emotion graphic |
| Webinar | Web + Seminar | Online seminar |
| Netiquette | Network + Etiquette | Online manners |
| Sexting | Sex + Texting | Flirty text messages |
| Malware | Malicious + Software | Bad software |
| Podcast | iPod + Broadcast | Audio download |
| Pixel | Picture + Element | Digital image unit |
| Cyborg | Cybernetic + Organism | Part-human, part-machine |
| E-book | Electronic + Book | Digital book |
| Bluetooth | Blue + Tooth | Wireless tech |
| Brangelina | Brad + Angelina | Celeb couple name |
| Mocktail | Mock + Cocktail | Non-alcoholic cocktail |
| Cronut | Croissant + Donut | Pastry hybrid |
| Frappuccino | Frappe + Cappuccino | Blended coffee |
| Cheeseburger | Cheese + Hamburger | Beef and cheese sandwich |
| Turducken | Turkey + Duck + Chicken | Poultry dish |
| Snackrifice | Snack + Sacrifice | Giving up snacks |
| Hangry | Hungry + Angry | Bad mood from hunger |
| Snackle | Snack + Tackle | Grabbing snacks quickly |
| Breathalyzer | Breath + Analyzer | Breath alcohol test |
| Milkshake | Milk + Shake | Sweet cold drink |
| Workaholic | Work + Alcoholic | Work addict |
| Shopaholic | Shopping + Alcoholic | Shopping addict |
| Bollywood | Bombay + Hollywood | Indian cinema industry |
| Mockumentary | Mock + Documentary | Fictional documentary |
| Edutainment | Education + Entertainment | Fun learning content |
| Cosplay | Costume + Play | Dress-up art |
| Staycation | Stay + Vacation | Vacation at home |
| Guesstimate | Guess + Estimate | Rough calculation |
| Spanglish | Spanish + English | Language hybrid |
| Globish | Global + English | World English |
| Chillax | Chill + Relax | Relax fully |
| Brunchfast | Brunch + Breakfast | Pre-brunch snack |
| Mansplain | Man + Explain | Condescending explanation |
| Textpectation | Text + Expectation | Waiting for a text |
| Carjacking | Car + Hijacking | Car theft |
| Snark | Snide + Remark | Sharp comment |
| Bashment | Bash + Entertainment | Big party |
| Labradoodle | Labrador + Poodle | Mixed breed dog |
| Amortgage | Amortize + Mortgage | Gradual mortgage payment |
Conclusion: English Is Always Evolving
Blended words are proof that language isn’t static—it grows and adapts with our culture, technology, and humor. Mastering them not only improves your vocabulary but also keeps you tuned into modern conversation.
Want to boost your word skills even more?
Challenge yourself to create a new blend today. Who knows? It might just become the next big thing.
Stay curious, stay creative!