MANILA —  If you’ve ever felt the overwhelming urge to pinch a baby’s chubby cheeks or squeeze a fluffy puppy out of cute admiration, you’ve experienced what Filipinos call “gigil.”

Now, people from other countries can familiarize themselves with this uniquely Filipino concept, as “gigil” has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary and recognized as one of the “untranslatable words.”

“Gigil is a feeling we get when we see someone or something cute, a feeling so intense that it gives us the irresistible urge to tightly clench our hands, grit our teeth, and pinch or squeeze whomever or whatever it is we find so adorable,” the dictionary said. 

“Gigil is a pithy name for such a strange, paradoxical emotion, and apart from its use as a noun, it can also be employed as an adjective to describe the person experiencing it. So, if a Filipino says they’re gigil, they’re just dealing with overwhelming feelings (usually positive),” it added.   

Some international stars have used the word “gigil,” such as BTS member Jin, who said “Gigil niyo si ako” during the group’s “Wings” concert in Manila in 2017.

Other Philippine English words added in the Oxford update include CR, kababayan, lumpia, Pinoy, salakot, sando, Thomasite, and videoke.