86 Great Examples of Portmanteau

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Portmanteau Frankenfood

A portmanteau is a word that is formed by combining two different terms to create a new entity. Through blending the sounds and meanings of two existing words, a portmanteau creates a new expression that is a linguistic blend of the two individual terms.

For example breathalyzer is the portmanteau word formed from combining breath and analyzer, while blog is derived from the source words web and log.

P.S. If you are interested in portmanteau lists, you may also find our examples of hyperbole useful.

The Origin of the Word Portmanteau

The term portmanteau was first used by Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass:

“Well, ‘slithy’ means “lithe and slimy” and ‘mimsy’ is “flimsy and miserable”. You see it’s like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.”

Interestingly, the word portmanteau itself is also a blend of two different words: porter (to carry) and manteau (a cloak).

Portmanteau words are extremely popular in modern-day English and new word combinations are regularly popping up. Below you will find 86 examples of portmanteau.

If you like this, take a look at our list of words you shouldn’t use in an essay.

You may also appreciate our comprehensive guide to onomatopoeia examples.

 

86 Examples of Portmanteau and Their Definitions

  1. administrivia (administrative/trivia): Dull administration activities that must be completed.
  2. affluenza (affluence/influenza): The guilt or lack of motivation experienced by people who have made or inherited large amounts of money.
  3. anacronym (anachronism/acronym): An acronym that is derived from a phrase that is no longer in wide usage (for example, radar).
  4. animatronic (animate/electronics): Robots that are constructed to look like animals.
  5. anticipointment (anticipation/disappointment): The feeling of letdown one experiences when hype gives way to reality.
  6. bionic (biology/electronic): Artificial body parts that have been enhanced by technology.
  7. bodacious (bold/audacious): Insolent or unrestrained, extraordinary or impressively large.
  8. Bollywood (Bombay/Hollywood): The Indian movie industry.
  9. Brangelina (Brad/Angelina): Word used to describe the celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
  10. bromance (brother/romance): A close relationship between two men.
  11. brunch (breakfast + lunch): A meal that is eaten after breakfast but before lunch.
  12. carjack (car/hijack): To take someone’s car by force.
  13. celebutant(e) (celebrity/debutant(e)): Someone who is famous for being famous but who has no apparent talent.
  14. chillax (chill/relax): Calm down, rest.
  15. Chinglish (Chinese/English): A variation of the English language as spoken by people of Chinese descent.
  16. chocoholic (chocolate + alcoholic): Someone who eats excessive amounts of chocolate.
  17. chortle (chuckle/snort): Laugh in a breathy, gleeful way.
  18. Chunnel (channel/tunnel): Word used to describe the Channel Tunnel that runs between the UK and France.
  19. cineplex (cinema/complex): A movie theatre with several screens.
  20. Cocacolonization (Coca-Cola/colonization): The aggressive introduction or pervasive influence of American consumerism on other cultures.
  21. cosplay (costume + play): Dressing up in costumes that resemble characters from popular culture.
  22. craptacular (crap/spectacular): Entertainment that is so poor in quality it captivating.
  23. crunk (crazy/drunk): Out of control after consuming alcohol.
  24. cyborg (cybernetic/organism): A human or fictional entity whose physiological functioning is enhanced by mechanical elements.
  25. docusoap (documentary/soap opera): A hybrid drama that follows the lives of real people over a given period of time.
  26. dumbfound (dumb/confound): Greatly astonish or amaze.
  27. ebonics (ebony/phonics): A distinct form of English that is spoken by people of African descent.
  28. edutainment (education/entertainment): Games or other forms of entertainment that have an educational aspect.
  29. electrocution (electricity/execution): Death by electricity.
  30. emoticon (emotion/icon): The use of keyboard characters to represent a facial expression.
  31. evailable (electronic/available): To be available online via an electronic method such as email.
  32. faction (fact + fiction): A story, speech or novel that contains historical and real-life facts combined with invented information.
  33. fanzine (fan/magazine): A magazine that is targeted at fans of a specific genre.
  34. feminazi (feminist/Nazi): An extreme feminist.
  35. flare (flame/glare): A sudden brief burst of bright flame or light.
  36. flexitarian (vegetarian/flexible): A vegetarian who occasionally eats meat.
  37. frankenfood (Frankenstein/food): Genetically modified food.
  38. frenemy (friend/enemy): Someone who is supposed to be a friend but whose actions are more characteristic of a foe.
  39. gaydar (gay/radar): The ability to identify whether a person is homosexual based on an observation of their appearance and/or behavior.
  40. geocaching (geography + caching): A modern-day treasure hunt in which participants use a GPS to hide and seek containers.
  41. ginormous (giant/enormous): Large, huge.
  42. glamping (glamour/camping): Luxury camping.
  43. glitz (glamour/Ritz): Extravagant yet superficial.
  44. guesstimate (guess + estimate): To estimate without solid facts or figures.
  45. infomercial (information/commercial): A television program that promotes a product in an informative and supposedly objective way.
  46. infotainment (information + entertainment): Forms of popular media that blend information and entertainment together. Similar to edutainment (education + entertainment).
  47. interrobang (interrogative/bang): A combination of a question mark and an exclamation point.
  48. irregardless (irrespective/regardless).
  49. internet (international/network): A global system of interconnected computer networks. You can access our proofreading service via the Internet.
  50. shero (she/hero): A woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
  51. jackalope (jackrabbit/antelope): An antlered species of rabbit (mythical).
  52. knowledgebase (knowledge/database): Intellectual capital that is stored in a central area. Similar to wisdombase (wisdom/database).
  53. liger (lion/tiger): A crossbreed between a lion and a tiger.
  54. malware (malicious/software): Computer programs that are designed to damage or disable computer systems.
  55. mansplaining (man/explaining): Explaining something to a woman in a condescending manner.
  56. manwich (man/sandwich): A sandwich made from any of the ingredients that are available in the fridge.
  57. McMansion (McDonalds/mansion): A blandly generic large house.
  58. meld (melt/weld): Blend/combine.
  59. metrosexual (metropolitan/heterosexual): A man who appears to be inordinately concerned about personal aesthetics and/or is perceived for this quality as being homosexual.
  60. mockumentary (mock/documentary): A genre of film and television in which fictitious events are presented in documentary-style manner.
  61. modem (modulation/demodulation): An electronic device that makes possible the transmission of data to or from a computer via telephone or other communication lines.
  62. motel (motor/hotel): Overnight accommodation designed for motorists.
  63. motorcade (motor/cavalcade): A procession of motor vehicles.
  64. murse (man/purse): A man’s purse.
  65. netizen (internet + citizen): An individual who is heavily involved with online activities.
  66. Nintendinitis (Nintendo/tendonitis): A condition caused by playing too many video games.
  67. Oxbridge (Oxford/Cambridge): An inclusive term that is used to describe both Oxford and Cambridge universities.
  68. pregnesia: (pregnancy/amnesia): The loss of your short-term memory as a result of pregnancy.
  69. ridonkulous (ridiculous/donkey): The epitome of ridiculous.
  70. rockabilly (rock’n’roll/hill-billy): A type of popular music, originating in the southeastern US in the 1950s, combining elements of rock and roll and country music.
  71. skort (skirt/shorts): A pair of shorts that resemble a skirt.
  72. screenager (screen/teenager): The typical adolescent who indulges excessively in screen entertainment.
  73. scuzz (scum/fuzz): Something that is regarded as disgusting.
  74. shemale (she/male/female): A man disguised as a women.
  75. shopaholic (shop/alcoholic): An individual who is addicted to shopping and buying products.
  76. smog (smoke + fog): A form of air pollution that has the qualities of both smoke and fog.
  77. Spanglish (Spanish/English): A hybrid language that combines English and Spanish.
  78. spork (spoon/fork): A hybrid form of cutlery.
  79. stagflation (stagnation/inflation): Persistent high inflation and unemployment accompanied by stagnant demand.
  80. telethon (television/marathon): A very long television program.
  81. televangelist (television/evangelist): An evangelist who regularly appears on television.
  82. three-peat (three/repeat): A third consecutive victory.
  83. tomacco (tomato/tobacco): A hybrid created by grafting a tomato plant onto the roots of a tobacco plant.
  84. turducken (turkey/duck/chicken): A dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey.
  85. vidiot (video/idiot): A habitual, undiscriminating watcher of television or videotapes.
  86. workaholic (work/alcoholic): An individual who works excessive hours.

Can you think of any examples of portmanteau? Leave a comment and share them with our readers.

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143 thoughts on “86 Great Examples of Portmanteau”

  2. Add to your list, Gerrymander, if you wish. Currently, cases of Gerrymandering are before the US Supreme Court.

  4. Denglisch – refers to English words creeping into the German language.
    Javanka – collective name for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

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  10. So I have collected pink elephants for years. Someone gave me one with a unicorn’s horn. Is it an Elecorn or a Uniphant?

  11. So I have collected pink elephants for years. Someone gave me one with a unicorn’s horn. Is it an Elecorn or a Uniphant?
    Also, everytime I hear portmanteau, I think, “crapathon.”

  12. Combining ‘exhaustion’ and ‘constipation’ is ‘exhaustipation’ which means “too tired to give a sh*t.”

  13. My current favorite is trumpster, a combination of our outrageous president picking his way through a garbage bin, as is his wont!!!!!!!

  16. I created a portmanteu about 20 years ago, but sadly it has yet to catch on, though for the life of me I can’t understand why ;?)
    This word is fairly simple and quite utilitarian – take the words email + address and the result = edress. Isn’t “What’s your edress?” much more elegant and simple than. “What’s your email address?” It’s one word instead of two, two syllables instead of four, and just six letters instead of twelve.
    Of course one may claim that since the word “email” is itself a portmanteau, that perhaps it doesn’t qualify. OR perhaps it qualifies as a “double portmanteau”, if there is such a thing, lol, I shall leave that up to those more qualified to decide ;?)

  17. P.S. Also, twenty-two years ago I created an emoticon using the ? for a nose (with a freckle) as in this ;?) or ;?D, but holding no copyright you’re quite welcome to use it if you wish ;?)

  18. I believe the proper form is “uniphant” to describe an elephant possessing a unicorn’s horn.
    An “elephicorn” however is a unicorn with an elephant’s trunk instead of a horn.
    Sadly, both are singularly awful creatures, having none of the admirable traits of either of those noble creatures they resemble, and in fact are horribly bad-mannered and they also smell of dirty socks and smegma ;?D

  20. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary that is rather old, list chortle as chuckle and snort and gives Lewis Carroll as a reference of the word. I am not Vappingo. Simply enforcing their statement with a dictionary reference.

  21. I was intrigued to note the inclusion of the word “flare” here, but research reveals no substantiation for the author’s opinion on this point. All the dictionaries and etymological dictionaries I consulted merely state that the word, dating from the 16th century, is “of unknown origin”

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  24. Can anyone suggest me some name that combines “Fashion” and any word. Need this for naming an e-commerce company. Thank you in Advance

  25. How about trumpelstiltskin?? He is always trying to spin flax into gold and I predict he will self-immolate in the near future!!

  39. in response to the request for a portmanteau word incorporating fashion I would suggest smashion which, of course, is a smashing fashion!!

  45. Rin-tin-tinnabulation–a bell ringing for a famous collie dog, not unlike Pavlov ringing a bell for his dog!!

  51. “Scrooping” This term , witch I’m doing right now, is scrolling and pooping as we all are guilty of.
    Thanks.
    Dan Craft

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  60. For a man whose beauty is very attractive a portmanteau I formed would be ”beausome” gotten from beautiful and handsome.

  68. I actually came to the comment section to post this very fact. It was probably created by someone who did not want to admit they were using the word whilst not realizing their egregious error. Or their egregior? Not a great one, but I wasn’t here to create one, just to vent about irregardless.

  74. Mamarazzi = my best friend is forever taking pictures of her daughter and I have nicknamed her the Mamarazzi…. Mom+ Paparazzi

  80. My own: Coinstipation (when sb or a vending machine won’t cough up the/some change); smoffocate (smother + suffocate); procraffeinate (when you get another coffee to kill time to avoid work or sth that needs doing): Touristaurant : (Tourist trap eatery); Poemaphobia (fear of poetry)
    NOT my own: Hangry (some people seem angry when they’re hungry); badsplaining (explaining badly, natch); blamestorming (rapid-fire accusations by various individuals at a particular sb)

  83. Which would surely imply / lead to the use of fatbecile (as in the conman currently residing at 1400 Pennsylvania / Great Maralago)

  86. I have two of my own creation:
    Anxcitement – The excitement of starting something new combined with the anxiety of screwing something up.

    “I’m so anxcited about this new job1”

    humiligance: The desire to speak from a place of superiority tempered by one’s own realization that you haven’t always been as knowledgable or as capable, so maybe you should keep your mouth shut.

  104. Closer. I would say: [prefix] inter [shortened root] “networking layer” as opposed to an intranet. These terms refer to layers 3A and 3B of the OSI model which codified the language of the engineers of the actual “early internet” years.

  105. To clarify further:

    “Intra” because 3A connects two data link (layer 2) networks. A very common example (today) is a router (layer 3) with several ethernet drops (layers 2 and 1). “Inter” refers to connecting the (layer 3A) machines together into an actual network (which is what layer 3 defines).

  106. jazzercise
    snough – a sneeze cough, when you cough loudly as you sneeze, or when you cough and someone says bless you because it sounded like a sneeze

  109. I’m gonna say workaholic is not a portmanteau. It’s a compound word. “aholic” is a suffix with its own meaning. It’s more of a compound word if anything, but not a portmanteau.

  110. greenwashing green / whitewashing – trying to sell sth as being greener that it actually is
    al desko al fresco / desk – no time for lunch out so I ate al desko
    trashion trash / fashion

  114. I’m in the medical field and one of my favorite words is “mucopurulent”, which means “Characterized by mucus and pus”. It usually refers to a discharge, for example from an eye, penis or vagina. Not sure if qualifies as a portmanteau but close enough, and it’s quite disgusting.

  115. I think showhole is a compound word, because it consists of two completed words, ”show“ and ”hole“. Unless it is the combination of show and whole, it is a blending word.

  118. I think you’ll find it comprises of ‘chortle’ & ‘snort’ so it does qualify as a portmanteau.

  119. Nice one, you ought to send him this direct, Trump’s a big girl’s blouse he get’s upset over the smallest thing.

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  125. Scrench. Maybe not truly a word yet, since neither Apple nor Merriam Webster recognizes it. A gadget often included with a chainsaw for making various adjustments. And vaguely Seussian-sounding.

  127. Covidiot – Someone who thinks that being expected/required to wear a mask is the government trying to control them. Undoubtedly will be extended to be someone who refuses to get vaccinated for non-medical reasons or non-scientific beliefs (not including religious beliefs). I did not coin it, a friend texted it to me today.

  128. Thank you for this list,
    Can I ask you where you found all this words ? I am writing an essay on portemanteau words in english and I need to find a corpus that contains portemanteau words.
    Thank you very much
    Swann

  129. Fenglish (Penglish): (Farsi of Persian/English): A variation of the English language as spoken by people of Iranian descent.

  130. Here’s a great portmanteau
    Constraffic- it’s when your in traffic cause by highway construction.

  132. I invented these:
    plastigarb = all the excessive plastic packaging garbage we can’t recycle

    crapalanche = when you open a cupboard and your over packed items fall out

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  136. Hi there,
    Would you please tell me what are blended word of the source words of “rock and documentary” and also “ spy and software “?
    Thank you

  137. I still don’t think it’s a portmanteau. “Irregardless” is a nonstandard word, as the negation is already contained in the suffix “-less”, meaning “without regard”, so the prefix “ir-” ( allomorph of the Latin prefix -in ) is redundant.

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