If cafés with fake floral arches, rose gold jewellery or the offer truffle shavings on your pasta all send a chill down your spine, now there’s an official term to sum up your feelings of distaste.
Just weeks into 2026, ‘Chubai’ is fast becoming the word of the year – and is used to describe anything from food to fashion to behaviour that is inherently tacky, regardless of the price tag.
The word is a combination of ‘chopped’ – a Gen Z slang term for anything that’s undesirable – and Dubai, to indicate delusions of grandeur with no substance.
Although the exact origins are unclear, it’s taken TikTok by storm with Cartier love rings, French-tipped toe nails and all-in-one ski suits criticised for being pretentious.
Food trends, such as serving pasta in a hollowed-out wheel of Parmesan and Oatly plant milk have also come under fire.
Flower walls have been singled out for criticism: Chubai is the new term for anything that’s tacky despite delusions of grandeur
Sipping Whispering Angel rose, which became a favourite in 2020, is no longer considered classy
As well as specific brands and foods, your choice of holiday destination can be problematic.
In addition to Dubai itself, a trip to the Maldives will mark your card, as will any kind of ‘destination’ hen do – and don’t even think about going on a jet ski while you’re there.
Meanwhile, how you tackle life’s most important milestones can mark you out as Chubai, if you’re too public about it.
Announcing a pregnancy on social media with a snap of your positive test in a box, online gender reveals and push presents are all to be avoided.
And according to the new arbiters of taste, merely riding in a Tesla – never mind owning one – instantly ruins your chic credentials.
Taking to LinkedIn, social media expert Jamie Nyqvist warned that the idea is gaining traction and that it could be problematic for brands that are on the Chubai list.
A cousin of the ‘cheugy’ – cringe-inducingly noughties in nature, like ‘Live laugh love’ signs and tight skinny jeans- ‘Chubai’ brings together things that are ‘chopped’ (undesirable, as per young people vernacular) as well as ‘spiritually Dubai’. One such concept is pasta served inside a cheese wheel
‘The idea of Chubai popped up on my FYP a few months ago, and I remember thinking, “That’s going to go somewhere”,’ he explained.
‘A few brands that were highlighted included Oatly (perhaps oat milk in general), Soho House, Van Cleef jewelry, and Goyard bags.
‘That led me to wonder: should Oatly be aware that it’s now considered Chubai? Does Soho House know it’s Chubai?
‘While I don’t think specific terminology is that important to factor in, I do think these cultural shifts need to be considered when anticipating fluctuations in a brand’s cultural capital.’
Also singled out by social media was the North Face puffer jacket, which has become a favourite for celebs
