Oxford University Press has picked 'brain rot' as its Word of the Year, after over 37,000 people voted. It describes the mental decline from consuming too much shallow online content. Funny enough, the term actually goes way back to Henry David Thoreau in Walden (1854), where he criticized society for favoring simple ideas over deeper thinking.
Cambridge Dictionary has chosen 'manifest' as its Word of the Year for 2024, thanks to nearly 130,000 searches on its website. The word’s popularity has surged, especially due to "manifesting influencers" on social media. It now refers to using methods like visualization and affirmation to achieve goals. While it originally meant ‘obvious’ or ‘clear,’ its modern use, tied to self-help culture, gained traction during the pandemic.
Collins Dictionary has picked 'brat' as its Word of the Year for 2024, thanks to its rise in popularity, especially after Charli XCX's album. While the term has been around since the 1500s, it’s now seen as a cultural phenomenon. The word has evolved to represent a bold attitude, flashy style, and even political slogans like “Kamala IS Brat.”
Dictionary.com has picked 'demure' as its Word of the Year for 2024. Traditionally meaning modest or reserved, the word saw a huge rise in popularity, thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron. Her viral videos using “very demure, very mindful” gave the word a fresh twist. Now, it’s used to describe a sophisticated, refined vibe, especially in professional settings.
“Delulu” is a slang term that means having unrealistic or overly idealistic beliefs or fantasies. It is a shortened version of the word “delusional”. The term is often used to describe someone who is a fan of a celebrity or musician and has unrealistic ideas about them. For example, someone might be convinced they will marry their favorite musician after making eye contact with them at a concert
Oxford University Press shortlisted "slop" for its Word of the Year. It’s defined as AI-generated content that’s shared widely online in a random or intrusive way, and often seen as low-quality, inauthentic, or inaccurate. It’s a term that’s been used more in 2024 as concerns about AI content grow.