Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
Every year, Oxford Languages chooses a Word of the Year that captures the mood, ethos, or major preoccupations of the past 12 months. This year’s winner, brain rot, sheds light on the growing concerns about the effects of consuming endless content online. Selected from a shortlist of six words, it shows the significant rise in its usage and relevance.
Here are Oxford’s Words of the Year for the last 10 years, so that you can brush up on your lingo.
2024: Brain rot
Defined as the deterioration of mental or intellectual state due to overconsumption of trivial content, brain rot is the perfect reflection of our screen-obsessed habits. The term saw a 230 per cent increase in usage from 2023 to 2024, according to Oxford. It beat out competitors like demure and dynamic pricing for its relevance in discussions about social media's impact on mental health. Its origin dates back to 1854, when it was used by Henry David Thoreau in Walden.
2023: Rizz
Meaning charm or attractiveness, rizz holds Gen Z's knack for turning language into culture. Likely derived from "charisma," it was popularised in online conversations about relationships. The word beat Swiftie, situationship, and de-influencing in a public vote organised by Oxford Languages. Its cultural significance lay in its appeal to younger generations and its relevance in discussions of modern dating and relationships.
2022: Goblin mode
A slang term for unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, or greedy behavior, goblin mode won in a public vote with a 93 per cent majority. Emerging as people resisted the return to pre-pandemic norms, it shows a collective embrace of imperfection. Beating metaverse, it became a rallying cry for those rejecting societal expectations. Its usage increased after a viral Reddit post and a fabricated headline involving actress Julia Fox.
2021: Vax
Short for vaccine or vaccination, vax became a used term in a year ruled by Covid-19. Its usage rose 72 times compared to the previous year, showcasing widespread conversations about vaccination efforts. Words like double-vaxxed and anti-vaxxer also saw increased use. Derived from the Latin vacca (cow), the word has its origins in Edward Jenner’s pioneering work on smallpox vaccines in the late 1700s.
2020: No single word chosen
For the first time, Oxford Languages couldn’t choose a single word. Instead, they highlighted terms like lockdown, social distancing, Blursday, and Black Lives Matter. This decision showed the extraordinary complexity of a year owing to the pandemic, racial justice movements, and global uncertainty.
2019: Climate emergency
Defined as a situation requiring urgent action to combat climate change, climate emergency was chosen because of growing environmental concerns. Its usage soared as activists like Greta Thunberg led global protests. It beat other terms like climate action and climate crisis, showing a shift in public awareness and the language of urgency around environmental issues.
2018: Toxic
Meaning poisonous, toxic was chosen for its versatility in describing a range of issues, from toxic masculinity to toxic waste. Its metaphorical use in terms like toxic relationships and toxic culture showed widespread societal introspection. Derived from the Greek word for poison, toxic became a term for understanding personal and environmental challenges.
2017: Youthquake
Defined as a significant cultural or political change driven by young people, youthquake saw a fivefold increase in usage during elections in the UK and New Zealand. It symbolised the growing influence of younger generations in shaping political discourse. Though not widely used today, it reflected the optimism and activism of that moment.
2016: Post-truth
The Oxford Word of the Year for 2016 was post-truth. This adjective describes situations where objective facts become less important in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotions or personal beliefs. The word gained attention during events like Brexit and the US presidential election, where the public narrative often prioritised feelings over facts.
The shortlisted words for 2016 included adulting, alt-right, Brexiteer, chatbot, coulrophobia (fear of clowns), glass cliff (women in precarious leadership roles), hygge (Danish concept of coziness), Latinx, and woke (alert to social issues). Post-truth stood out because it showed the essence of a year due to heated debates and the rise of misinformation.
2015: Face with tears of joy emoji
For the first time, Oxford chose a pictograph as its Word of the Year: Also known as the Face with Tears of Joy emoji. This symbol was selected because it best reflected the mood and communication trends of 2015. Emojis, originally created in the late 1990s, saw a rise in global usage during this year, and became the most used emoji worldwide.
Other shortlisted words for 2015 included ad blocker, Brexit, dark web, lumbersexual, and refugee.
