‘Brain rot’ is Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year
Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year is more than a century old, but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly relevant in 2024.
The winner, announced on Monday by the University of Oxford, was “brain rot” — a term that describes that overconsumption of material or content to the point that it deteriorates one’s mental state. (As in, how sludgy you feel after bingeing an entire Netflix show after — or while — doomscrolling.)
According to Oxford, the word was first used in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden.” But in 2024, the term is finding a new meaning as people are surrounded by scrolling their phones, notifications and memes. The word, according to Oxford, has seen a 230 percent increase in usage between 2023 and 2024.
But who decides what is the word of the year? Many dictionary organizations have issued their pronouncements this month, and multiple have honored words originating on and popularized by social media and our changing language, experts said.
“‘Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time,” said Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, in a statement. “It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology.”
On Nov. 1, Collins Dictionary named “brat” as its 2024 award winner, referring to the title of Charli XCX’s album released in June. The word came to describe a season of sorts (“brat summer,” as it was called). (Collins defined the word as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.”) “Brat” became such a cultural phenomenon online that Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign embraced it after Charli XCX posted on X that Harris was, in fact, “brat.”
The folks at Dictionary.com also chose a word that crossed over from the Internet to real life for its word of the year in “demure” — a term was popularized on TikTok when creator Jools Lebron used the phrase “very demure, very mindful” as she offered advice to people on how to be considerate and respectful in different situations. According to Dictionary.com, the word’s definition is slightly different online compared with its traditional usage. Generally, the word describes modest, reserved or quiet people. But on the Internet, it has been used to mean sophisticated actions or behavior.
Leaning into Internet slang terms is far from a new. Last year, Oxford picked “rizz” as its word of the year, a term popularized by Gen Z describing charisma that you’ll also find scattered in TikTok video comment sections and quote posts on X.
The widespread use of Internet-centric words reflects a society that’s shifting its language toward what’s being read and shared online, said Tony Thorne, a linguist who teaches about slang at Kings College London.
“The internet is increasingly where language arises and where language change occurs,” he said.
It’s still unclear what Merriam-Webster will pick for its word of the year. Last year, they tapped “authentic” with the honor (“rizz” was the runner-up).