I love this time of the year for so many reasons but the most exciting is the release of the world’s major dictionaries’ words of the year (WOTY24). I keep my radar out all year for words that might be reflect the times and I look to the dictionary houses to do the deep research. Some of their choices absolutely nail the sense of the times and others are so off the mark you think you are living in a parallel universe. Have you been keeping up?
Macquarie—ENSHITTIFICATION
“Enshittification” — the gradual deterioration of a service of product — has been named Macquarie Dictionary’s WOTY24. Enshittification is a noun, and means the deterioration of a service brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit seeking. We have already highlighted just how important this word is.
Australian National Dictionary—COLESWORTH
The Australian National Dictionary Centre (based at the Australian National University) has picked the word “Colesworth” as its WOTY24. It describes the perceived duopoly of Australia’s supermarket retailers.
Earlier this year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission took legal action against Coles and Woolworths for allegedly breaching consumer law. They claim hundreds of thousands of products used in discount promotions were misleading.
Oxford—BRAIN ROT
The Oxford University Press WOTY24 is brain rot. It is defined as:
“(n.) Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized [sic] as likely to lead to such deterioration.”
OUP chose it based on 37,000 votes, worldwide public discussion, and analysis of their language data. It increased in usage frequency by 230% between 2023 and 2024.
The first recorded use of ‘brain rot’ was found in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden. It gained new prominence this year as it captured digital age concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media.
Cambridge—MANIFEST
“Manifest” was looked up almost 130,000 times on the Cambridge Dictionary website. This made it one of the most viewed words of 2024. They state that “it jumped from being mainly used in the self-help community and on social media to being mentioned widely across mainstream media”.
The new sense comes as celebrities claim they have achieved something because they manifested it—to use specific practices to focus your mind on something you want, to try to make it become a reality. These “manifesting influencers” will help you to use this scientifically unproven practice to “manifest your best life”, especially in financial terms. The new use has gained in popularity. It was previously added to the Cambridge Dictionary in May 2023.
Merriam-Webster—POLARIZATION
Merriam-Webster, the US dictionary has chosen polarization (AU polarisation) as its WOTY24. They based this on online search volume and suggest it reflected the desire of Americans to better understand the complex state of affairs in their country.
They define polarization as “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”
The word was widely used across the media landscape. Fox News reported that “Vance’s debate answer on immigration crisis shows voter polarization,” while MSNBC observed that, “The 2024 presidential election has left our country more polarized than ever.”
It dates back to the early 1800s, when they first described light waves. In physics it means to restrict vibration in one plane or in one direction. Polar comes from Latin polaris, to describe the Earth’s poles. Polaris is also the North Star.
Collins—BRAT
‘Brat’, newly defined in 2024 as ‘characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude’, has been named Collins’ WOTY24. It was inspired by the Charli XCX album, ‘brat’ and picked up by Kamala Harris’s campaign for the US Presidency. It was applied to the ‘brat summer’ established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life.
The Collin’s choice has been seen as being heavily ironic with Harris’s failure to win the US presidency giving “brat” a flavour of failure.
Runners-up for this year’s word include “brainrot” and “era”, a nod to Taylor Swift referring to a distinctive “period in one’s life”. Gen Z slang like “looksmaxxing,” “rawdogging” and “yapping” also made the short-list, as did “delulu” and “romantasy”.
Dictionary.com—DEMURE
Dictionary.com noted that “demure” experienced a “meteoric rise in usage” in 2024. This rise is attributed to TikToker Jools Lebron’s use of the phrase “very demure, very mindful” in a series of videos posted in early August.
At the peak of the trend in August, “demure” had 200 times more searches on Dictionary.com than it did on dates preceding August. “Demure” traditionally describes those who are reserved, quiet, or modest. However, the new usage describes refined and sophisticated appearance or behaviour in contexts, such as work or on a plane.
Economist—KAKISTOCRARY
The Economist has declared “kakistocracy” as its WOTY24. Defined as “government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens”.
This term highlights the growing concern about the quality of leadership around the world. It reflects the widespread dissatisfaction with corrupt and incompetent governance. By choosing “kakistocracy” as its word of the year, The Economist aims to capture a sentiment shared by many citizens who are frustrated by the degradation of democratic principles.