2024 was not a brat as you would think, as the word popularised by Charli XCX did not make the shortlist for the Oxford Word of the Year 2024. Nonetheless, the countdown has begun and six contenders are vying for that coveted top spot.
The annual competition by the Oxford University Press (OUP) reflects the words and expressions that shaped each year, and this year, the big themes ranged from finances to fantasy. Experts with the OUP sieved through 25 billion words to get to this point.
This year also marks the two-decade anniversary of the Word of the Year and the third time in that long history that the competition is open to public voting.
Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, described this 2024 selection as a snapshot of topics that kept the people talking now, and in the past.
“Since 2004, we’ve aimed to provide a window into language and cultural change through the Oxford Word of the Year. What is particularly unique about this year’s selection is the range of words associated with bygone eras that have slid back into public consciousness – in some cases after being adopted and retooled by online communities.”
The shortlist includes:
- Brain rot (n.): A tongue-in-cheek term for the supposed intellectual decline caused by overindulging in trivial online content.
- Demure (adj.): A word steeped in elegance, referring to restrained appearances or understated fashion.
- Dynamic pricing (n.): The controversial practice of adjusting prices in response to demand, from concert tickets to essentials.
- Lore (n.): A treasure trove of background information and anecdotes, increasingly popular in gaming and fandom circles.
- Romantasy (n.): A soaring genre blending romance with fantasy, where love and magic collide in captivating tales.
- Slop (n.): A blunt critique of low-quality, AI-generated content flooding the internet.
Voting is open now, until Thursday, 28 November on the OUP website, with the winner announced on 2 December.
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“Rizz” was crowned the 2023 Word of the Year, and “goblin mode” won in 2022.
“Everyone experiences words that resonate with them, that encapsulate how they feel about a certain time. To see people sharing those experiences as part of Word of the Year has been both insightful and deeply moving. The words we choose reflect who we are and remind us of the power that language holds to shape the world around us,” said Grathwohl
Will it be the fantasy-fuelled allure of romantasy or will the public decide on something a little more mindful… a little more cutesy? The choice is yours!
