Oxford University Press named “brain rot” as its Word of the Year today after over 37,000 people voted from a shortlist of six. An earlier Cherwell Instagram poll with 783 responses – much smaller in sample size but perhaps more representative of Oxford students – also voted “brain rot” as the clear winner with 45%.
“Brain rot” (noun): 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 characterised as likely to lead to such deterioration.
OUP experts saw a 230% increase in frequency of the word between 2023 and 2024, initially gaining traction on TikTok and now entering mainstream use to reflect both the cause and effect of over-consuming low-quality online content. It is strongly associated with certain types of content including Skibidi Toilet video series and “only in Ohio” memes.
The word traces back to 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, in which he narrates his simple lifestyle in the woods and criticises societal devaluation of complex ideas. Thoreau wrote: “While England endeavours to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”
“Words” nominated by language experts at OUP need not necessarily be a single word. Rather, they may be phrases or even emojis, as in 2015 when “face with tears of joy” took the title. The OWOTY should reflect the world over the last 12 months, encapsulating a moment or trend of cultural significance. Notably, no word was chosen in 2020, as OUP deemed it impossible to sum up the unprecedented year in a single word.
Voting is currently ongoing on the OUP website, and will close on Thursday 28th November. The winner will then be declared on 2nd December, after a final analysis of votes, corpus data, and public commentary. Ultimately, OUP produces a report on the OWOTY, which includes information such as differing definitions, etymology, variations in spelling, word frequency, and cultural impact.
The following words made this year’s shortlist:
“Demure”
Adjective: Of a person: reserved or restrained in appearance or behaviour. Of clothing: not showy, ostentatious, or overly revealing.
“Dynamic pricing”
Noun: The practice of varying the price for a product or service to reflect changing market conditions; in particular, the charging of a higher price at a time of greater demand.
“Lore”
Noun: A body of (supposed) facts, background information, and anecdotes relating to someone or something, regarded as knowledge required for full understanding or informed discussion of the subject in question.
“Romantasy”
Noun: A genre of fiction combining elements of romantic fiction and fantasy, typically featuring themes of magic, the supernatural, or adventure alongside a central romantic storyline.
“Slop”
Noun: Art, writing, or other content generated using artificial intelligence, shared and distributed online in an indiscriminate or intrusive way, and characterised as being of low quality, inauthentic, or inaccurate.
2024 marks the third year that OUP has opened up the OWOTY to a public vote. In the first 2022 vote, 340,000 people chose “goblin mode” as the runaway winner with 93% of the vote, beating “metaverse” and ‘“IStandWith”. Last year, the winning word was “rizz”, edging out “swiftie” and “situationship”.
