Most popular internet-inspired Words of the Year as Brain Rot picked for 2024 by Oxford Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary has named “brain rot” their Word of the Year for 2024. But did you know it’s not the first time an internet slang word has been named Word of the Year? Here are the best from previous years.

Every year, dictionaries and language groups across the world pick one word to describe the past year.

In November 2024, the Oxford Dictionary revealed that “brain rot” has become the 2024 word of the year, after its significant usage on social media over the past year.

But this is not the first internet slang word to be named the Word of the Year.

Internet slang named Words of the Year

Since the technology boom in the late 2000s, several words relating to technology and internet culture have been named Word of the Year by different significant dictionaries and language societies. Here’s a list of some of the most popular ones:

Tweet (2009)

One of the first internet-inspired words to become Word of the Year was “Tweet” which was named American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year in 2009. It refers to the written posts that are published on Twitter, now known as X.

App (2010)

Unsplash: Brett Jordan

With the rise of technology in the early 2010s, the American Dialect Society decided to make the word “app”, referring to applications on your electronic devices, their word of the year in 2010.

#hashtag (2012)

With the rise of social media, the use of hashtags also rose. What was once a term in tech has now become a household word, as hashtags continue to be a big part of any social media platform. The American Dialect Society made it word of the year in 2012.

Selfie (2013)

Once again, the rise of social media had an impact on the Word of the Year. This time, it was the Oxford English Dictionary that decided to make “selfie” their word of the year in 2013. The word, which is used just as much in 2024, refers to the act of taking a photo of yourself, usually with a front-facing camera.

Photobomb (2014)

We’ve all been part of a photobomb before, either as the victim or as the person photobombing someone else. It refers to the act of purposely putting oneself into the view of a photo, often in order to play a practical joke on the photographer or the people in the photo. The word became the Collins English Dictionary’s word of the year in 2014.

Binge-watch (2015)

Despite being around for over 26 years, Netflix had a huge rise in popularity in the 2010s, which has continued to this day. With the convenience of having several seasons of your favorite movies and shows at your fingertips, the term “binge-watching” was coined and refers to the act of watching several episodes of a show at once.

It quickly became an everyday word for millions of people, prompting the Oxford English Dictionary to name it Word of the Year in 2015.

Face with Tears of Joy emoji (2015)

For the first time ever, an emoji was named “Word of the Year” in 2015 as the Oxford English Dictionary decided that the ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emoji was “the ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of that year”.

Goblin mode (2022)

Once again, the Oxford English Dictionary picked an internet slang word as their word of the year in 2022. This time, they went for “Goblin mode” which is used to describe “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy” behavior, according to them.

Although the word first was used online on Twitter in 2009, it went viral in 2022 and went on to become a prominent viral trend that year.

Rizz (2023)

Rizz might have become one of the most popular internet slang words in the past few years, after Kai Cenat used the word to describe his skills to impress women, and later went on to oversee the ‘Rizz Academy’, which is devoted to helping improve the romantic skills of his friends.

It quickly became a viral slang on TikTok, and went on to become Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Year in 2023.

Brat (2024)

Collins Dictionary has named “brat” its word of the year for 2024, defining it as someone “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.”

The dictionary credited British singer Charli XCX with making “brat” one of the most talked-about words in 2024. According to the singer, a brat is “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes.”

Brain rot (2024)

Brain rot, sometimes written as brain rot, is a term used to describe the feeling of mental fogginess and cognitive decline after being on your phone or by a screen for too long. It’s often used to refer to someone who often quotes internet slang or viral sounds.

Oxford English Dictionary named it the Word of the Year of 2024, claiming that it captures concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The term increased in usage frequency by 230% between 2023 and 2024.

Demure (2024)

“Demure” is Dictionary.com’s word of the year, with all the credit for its popularity going to lifestyle and beauty influencer Jools Lebron and her catchphrase, “very demure, very mindful.”

“Demure” means “reserved, quiet, or modest,” but the reaction to Lebron’s use of the word was anything but, as it inspired a brand new TikTok trend.