Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year is…

Each year, Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year and its nominees reflect pivotal moments in language and culture. These words act as a linguistic snapshot, revealing social trends and global events that have shaped the way we communicate.

For 2024, Dictionary.com has selected demure as its Word of the Year, marking a shift in how society views self-presentation, particularly in the workplace.

Why “Demure” was Chosen

The lexicographers at Dictionary.com analyzed a wide range of data, including news stories, social media trends, and search engine results, to identify the word that had the most significant cultural impact over the year. While demure has traditionally been used to describe people who are reserved, quiet, or modest, a new meaning of the word emerged on social media in 2024. It began to describe a refined, sophisticated appearance or behavior, particularly in professional or public settings—whether at work or on a plane. This change in usage is likely tied to the cultural shifts brought on by the global pandemic and the return of employees to in-person offices after a long period of hybrid or remote work.

A Surge in Popularity

Though demure had seen little fluctuation in usage prior to mid-2024, its popularity skyrocketed in August, driven by social media and TikTok. Between August 2023 and July 2024, the word saw no significant increase in usage. But by the week of August 18, 2024, search interest surged, with searches for demure increasing by nearly 1,200% from earlier in the year. At the peak of the trend, demure experienced a remarkable 200-fold increase in searches on Dictionary.com.

The dramatic rise in usage is largely attributed to TikTok content creator Jools Lebron, who popularized the phrase “very demure, very mindful” in a series of viral videos posted in early August. The phrase resonated widely, as Lebron’s audience embraced the idea of presenting oneself as both composed and sophisticated in a variety of settings. Her content sparked a wave of online discussions about the importance of cultivating an intentional, refined image in professional and personal spaces.

A New Cultural Shift

The sharp rise in the use of demure highlights a broader cultural trend of shifting perceptions surrounding public behavior and appearance, particularly as people navigate the return to office life. What was once seen as a traditional and old-fashioned virtue has now taken on a contemporary significance. Demure has become a term used to describe a type of polished, mindful presence that people seek to embody in a world that increasingly values professionalism and grace in social settings.

As the term continues to evolve, its selection as Word of the Year serves as a reminder of how language adapts to changing social dynamics. In 2024, demure symbolizes more than just a reserved attitude—it reflects a refined and intentional approach to one’s image in a rapidly changing world.

Other Words on Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year Shortlist

As our team reviewed the words that stood out in 2024, these words also made an impact and our shortlist for 2024 Word of the Year:

1. Brainrot

Appearing as early as 2004, brainrot refers to the effects of spending too much time consuming low-quality content on social media. The term also refers to the low-quality content itself. Over the past year, the term has received increased usage in the general public as Generation Alpha’s digital habits have begun to attract attention and scrutiny from parents, medical experts, researchers, and the media. In the first half of 2024, brainrot saw a surge of use in digital media of almost 1000% compared to 2023.

 Sometimes brainrot appears as an open compound, brain rot, and our analysis examines the usage of both the open and closed compound combined.

2. Brat

In 2024, a new usage of brat exploded into the mainstream after a three-word tweet by musician Charli XCX: “kamala IS brat.” This tweet, which was published after Kamala Harris was announced as the Democratic presidential nominee, propelled brat from being used mostly in online communities by fans of Charlie XCX and similar artists into mainstream public use. The new usage of brat redefines the word, using it to refer to someone who is confidently rebellious, unapologetically bold, and playfully defiant. Like brainrot, brat has shown around 1000% increase in digital media use compared to 2023 values.

3. Extreme weather

In 2024, extreme weather is not just a scientific term — it’s a part of everyday vocabulary. This year has shown a broad increase in usage. News outlets, social media platforms, and even casual conversations are saturated with discussions of record-breaking temperatures, catastrophic storms, and widespread flooding. The discussion focused on events like Hurricane Helene, the drought in Brazil, flooding in Nigeria, and wildfires in Canada, Portugal, and California. The year 2024 saw a continued increase of the term extreme weather in web searches. In January 2024, for example, extreme weather was searched for 70% more than it was in January 2023.

4. Midwest nice

Although Midwest nice has been around for decades, the term gained widespread attention in 2024 because of the United States presidential election. In August, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, generating discussions about Walz’s pleasant personality. Originating in the Midwestern United States, Midwest nice describes a courteous and agreeable manner, often involving self-deprecation, politeness, and avoidance of conflict.

 Midwest nice is often seen as a more general variant of the term Minnesota nice, which has a similar meaning and usage.

5. Weird

Perhaps the year’s most surprising word on the shortlist is weird. Generally, a word with such common usage doesn’t see such an uncommon, sharp increase in use across different domains, from politics to social media. Weird typically has a similar frequency in searches as its synonyms like strange, but this year the word was searched consistently around 200% more often than strange in general and 426% more often in searches related to politics, compared to searches before the 2024 presidential election.