The English language constantly evolves, especially through social media, where new words are added to our virtual and literal dictionaries constantly.
Along the way, the English language has developed different terms known as slang words, which are usually created and popularized by teens nowadays. Moreover, in 2024 “TikTok” started using numerous slang words like “Cap”, “Delulu”, and “Gyat.” One of the many dictionaries, the Oxford English dictionary, has used these new trendy words from this generation to make one word the word of the year.
This year, the word of the year according to the Oxford English Dictionary is…“Brain Rot.” Society has done its thing in the media and has gone from memes to baking tutorials to bringing awareness of news. From these mixtures the Oxford English Dictionary was able to conclude that “Brain Rot” represented the year the best as it stood out in 2024 from all the mashups of memes and logic that society created.
But they’re not the only dictionary to choose a word of the year; Dictionary.com chose “demure” as their word of the year. They evaluated the word based on search engine results, impact they had on our real world conversations, and researching newsworthy headlines. From all these criterias they created a list of candidates to be the word of the year and this included Brain-Rot, Brat, and Weird. However, their evaluations demonstrated the popularity that demure had in the media, especially in TikTok. This was the main reason why they felt that demure was the word of the year.
Other dictionaries, like Merriam-Webster, chose “Polarization”, while Collins Dictionary chose “Brat”, and Cambridge Dictionary chose “Manifest.” They all critiqued the word of the year in similar ways but had different mindset behind them.
On the other hand, in Oxford’s Languages, the Oxford English Dictionary editors and staff from across dictionary teams, specifically judge every candidate worthy of a word based on the word’s mood, and preoccupations, and reflect the ethos.
This is how Oxford chose their past words of the years including “selfie” in 2013 and “Rizz” in 2023. The words were connected and related to society every year. For example, “selfie” in 2013 was popular due to the spark of apps using filters to take pictures of oneself. Moreover, the word “Rizz” was constantly used all over the media as a meme to describe one’s ability to be charismatic in finding a partner.
Although, from my perspective, the word of the year in 2024 shouldn’t be “Brain Rot.” The word of the year should be more inclusive and joyful for the year, not something that over time would become dull.
I think the word “cooked” would’ve been a much better choice than brain rot. This word originated in 2010 from a rapper named Lil B’s. The word was used similarly to how it’s used now but didn’t popularize much as it is now in the diverse virtual media we live in. The word has been cognized now in different ways including doing a phenomenal job at something, describing one from trouble , or just to stop someone from being held back from their potential. To add on, the phrases “I’m Cooked” or “You’re Cooked” are commonly used in the media especially on TikTok with the background of Woody from Toy Story gesturing to give them some more time to finish what they started.
To add on, the word “cooked” became popular on TikTok after meme videos flamed other people or gave self esteem to others. This meme originated through Breaking Bad where the main character Walter White states “Someone cooked here.” In the show though, Walter White used the word “cooked” by literally cooking meth, a type of drug, while in the media they refer to cooked as in someone who is about to face consequences or is in trouble. This began in the media especially on TikTok and X, as people started saying phrases like “You’re cooked” to each other or “Someone Cooked Here” like Walter White, but in their own entertaining way.
The usage of the word can differentiate depending on the way you use it. Such as saying “You’re Cooked” can have a negative connotation as it would mean that you’re finished or done for. While “someone cooked here” would have a positive connotation as it would refer to someone doing great at something. This refers back to the viral slides of Woody in TikTok with the captions being “someone cooked here” while simultaneously showing masterpieces of arts, victories of teams, and different varieties of success.
Also, the word itself “cooked” can be used to describe a person in a bad position or bad outcomes that are yet to come. All in all, the word “cooked” fits in different ways which makes it more controversial and entertaining unlike “Brain Rot.”
The list can go on and on about dictionaries picking a word, but the bottom line is that the word of the year goes beyond more than just words. These words, in a way, define our society in a given year (and sometimes beyond) with one word by giving positive or negative vibes. The main takeaway is that the word of the year can have a greater impact than what one expects it to. And who knows, maybe you can start the next word of the year at some point.
