Oxford University Press Names “Brain Rot” 2024 Word of the Year
Excessive social media use may lead to “brain rot,” Oxford University Press’s 2024 Word of the Year.
Following public consultation, Oxford University Press announced its selection on Monday. “Brain rot” is defined as the perceived decline in mental or intellectual capacity, particularly from consuming excessive trivial or unchallenging online content, or as something likely to cause such a decline. It bested five other finalists: “dynamic pricing,” “lore,” “romantasy,” “slop,” and “demure.”
Oxford Languages president Casper Grathwohl stated that “‘Brain rot’ reflects a perceived danger of digital life and our leisure time use,” adding, “It feels like a natural progression in the cultural discussion about humanity and technology. It’s unsurprising that so many voters selected this term as our choice this year.”
Oxford University Press notes the first recorded use of “brain rot” was in Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 *Walden*: “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?”
However, the term’s recent popularity stems from Gen Z and Millennials. “These communities have amplified the expression via social media, the very source of ‘brain rot’,” Grathwohl observed. “It showcases a self-aware, slightly ironic understanding among younger generations regarding social media’s inherited negative impacts.”
Oxford University Press is celebrating its ongoing tradition of its lexicographers selecting an English word or phrase reflecting the past year’s global events. “Reviewing the Oxford Word of the Year over the last two decades reveals society’s growing concern about the evolution of our digital lives and the pervasive influence of internet culture on our identities and conversations,” Grathwohl noted. Last year’s selection was “[Missing Word]”, a Gen-Z slang term for charisma. In 2022, it was “”—referring to “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy” behavior. And in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine discussions, it was “.”
Other organizations naming a 2024 word of the year include Collins Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary, and *The Economist*. Collins chose “”, an adjective gaining a new definition—“characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”—after British pop artist launched a global cultural phenomenon and aesthetic; Cambridge selected “,” meaning “to imagine achieving something you want, believing it will increase the likelihood,” although Cambridge noted “experts warn that manifesting lacks scientific validity”; Macquarie chose “,” defined as “the gradual deterioration of a service or product due to reduced service quality, especially on online platforms, resulting from profit-seeking”; and, finally, *The Economist* selected “,” defined as the “rule of the worst.”