Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary picks ‘enshittification’ as word of 2024

Australia’s oldest dictionary of Australian English has chosen “enshittification” – a slang term referring to the deterioration of products and services online – as the word of 2024. “This word captures what many of us feel is happening to the world and to so many aspects of our lives at the moment,” the dictionary’s judging committee said in a statement on its website. Macquarie Dictionary said the term – which it defined as “gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking” – beat out shortlist picks such as “looksmaxxing”, “overtourism” and “sigma”. In a follow-up blog post in 2023, he expanded on the concept, describing the process by which digital platforms “die”: “First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves.” Macquarie Dictionary last year chose “cozzie livs” – a play on “cost of living” – as its word of 2023.