‘Brain rot’ becomes the Oxford word of the year for 2024

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The word first appeared in 1854 when Henry David Thoreau complained in his book Walden: “While England endeavors to cure the potato-rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot, which prevails so much more widely and fatally?” No such endeavour seems to have been made as brain rot “gained new prominence this year as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media”. It demonstrates a somewhat cheeky self-awareness in the younger generations about the harmful impact of social media that they’ve inherited.” Frequency of the use of ‘brain rot’ increased by 230 per cent between 2023 and 2024 The Oxford Word of the Year, which aims to reflect the moods and trends of the year, previously saw “rizz”, derived from the word “charisma”, take the title last year. After celebrities like pop star Dua Lipa and gymnast Simone Biles spoke of manifesting their successes, the Cambridge Dictionary named “manifest” as its word of the year for 2024. Collins Dictionary also took its cue from social media, naming “brat” as its word of the year, after British pop star Charli XCX’s critically adored sixth album, Brat.