The votes are in for the Oxford University Press word of 2024 …
“The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of interest over the last 12 months. Every year, we debate candidates for word of the year and choose a winner that is judged to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.”
Oxford Word of the Year | Oxford Languages (oup.com)
The other contenders were:
demure, romantasy, lore, slop, dynamic pricing
Previous Words of the Year
Rizz
Meaning: (n.) style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic partner. OUP
2023 Winner
‘Goblin mode’ – a slang term, often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’ – is ‘a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.’ OUP
‘It has generated numerous derivatives that we are now seeing in a wide range of informal contexts, from vax sites and vax cards to getting vaxxed and being fully vaxxed, no word better captures the atmosphere of the past year than vax.’ OUP
‘We cast our net wide to capture how English around the world expressed its own view, sometimes sharing the collective expressions for the phenomena endured globally this year, and at other times using regionally specific words and usages.’ OUP
‘Climate emergency is defined as ‘a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.’ OUP
Earlier Words of the Year
2018 toxic
2017 youthquake
2016 post-truth
2015 
2014 vape
2013 selfie
2012 omnishambles (UK) & GIF (US)
2011 squeezed middle
2010 big society (UK) & refudiate (US)
2009 simples (UK) & unfriend (US)
2008 credit crunch (UK) & hypermiling (US)
2007 carbon footprint (UK) & locavore (US)
2006 bovvered (UK) & carbon-neutral (US)
2005 Soduku (UK) & podcast (US)
2004 chav
With our ever-evolving language, who knows what the word of 2025 will be…
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
