The Oxford Dictionary has announced "brain rot" as the word of the year, declared by the university's press service on December 2.
According to the press release, "brain rot" is defined as "the presumed decline in a person's mental or intellectual state, particularly viewed as a consequence of excessive consumption of material (especially online content) that is considered trivial or uninteresting."
The publisher's experts noted that the term's usage increased by 230% over the year.
The first recorded use of the term "brain rot" was found in 1854 in the book "Walden" by the 19th-century English writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, where he describes his experience of simple living in the natural world. In his conclusions, Thoreau criticizes society's tendency to devalue complex ideas and views this as indicative of a general decline in mental and intellectual efforts. "While England is trying to cure potato blight, will anyone attempt to remedy the brain rot that is much more widespread and fatal?"—Thoreau's thoughts are quoted in the press release.
In other words, brain rot refers to low-quality, worthless content found on social media and the Internet, as well as its negative impact on society. As an example, experts cite the videos of Alexey Gerasimov's Skibidi Toilet, which features humanoid toilets, and the user-generated memes "Only in Ohio" showcasing "strange incidents in the state."
The word of the year was chosen based on a public vote involving over 37,000 participants. The shortlist also included:
- demure — "modest, reserved": referring to a person or clothing, it went viral after being used by blogger Jules Lebron in relation to style;
- dynamic pricing — "dynamic pricing," particularly price increases during periods of rising demand;
- lore — "tradition," "knowledge": a collection of facts about someone or something, such as a celebrity or movie character;
- romantasy — a blend of romance and fantasy in literature; people eagerly read books in this genre to escape reality;
- slop — "slop": content created using artificial intelligence, which social media users consider low-quality and unoriginal.
The Oxford University Press (part of the university) has been selecting the most significant word of the year for 20 years. Last year, it was rizz (short for "charisma")—"the presence of style, charm, charisma, and appeal that allows one to captivate and seduce a sexual partner."
The word of the year is a selection of the most relevant, significant, and popular words and expressions. This is conducted in various countries by different organizations, associations, and services.