Many of us have felt it, and now it㽶Ƶֱs official: 㽶Ƶֱbrain rot㽶Ƶֱ is the Oxford dictionaries㽶Ƶֱ word of the year.
Oxford University Press said Monday that the evocative phrase 㽶Ƶֱgained new prominence in 2024,㽶Ƶֱ with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.
Oxford defines brain rot as 㽶Ƶֱthe supposed deterioration of a person㽶Ƶֱs mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.㽶Ƶֱ
The word of the year is intended to be 㽶Ƶֱa word or expression that reflects a defining theme from the past 12 months.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶ƵֱBrain rot㽶Ƶֱ was chosen by a combination of public vote and language analysis by Oxford lexicographers. It beat five other finalists: , slop, , and lore.
While it may seem a modern phenomenon, the first recorded use of 㽶Ƶֱbrain rot㽶Ƶֱ was by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 ode to the natural world, 㽶ƵֱWalden.㽶Ƶֱ
Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said that in its modern sense, 㽶Ƶֱ㽶Ƶֱbrain rot㽶Ƶֱ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶ƵֱIt feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It㽶Ƶֱs not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year,㽶Ƶֱ he said.
Last year㽶Ƶֱs Oxford word of the year was , used to describe someone㽶Ƶֱs ability to attract or seduce another person.
Collins Dictionary㽶Ƶֱs 2024 word of the year is that became a summer-living ideal.