Oxford’s Word of the Year Captures Prominent Themes in Recent History 💬

What we’re showing

This graphic lists every Oxford Word of the Year over the past decade. Words are selected by Oxford’s editorial staff, and represent a term that was prominent or notable in the public sphere. 

It’s worth noting that there are other word of the year rankings produced by other organizations, such as the American Dialect Society, Cambridge Dictionary, and Marriam-Webster.

Brain rot

“Brain rot” refers to the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, particularly on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. 

These platforms have drawn criticism due to their use of addictive algorithms, prompting some countries to ban kids from using them.

According to Oxford, brain rot’s usage has increased 230% between 2023 and 2024.