“Brain rot” took the title in a vote in which more than 37,000 people participated, as well as public commentary and analysis of OUP’s language data.
“While England endeavours to cure the potato rot,” wrote Thoreau, “will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?”All these years later, it seems brain rot is well and truly established.
“’Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time,” said Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, in Monday’s announcement.
“I also find it fascinating that the word ‘brain rot’ has been adopted by Gen Z and Gen Alpha… These communities have amplified the expression through social media channels, the very place said to cause ‘brain rot,’” he added.
The word, which means being reserved in appearance or behavior, had already been named word of the year by Dictionary.com last week.
Persons:
London CNN —, ”, Henry David Thoreau, “ Walden ”, Thoreau, “, Casper Grathwohl, Gen Z, Alpha, Dictionary.com, “ rizz
Organizations:
London CNN, Oxford University Press, Oxford English, OUP, United States, Oxford
Locations:
England, United