Every year, Dictionary.com unveils its “Word of the Year,” and this year’s selection is a term that has resonated with content creators across the globe.
The 2024 Word of the Year is “demure”.
“Following an in-depth analysis of data — from news headlines and social media trends to search engine insights — Dictionary.com’s lexicographers identified demure as the word that left a significant mark on conversations both online and in everyday life,” the website said in a statement.
Defined by Dictionary.com as “characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved,” “demure” has gained new significance this year, thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron, who popularized the term through her numerous videos, often using the phrase, “Very demure, very mindful.”
Lebron’s usage of the word quickly spread across social media in early August, with her videos on how to embody demureness and mindfulness in various settings, from the workplace to the airport, garnering widespread attention.
“See how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job,” she said in a TikTok titled, “demure and modest and respectful at the work place,” which has accumulated over 54 million views.
The trend quickly caught fire, with celebrities joining in the movement.
“Between January and the end of August, Demure saw a nearly 1,200% increase in usage in digital web media, and had 200 times more searches on Dictionary.com than it did on dates preceding August,” Dictionary.com said.
Demure overtook the other contenders on the website’s shortlist, which included brain rot, brat, extreme weather, Midwest nice, and weird.
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