LONDON (AP) 鈥� Many of us have felt it, and now it鈥檚 official: 鈥淏rain rot鈥� is the Oxford dictionaries鈥� word of the year.
Oxford University Press said Monday that the evocative phrase 鈥済ained new prominence in 2024,鈥� with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.
Oxford defines brain rot as 鈥渢he supposed deterioration of a person鈥檚 mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging.鈥�
The word of the year is intended to be 鈥渁 word or expression that reflects a defining theme from the past 12 months.鈥�
鈥淏rain rot鈥� 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 鈥渂rain rot鈥� was by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 ode to the natural world, 鈥淲alden.鈥�
Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said that in its modern sense, 鈥溾�檅rain rot鈥� speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.鈥�
鈥淚t feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It鈥檚 not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year,鈥� he said.
Last year鈥檚 Oxford word of the year was , used to describe someone鈥檚 ability to attract or seduce another person.
Collins Dictionary鈥檚 2024 word of the year is that became a summer-living ideal.
The Associated Press
