Brain rot has been crowned Oxford's 2924 Word of the Year, and internet users are not happy, to put it lightly. Oxford University Press announced the same, and the decision was evidently driven by the fame the word-- or rather, two words-- has accumulated online.
The word is defined as:
“Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging," and “something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration."
As reported by Time Magazine, the word came out on top, beating five other words like “dynamic pricing,” “lore,” “romantasy,” “slop,” and the TikTok famous: "demure." Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, said in an official press release, per the outlet:
"‘Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time. It feels like a rightful next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s not surprising that so many voters embraced the term, endorsing it as our choice this year.”
12 of the funniest reactions the internet had after learning of Oxford's Word of the Year
While Oxford may be content with this year's winner, the internet is not. Here are some of the funniest memes gracing the internet right now:
1) When the word of the year is two words
2) When brain rot making it to word of the year gives you brain rot
3) When brain rot being the word of the year could not be more apt right now
4) When brain rot becoming the word of the year seems like it had a lot to do with an 87-year-old's decision
5) What are you doing this weekend? Brain rot
6) This generation, as the gen-z puts it, is "cooked"
7) When Oxford goes from developing the first antibiotic to naming “brain rot” as the word of the year. Thanks TikTok!
8) When Biden is charged with counting the words at Oxford
9) All I do is play robluzz am I cookeduzz? At least tmr I get to see my bruzz
10) When it has a one-word spelling and Oxford decides to roll with two words anyway
11) When Oxford goes against its own rules
12) When it's so wrong... it's right
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As reported by the University of Oxford on X, the first use of the term "Brain Rot" can be traced back to 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden. However, the term has since come to assume a new meaning in the golden age of technology.
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