AP Spotlight How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is 'brain rot' From the 2024 Year in Review series Associated Press Dec 2, 2024 Dec 2, 2024 Updated Jun 7, 2025 0 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save LONDON — Many of us have felt it, and now it’s official: “brain rot” is the Oxford dictionaries’ word of the year.kAm~I7@C5 &?:G6CD:EJ !C6DD D2:5 |@?52J E92E E96 6G@42E:G6 A9C2D6 “82:?65 ?6H AC@>:?6?46 :? a_ac[” H:E9 :ED 7C6BF6?4J @7 FD6 :?4C62D:?8 ab_T 7C@> E96 J62C 367@C6]k^AmkAm~I7@C5 567:?6D 3C2:? C@E 2D “E96 DFAA@D65 56E6C:@C2E:@? @7 2 A6CD@?’D >6?E2= @C :?E6==64EF2= DE2E6[ 6DA64:2==J G:6H65 2D E96 C6DF=E @7 @G6C4@?DF>AE:@? @7 >2E6C:2= W?@H A2CE:4F=2C=J @?=:?6 4@?E6?EX 4@?D:56C65 E@ 36 EC:G:2= @C F?492==6?8:?8]”k^Am kAm%96 H@C5 @7 E96 J62C :D :?E6?565 E@ 36 “2 H@C5 @C 6IAC6DD:@? E92E C67=64ED 2 567:?:?8 E96>6 7C@> E96 A2DE `a >@?E9D]”k^Am People are also reading… Friday Five New flights, new homes, pancakes and art Big Elm Ministries, Macy's and Second Harvest team up to help families Friday Five: Caleb Wygal's life story is as good as his books Down payment aid package launches in Cabarrus County, expanding homeownership access Cabarrus CrimeStoppers - Call or text a tip anonymously Friday Five: Raising Cane's and Sheetz coming to Concord Art Walk on Union returns in Downtown Concord Saturday Trump signs executive action to pay TSA after Congress fails to agree on DHS funding Cabarrus Sheriff’s Office earns state accreditation after two-year process Advocate Health plans drone network to deliver prescriptions, lab samples 2026 Run Kannapolis 5K Series begins Saturday Rowan-Cabarrus names its newest Student Ambassadors Kanthal celebrates opening of high-tech Concord operation Kannapolis now takes reservations for park shelters Trump says he'll sign order to pay TSA agents as Congress struggles to reach funding deal kAm“qC2:? C@E” H2D 49@D6? 3J 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 AF3=:4 G@E6 2?5 =2?8F286 2?2=JD:D 3J ~I7@C5 =6I:4@8C2A96CD] xE 362E 7:G6 @E96C 7:?2=:DEDi 56>FC6[ D=@A[ 5J?2>:4 AC:4:?8[ C@>2?E2DJ 2?5 =@C6]k^AmkAm(9:=6 :E >2J D66> 2 >@56C? A96?@>6?@?[ E96 7:CDE C64@C565 FD6 @7 “3C2:? C@E” H2D 3J w6?CJ s2G:5 %9@C62F :? 9:D `gdc @56 E@ E96 ?2EFC2= H@C=5[ “(2=56?]”k^Am kAm~I7@C5 {2?8F286D !C6D:56?E r2DA6C vC2E9H@9= D2:5 E92E :? :ED >@56C? D6?D6[ “’3C2:? C@E’ DA62<D E@ @?6 @7 E96 A6C46:G65 52?86CD @7 G:CEF2= =:76[ 2?5 9@H H6 2C6 FD:?8 @FC 7C66 E:>6]”k^Am kAm“xE 766=D =:<6 2 C:89E7F= ?6IE 492AE6C :? E96 4F=EFC2= 4@?G6CD2E:@? 23@FE 9F>2?:EJ 2?5 E649?@=@8J] xE’D ?@E DFCAC:D:?8 E92E D@ >2?J G@E6CD 6>3C2465 E96 E6C>[ 6?5@CD:?8 :E 2D @FC 49@:46 E9:D J62C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am kAm{2DE J62C’D ~I7@C5 H@C5 @7 E96 J62C H2D “C:KK[” 2 C:77 @? 492C:D>2[ FD65 E@ 56D4C:36 D@>6@?6’D 23:=:EJ E@ 2EEC24E @C D65F46 2?@E96C A6CD@?]k^Am kAmr@==:?D s:4E:@?2CJ’D a_ac H@C5 @7 E96 J62C :D “3C2E” – E96 2=3F> E:E=6 E92E 3642>6 2 DF>>6C\=:G:?8 :562=]k^Am In this Series 2024 Year in Review Updated Sep 19, 2025 PHOTOS: The top sports images from 2024 Updated Jun 8, 2025 PHOTOS: The top images of 2024 Updated Jun 10, 2025 PHOTOS: The top images from the US in 2024 12 updates Previous Next 0 Comments Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story 'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 word of the year Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024. Do you speak Gen-Alpha? Test your 'skibidi' knowledge with this vocab quiz From TikTok to the kitchen table, words like "rizzler" and "skibidi" are finding a foothold in the lexicon of today's tweens. Are you fluent e… She made ‘very demure’ go viral. Now she wants to trademark its use “Very demure, very mindful” has become the latest vocabulary defining the internet’s summer. And TikTok creator Jools Lebron is now working t…
'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 word of the year Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024.
Do you speak Gen-Alpha? Test your 'skibidi' knowledge with this vocab quiz From TikTok to the kitchen table, words like "rizzler" and "skibidi" are finding a foothold in the lexicon of today's tweens. Are you fluent e…
She made ‘very demure’ go viral. Now she wants to trademark its use “Very demure, very mindful” has become the latest vocabulary defining the internet’s summer. And TikTok creator Jools Lebron is now working t…
