Wiktionary:WOTY/2024

This is an experimental page aimed at recording interesting new words or senses which appeared or were popularized around 2024. The goal is to create a definitive "Words of the Year" list which reflects on language change in 2024. Currently, only English words are recorded, but anyone can contribute in any language.

List

Golden Retriever boyfriend/GRB (a man who is extroverted and excitable, kind, openly affectionate, confident, happy about life, and immensely caring toward his partner, but possibly naïve or unintelligent) — short-lived TikTok meme around late 2023.
retvrn (to return to the aesthetics or traditions of an earlier historical era) — has existed for a while, possibly picking up steam as of January 2024 but too early to call (see Google Trends).
sleepunder/lateover (a kind of playdate, similar to a sleepover, in which a child stays at their friend's house until relatively late and then returns home) — attested since at least 2013 but gained attention after a 2024 NYT article.
burnt toast theory (the mindset that a seemingly negative event in a person's life could have actually prevented something even worse from occurring) — popularized on TikTok in January 2024 although short-lived.
looksmaxx (to seek to enhance one's physical appearance) — popularized on TikTok around late 2023; although the word pre-dates TikTok by some years, it was largely restricted to incel slang but appears to be achieving mainstream usage/becoming a meme. Too early to call. [1]
Leonormania (public enthusiasm for Leonor, Princess of Asturias (born 2005), the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne) — coined by at least early 2023 and peaked around October, but is still seeing some usage this year, i.e. Google Trends.
millenopause (menopause or perimenopause, as experienced by those in the millennial generation) — attested since at least 2020, but has received a significant amount of news coverage beginning with a NYT article published January 28, 2024.
girl dinner (a meal composed of many snacks prepared for one person, often using no dishes) – coined mid-2023 (where its popularity peaked) but continues to see growing usage so far this year, i.e. Google Trends, regularly discussed on Twitter (X) and in several news articles in 2024, i.e. Vogue India and Motherly in February.
orange peel theory (the idea that a relationship is strengthened by seemingly minor acts of service for one's partner, such as peeling an orange for them) — another snore TikTok trend (late 2023/early 2024).
cooked (exhausted, defeated, hopeless) — Purely anecdotal, but I'm hearing this specific word used more and more as of late February. From some searching it seems to be associated with the streamer Tbvnks. UPDATE April 2024: pageview stats show a large hump centered on February and March.
GRWM (phrase initalism of get ready with me; n. a video showing how one gets ready (for the day); a GRWM video.) – not entirely sure why but in the United Kingdom this hit 100 on Google Trends again in January 2024.
bigrant (a migrant to the United States during the presidency of Joe Biden) – some strange Trumpism coined by December 2023, recently trended on the news (The Independent, Salon, CNN) for appearing on some political commentary show (5 March 2024) but it also has lots of real usage examples on X.
bed rotting (the practice of lying in bed without engaging in daily activities and chores), in other words, being a Wiktionarian. Too early to call but Google Trends suggests it might peak again in March 2024.
plant point (a point awarded for each different kind of plant-based ingredient in a meal or diet, as a measure of balanced healthy eating) – anecdotal but I have seem this trending recently on various social media sites. It also had a BBC News article in February 2024.
hurkle-durkle (to lounge in bed for an excessive period of time) — Gained significant traction in early 2024. This seems to be the new "bed rotting". ([2])
mob wife (a person exemplifying a fashion aesthetic characterized by gaudy and ostentatious clothing, such as fur coats, designer bags, platform heels, and animal print) – TikTok trend, briefly spikes in January 2024. ([3])
stand on business (to put oneself first and take care of one's own needs before worrying about others) – TikTok slang, popularized in late 2023. ([4])
bookshelf wealth (an interior design trend or aesthetic which promotes large bookshelves full of books) – obscure TikTok trend, briefly spiked in January 2024. ([5])
unexpected red theory (an interior design trend based on the idea that any room will look more attractive if you add one red item or feature to it, especially if the red looks strange or wrong with the other colours in the room) – coined in January 2024 on TikTok, seemingly popularised in February and March when featured in several design magazines (see entry on Wikipedia).
Coordinated Lunar Time (a new lunar time zone standard that the White House has directed NASA to establish by 2026) – coined by NASA in April 2024.
Genocide Joe (derogatory nickname for Joe Biden due to his support of Israel during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, which many supporters of Palestine allege to be a genocide against Palestinians) – coined in 2023 but Google Trends suggests it peaked in February 2024.
LDEW (laser-directed energy weapon) – seems to predate 2024 by a decade or so but popularised in January 2024 with the UK's LDEW weapon, DragonFire, unveiled that month.
OOMF (one of my followers/friends) – existed for a while but Google Trends suggests it peaked in February 2024.
OOMFie (diminutive of the above) – Google Trends says it peaked around late March 2024.
yap (to talk, especially excessively; to chatter) – though it was coined perhaps a century ago, this word has been trending insanely hard recently amongst Gen Z, especially as an Internet meme; see the Google Trends for "yapping".
-maxx ((1) denoting an enhancement or improvement, with the goal of "maximizing" one's attractiveness or appeal but (2) used tongue-in-cheek for a wide range of effects unrelated to romance) – further popularised (especially the second sense) by looksmaxxing since early 2024.
coquette (of or relating to a feminine style of clothing involving ribbons, frills, and bows) – popularised as a fashion aesthetic on TikTok/a TikTok trend; Google Trends shows a spike in late January 2024.
slop (content or media of little-to-no value, especially that which is produced consistently and according to trends to satisfy a recommendation algorithm or consumerist demands.) – been hearing this sense a lot recently in reference to YouTube videos/YouTube Shorts. Unfortunately, however, due to the word's multiple meanings the data is hard to track/verify (at least for me).
dark social (online interactions that cannot be publicly viewed, such as private messages, texts and e-mails) – some marketing term apparently; Google Trends shows a spike in mid-April 2024, but I do not really know why.
no gree for anybody (stand up for oneself; do not concede) – Nigerian Pidgin; popularised in January 2024 after the Nigerian police proscribed using this term claiming it could cause a rebellion (see The Guardian).
Epstein Island (Little Saint James, a small private island in the United States Virgin Islands that was owned by American child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 1998 and 2019) – peaked in January 2024
skibidi (various senses, generally a nonsense word) – appeared in late October/early November 2023 but it seems to be making a possible comeback.
large cap (a company having a large market capitalization) – peaked in mid-March 2024.
Ichthyotitan severnensis (an extinct taxonomic species within the genus Ichthyotitan – believed to be the largest ichthyosaur (marine reptile) ever discovered at an estimated body length of nearly 25 metres (82 ft)) – formally described in 2024.
spicy (risqué, sexy, racy; mildly pornographic) – slang used, and particularly popular on, BookTok; books are denoted by a "spicy level" or "spiciness level" based on how risqué/horny they are. See the Google Trends for spicy level (peaks 28 Jan–3 Feb and mid-April 2024) and spicy book (peaks in early January and Late March 2024).
greenlash (backlash against environmental concerns) – hearsay but I been seeing this recently in British media.. Google Trends does not show anything yet. Might remove later if necessary.
femcel (a female incel) – no idea why, but Google Trends says it might peak in May 2024.
⛓️‍💥 (indicates the call for freedom and liberty; liberation) – new emoji added to iOS in April or May 2024; popular right now.
Artsakh (an erstwhile state with limited recognition in the South Caucasus populated mostly by Armenians that existed between 1991 and 2024) – Ioaxxere is gonna hate me for this one
girl grip (the ability to carry several items in a single hand by holding them in between individual fingers) – tl;dr from TikTok, mid-April 2024 peak on Google Trends.
pretty privilege (the social privileges granted to a person who is physically attractive) – Google Trends shows a peak in early March 2024
cloud seeding (the act of firing munitions containing silver iodide at passing clouds to make them more likely to produce rain) – trended throughout April 2024 (GTrends) with the 2024 Persian Gulf floods, incorrectly alleged (later revealed to be highly unlikely [6]) to have been caused by cloud seeding.
energy poverty (the condition of a region, country or household not having enough energy resources for the needs of its population) – peak in early March 2024.. for whatever reason?
Anthropocene (the proposed current geological epoch, in which the effect of human activities on the global environment has disrupted the natural variability of the Holocene) – After 15 years of deliberation, it was formally rejected as an official epoch by the International Commission on Stratigraphy in March 2024.
sound bath (the practice in which one listens to soothing sounds produced by singing bowls, bells and chimes in order to relax or meditate) – very popular since 21 Jan for some reason (per goggle tronds)
neurodivergent (having an atypical neurological configuration) – peaking since February 2024 according to Google Trends.
acoustic (euphemistic form of autistic) – TikTok-ism.
touch of the 'tism (having a mild form of autism) – popular euphemism on TikTok.
(what) the sigma/the skibidi (used for emphasis after an interrogative word or relative pronoun) – achieved viral popularity in early 2024 due to the "Erm, What the Sigma?" meme ([7] [8] [9]).
SwiftTok (the community of TikTok users who are fans of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift) – despite her popularity peaking last year, this word is (possibly) trending just now (more a provisional entry); the GibbleTrends data is too new to call.
beige mom (a mother who decorates her home with neutral pastel colours, such as shades of beige and white) – brief TikTok trend in December 2023/January 2024. See Google Trends.
ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold: the official national currency of Zimbabwe since April 2024) – somehow I missed this; adopted as the official currency of Zimbabwe on 8 April 2024, replacing the hyper-inflated Zimbabwean dollar.
Mickey Mouse (the most famous Disney cartoon character, an anthropomorphic mouse with a falsetto voice and a cheerful disposition) – Steamboat Willie became public domain (❤️) on 1 January 2024, leading to a massive surge in popularity and media attention focused on the character.
lucky girl syndrome (the idea that one can make good things happen simply by imagining them happening and believing one is lucky) – Google Trends suggests a possible peak; spiking since March 2024.
crodie (term of address for a close friend in Toronto slang) – Briefly gained some prominence in April 2024 after being notably featured in Kendrick Lamar's song "Euphoria" ([10]).
unserious (not serious) – Appears to have been rapidly gaining popularity since 2022 through viral social media posts. ([11], [12])
apoceclipse - Blend of apocalypse +‎ eclipse in sarcastic reference to apocalyptic predictions about the Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024.[13]
🤫 (an emoji requesting silence; shh) – for some reason searches for this peaked in February 2024. Oh! Turns out it means "mewing".
down bad (romantically or sexually attracted to someone at the expense of one's dignity) – peak in April 2024 (per GTrends) due to the release of "Down Bad" by Taylor Swift in that month.
boysober (abstaining from dating/sex) – popularized in early 2024.
therian (therianthrope: someone with an intense spiritual or psychological identification as a non-human animal) – peaked in March 2024 per Google Trends, spiking since September 2023. Probably because of TikTok.
Hammerbarn (a store selling goods for home improvement and DIY, and household hardware) – Australian English, peaked in February 2024 when a Bunnings store (multiple?) briefly rebranded itself to Hammerbarn for a sponsorship (the term originates from a TV show), causing some publicity. [14] [15] [16]
aura (a charismatic and dominant presence (of a person)) – in the context of a person, usually used as a compliment for athletes, it seems to originate from TikTok. [17]
garden gummy (euphemism for weed edibles) – another day another TikTok-ism. Google Trends shows a consistent spike since January 2024.
jittleyang / fuhuhluhtoogan (nonce words mocking the Baltimore accent) – Internet meme that arose in late 2023, but GTrends says both words have spiked in April 2024, from TikTok; jittleyang, fuhuhluhtoogan. These words are kinda like a double-feature, which is why I have bundled them. See also the Know Your Meme entry. Maybe not entry-worthy because they are memes/nonce words?
green FN (excellent; exceptional; amazing) – from TikTok, originally a basketball slang term for the most difficult shot to make. Google Trends shows a peak in March 2024.
W in the chat (an expression of victory: excitement, happiness, amazement) – peak in February 2024 (per Google Trends)
good ending (the most optimal outcome or conclusion to a given situation, problem or event) / bad ending (the least optimal outcome or conclusion to a given situation, problem or event) – originates from the video game senses, so Google Trends is unreliable here but I have been seeing this used a lot more recently; note that these good ending/bad ending senses were featured heavily in Internet memes in 2020, however these were not real linguistic uses like what I have been seeing recently this year on Twitter, YouTube comments, TikTok etc.
for the plot (suggests doing something adventurous or risky just for the sake of it) – usually seen as “do it for the plot”; Google Trends says it has been peaking since January 2024.
iPad parent (a parent who allows their child near-unlimited (usually unsupervised) screen time; a parent who lets a tablet, such as an iPad, raise their child) – seems to be gaining traction on TikTok since January 2024.
coolcation (a vacation in a cooler region to avoid heat and wildfires)
allegation / beat the allegations – or maybe a snowclone? This is a meme in the form of "bro ain't beating the x allegations".
🫂 (an emoji indicating endearment) – very popular since the start of this year; see GTrends.
vibecession (a general state of societal pessimism about the economy) – peaked in January 2024 (for some reason) according to Google Trends
greenhushing (a tendency of a company’s marketing to be quiet about its sustainability not to be charged with greenwashing) – might peak, Google Trends says it been growing consistently since 2023 [18]
aurora (an atmospheric phenomenon created by charged particles from the sun striking the upper atmosphere, creating coloured lights in the sky) – maybe for the May 2024 solar storms (?), see Google Trends
zombie knife (a knife decorated with images or words suggesting that it is to be used to commit violence) – the physical knives were banned in the UK in January 2024; consistently prominent issue in politics this year, common in the media etc.
math (to make sense) – typically used as in "the math is not mathing". According to Google Trends searches for "mathing" peaked in February 2024. See also below:
-ing (used to form nouns or noun-like words (or elements of noun phrases) from verbs, denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action) – meme; forms pseudo-action words (some of which might exist though) for stuff that is not working/operating/behaving as intended/expected, i.e. "my brain is not braining today" or "bruh the homework ain't homeworking".
galvanised (of metal, coated with zinc as a form of protection against rust) – hear me out: galvanised square steel, iykyk [19]
E/N (initialism of enemy's name: a placeholder for the name of the reader's enemy in self-insert fanfiction) – Google Trends shows an increase in late April/early May 2024 due to fanfiction being posted on BookTok.
the Island (Epstein Island) – see Epstein Island above; mainly an Internet meme slang — more euphemistic, less “obvious” proper noun alternative to Epstein Island. We can pick one or the other, preferably not both though. :)
diddler (a person who diddles; a cheat or swindler) – peak per Google Trends in April 2024 for P. Diddy, aka the P. Diddler, idk if we wanna include this but imma list it just in case
brainrot (media deemed to hold little artistic value and/or negatively impact those who consume it) – A term popularized in late 2023 and 2024. 2020s meme culture appears to have entered an ironic phase where memes themselves are considered "brainrot", marking a significant contrast from 2010s meme culture, which was mostly unironic. This might in part be a combination of Zoomers' reaction to Gen Alpha memes and trends as well as a broader reaction to their overreliance on technology (not a coincidence that this comes soon after COVID-19). [20] [21]
glaze (to compliment or praise someone excessively in a cringeworthy way) – seems to have become more popular in 2024. This terms is coincidentally yet uncannily similar to the archaic term gloze (“to use flattering language”). [22]
gooning (a form of masturbation that involves edging for a long period of time, resulting in a hypnotic, trance-like, state) – ew, but peaking every month since the start of this year per Google Trends
lock in (to focus intensely on something) – seems to have increased in popularity around 2023–2024 (mostly going by personal feeling). [23] [24]
big mood (an intense or relatable feeling, experience, or thing) – seems to have spiked in April 2024 per Google Trends, no idea why though
cuck chair (a chair, usually in a hotel room, that faces the bed) – Though it was originally popularised in 2022 it massively spiked in March 2024 for some reason
double hater (a person who does not like either Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election) – prominent in the media right now (source: google)
munting (a notional necrophilia-related activity wherein one places their mouth over one of the bodily orifices of a recently-deceased person while another jumps on the corpse's stomach, causing bodily fluids and partially-decomposed organs to be forcefully expelled through the various orifices of the corpse into the other person's mouth, which are then swallowed) — yummy TikTok meme popularised in May 2024; see Google Trends
bop (a promiscuous women, especially in the context of having a high body count or giving fellatio to many men) – popularised in 2024 via TikTok, see Know Your Meme entry
queen out (to behave in a submissively appeasing, accommodating, overly flattering, or flamboyant way, especially when excited) – Know Your Meme claims this has seen a resurgence this year but too early to call
Pookie (a pet name) – Popularized throughout 2023 and early 2024. [25] [26]
nuh-uh (informal: no) – you want an explanation for why I put this here? Nuh-uh. LunaEatsTuna (talk) 15:36, 17 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]
surge pricing (a pricing strategy in which businesses set flexible prices for products or services based on current market demands) – Google Trends says it surged in February 2024.
girlypop (a female friend; a girlie) – first popularised around mid-2023, but peaked once again (twice this year) in February then May 2024.
Yapanese (incomprehensible and meaningless speech; nonsense, waffle) – popularised throughout 2024 alongside yap/yapping in general.
☠ (Alternative form of 💀) – popular in 2023 but seems to be gaining a ton of traction as a variant of 💀 this year; see GTrends peak in February 2024.
nostalgia bait (the practice of reusing, or relying on, past media, characters, themes, periods or events for which people are nostalgic as a means to sell a product) – seeing this a ton recently on YouTube, social medias, even in digital news articles etc.
delve (to search thoroughly and carefully for information, research, dig into, penetrate, fathom, trace out) – ChatGPT funny word we can nom this word and say it is a metaphor for AI being bad/too rampant in academia or whatever idk [27]
no Diddy (no homo) – ostensibly coined early 2024; spike in April 2024.
perchance (perhaps) – love this one. Gobble Tronds says it to be going up since July 2023.
eat and leave no crumbs (eat: to be very good at something) – Google Trends says peak in May 2024.
headcanon (elements and interpretations of a fictional universe accepted by an individual or small group of fans, but not necessarily found within or supported by the official canon) – existed for ages but I swear I have been seeing this all over lately. Nothing on Google Trends yet; provisional listing.
chalant (not nonchalant; careful, attentive, or concerned) – lol, Göbbletil Troughnds says it has been continuously gaining traction since January 2024, with its latest peak in June
crash out / crashout (a reckless and enraged individual, often with nothing to lose) – popularised all over TikTok back in early 2024, see KYM entry. Search query for a crash out on X shows continued usage.
lobotomite (one who is brainless and stupid, as if they had been lobotomized) – I recall this first gaining traction in 2023 or so, but Noogle Trinds shows a peak in April 2024. Also:
lobotomy (a surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses) – peaking since December 2023 per G00g13 T43nd5.
friendly fade (a mutual, recreational conflict or fight of no consequence; a friendly) – peak in March 2024 per Google Trends.
dead internet theory (a conspiracy theory claiming that the vast majority of content that people interact with on the Internet has been produced by bots rather than actual humans) – the actual theory past the surface level is trash, but trended this year with the popularising of AI + peak in April 2024 according to Giggle Trends.
yapper (one who yaps) – see yap above: peak in June 2024 (thus far) per GOFNjlgeg£8)2!’e😀#'🥗µ🥇な［◕ Trends.
Zynfluencer (an influencer who promotes the consumption of Zyn nicotine pouches) – Google Trends suggests that Zyn has been getting much more popular throughout 2023–2024.
Zynternet (an online subculture associated with sports betting, frat culture, college sports, and consuming Zyn) – Coined by journalist Max Read in June 2024 to describe the "hawk tuah" meme.
hawk tuah (the action of spitting on a penis in preparation for oral sex) – originates from a viral street interview from June 2024.
no sabo kid (a Hispanic person who grew up in a non-Spanish speaking country and knows little to no Spanish) – popularized around 2021 but may have peaked around December 2023. [28]
mog / mogging (to dominate in appearance) – this one should have been added much earlier... [29]
anendophasia (the absence of the experience of inner speech) – coined in a 2024 (but written late 2023) scientific paper.
trust (trust me) – this should be a woty nom trust.
Joever (done for, finished, cooked) — peaked in 2023 but might peak again due to the Biden crisis; if not, we can remove this. See Google Trends.
blitz primary – a one-day primary, used a lot in relation to Biden dropping out.
Kamalanomics (the economic ideas and policies of Kamala Harris) – Kamala Harris announced her presidential campaign on July 21, 2024.
unschooling (a set of educational philosophies which champion education outside the standard school environment, including homeschooling) – (another one of my favourite entry types—provisional listing that will definitely get removed by the end of the year) ostensible TikTok trend in late June 2024, see the dotted line on Google Trends.
brat summer / brat girl summer (Summer 2024, in which people, especially younger woman, are influenced by Charli XCX's album Brat) – coined 1 June 2024, see KYM entry
minor (a child: a person who has not reached the age of majority or consent) – might be a cringe entry but definitely being referenced a ton in Internet slang (i.e. "worst year to be a minor") considering the recent array of child abuse-related ~~incidents~~ allegations (don't sue) with people like P. Diddy (allegededly), Drake (allegededly), Dr Disrespect (allegededly), Cody Ko (allegededly), Ava Kris Tyson (allegededly) and now Huw Edwards (he pleased guilty in court, but just in case, I should state this is all allegededly).
brat (a child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish) – influenced by the June 2024 album, see above and also Google Trends, and the "Kamala is a brat" Internet meme started in the same month and popularised in July, see KYM entry.
EYP (eat your pussy) – trending (chiefly via TikTok) since early 2024; see KYM entry.
lil bro (bro; he) – like many AAVE words, it entered general Internet slang usage around this year. Google Trends shows a peak in December 2023.
dreadhead (a person with dreads) – Influenced by the "nonchalant dreadhead“ April 2024 meme, with a June peak on Google Trends.
goth (a person who is part of the goth subculture) – hot goth girls in your area
Temu (low quality) – maybe this counts? Seen this adj quite a bit, i.e. "You wore them Temu socks didn’t you?" in response to someone saying their feet hurt.
🍇 (filter-avoidance spelling of rape) – Emojipedia claims it originated (or was popularised) in 2024. Searching is kinda difficult, but compare also Google Trends.
🔫 [gun emoji, no idiomatic meaning per se] – originally a firearm, Apple changed it to a water pistol in 2016, ending all gun violence in America. In July 2024, Twitter changed it back, leading to some media attention [30] [31] [32]. See also Pistol emoji on WikipediaWikipedia for context.
coworker music (music that is popular, generic, mainstream, formulaic and usually inoffensive or boring; popular music) – ostensibly trending recently but too early to call
breaking (breakdancing) – made its debut at the Olympics so why not nominate it (and yes, the cool kids call it "breaking" not "breakdancing", keep up) – see potential spike on Google Trends
controlled opposition (a purported oppositional party that the ruling party actually uses as a hegemonical tool to serve as a red herring to constituents) – MRBEAST (provisional, see Google Trends dotted spike
raw dog (to do an activity without protection, instruction or intermediary) – raw dogging flights meme
PDF file (a pedophile) – tough to search for but it seems like a 2024 popularisation? (Remove if false)
Kamabla (Kamala Harris) – August 2024 Trumpism Internet meme; might either quickly fall into obscurity or catch on.. leaving this here just in case. See Know Your Meme; Google Trends.
veneer tech (an unlicensed dentist who places veneers or braces on teeth) – Peaked in May 2024 on Google Trends following their popularisation on TikTok + some arrests of veneer techs throughout the year.
jelqing (the use of the jelq technique for penis enlargement) – brief meme back in January and February 2024 with the whole looksmaxx thing - Gtrends.
Zyn (an individual Zyn nicotine pouch) – see Zynfluencer and Zynternet above; this was never nominated separately but I think it makes sense to do so.
ignore all previous instructions (used to trick bot accounts on Twitter, distract them from their intended purposes and give them another, typically absurd, command) – increasingly popular in 2024 as the dead internet theory comes true. [33]
coal (content of low quality) – hard to search for but seems to be trending, see KYM entry. Shoutout to my younger brother for informing me of this!
vro (term of address to a male friend) – popularized in memes [34]
LoRA (an adapter-based technique for efficiently fine-tuning models) – Image AI models have become much more powerful and accessible throughout 2024.
🙏 (pleading) – Its Internet slang meanings do predate 2024 but I do believe I have been seeing this used a lot more in an ironic manner recently, i.e. "Bro's like me fr 😭🙏". Compare GTrends; searches for it are fairly consistent until May 2024, when it just shoots up.
mpox / monkeypox (a viral disease related to smallpox) – on 14 August 2024, the ~~corrupt~~ World Health Organization declared the recent outbreak starting last year to be a "public health emergency of international concern", leading to increased usage online.
axis of upheaval (the alleged antiwestern collaboration between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia) – hot word, coined 23 April 2024 by political analysts.
Red Sea (a long, narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; links the Suez Canal with the Arabian Sea) – the Red Sea crisis intensified in January and February 2024; see January '24 peak on GTrends
gegagedigedagedago (nonce word meant to evoke the idea of brainrot) – skibidi brainrot gegagedigedagedago, peak in May 2024
landslide (a natural disaster that involves the breakup and downhill flow of rock, mud, water and anything caught in the path) – for the 2024 Enga landslide (160+ deaths confirmed, 2,000+ estimated), 2024 Gofa landslides (257 deaths) and 2024 Wayanad landslides (420+ deaths).
🧏 (mewing) – peak in February 2024. See Google Trends.
Nusantara (the planned capital city of Indonesia in East Kalimantan, on Borneo) – future capital of Indonesia, supposed to have happened on 17 August but now delayed.
AI music (music generated by artificial intelligence) – maybe SOP I suppose. Either way, see GTrends peak in May 2024 due to Suno AI.
pirate (to knowingly obtain an unauthorised copy of something) – seems to be trending now in regards to video game companies releasing terrible/unfinished games and streaming services upping their prices or introducing advertisements.
Kamalanomenon (the political and social media momentum of American politician and attorney Kamala Harris during her 2024 United States presidential campaign) – hot word
Starmergeddon (the 2024 election of Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) – The British Labour Party (ruled by a dude named Starmer something, or something Starmer) won the 2024 United Kingdom general election on 4 July with a massive 411 seats, gaining 211 from the previous ruling party who now has only 121 lol.
lore (all the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience) – been seeing this in a lot of memes, i.e. "when bro casually drops lore" or "dad lore" etc.
English or Spanish (a game in which the first person to move after being asked the question, “English or Spanish?”, is gay) – popularised May 2024
demure (modest, quiet, reserved or serious) – August 2024 TikTok meme; see KYM entry
Diet Mountain Dew – shush
streaming fatigue (the feeling of annoyance, unease or dread at the sheer amount of streaming services hosting different content one wishes to view, such as different seasons of a show) – seems to be trending with news outlets
freaky / 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 (odd; bizarre; unusual) – originates from a meme popularised in late 2023; see KYM entry
backshot (a sexual position in which one partner penetrates the other from behind; doggy style) – consistently popular throughout this year; see Google Trends
clean girl (a notional girl representing a fashion style characterized by minimalist clothing, neutral colors, tied-back hair, and subtle makeup that emphasizes unblemished skin) – popularised since January 2024, peak in August per Google Trends
glycine (a nonessential amino acid, amino-acetic acid, C2H5NO2 found in most proteins but especially in sugar cane; the simplest amino acid) – April 2024 peak per Google Trends due to an ironic TikTok meme
work it out on the remix (to settle a dispute; to restore a strained relationship; to reconcile) – hot word (thus a provisional listing here) from late June 2024.
level (a numeric value that quantifies a character, ability, or item's experience and power) – ironic usage, as in "level 10 gyatt" (May 2024 peak on Google Trends) or "bro only has level 1 rizz".
passport bro (a Western man who travels abroad in the hope of finding a romantic partner) – received tons of media coverage and appeared in online discourse and memes; see Google Trends peak in April 2024
Y2K24 (the 2024 CrowdStrike incident) – see 2024 CrowdStrike incident (mid-July 2024) on Wikipedia.
jorking (deliberate misspelling of jerking) – used ironically or in memes, May 2024 peak in Google Trends
on skibidi (with all honesty and earnestness, really; no cap; on God) – 😭😭😭😭
💜 (succeeds a word in all caps) – Late August early September 2024 meme; [35] [36]
fw heavy (to enjoy something to a high degree) – hot word ig
nonchalant (casually calm and relaxed) – seen a lot of independent usage (particularly on the 'Tok) due to the chalant (q.v.) and "nonchalant dreadhead" (see dreadhead) memes; has a sudden spike and peak in March 2024 on the G'Trends.
oil up (to lubricate with oil; to cover or smear with oil) – early 2024 nsfw TikTok meme.
Ohio (weird, bizarre; off-the-wall; cringe) – used chiefly in “brain rot” memes; this adjective sense was insanely popularised this year.
womp womp (used, sometimes mockingly, to indicate failure or disappointment) – became quite popular in mid-2024 for some reason, see Google Trends. Also noticed an increased usage for this word around that time myself.
edge (to intentionally stay or keep someone extremely close to the point of orgasm for a long period of time) – trended alongside gooning (q.v.), the phrase "edging to Skibidi Toilet", Microsoft Edge memes, etc.
skibidi Ohio rizz (bad, inadequate or poor flirtation skills; no game) – May 2024 peak per Google Trends.
man or bear (a hypothetical scenario in which a woman is asked whether she would rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear; intended to highlight violence against women) – April 2024 meme.
pepper soda (a cola-like sweetened soft drink) – Dr Pepper beat Pepsi to become the second largest drink in the US (after Coke) + also those Dr Pepper memes.
broccoli haircut (a type of perm haircut popular among teens and young adults that resembles broccoli, consisting of shaded or faded sides, and much volume and length on the top) – made a massive comeback during July and August 2024 due to contemporary media coverage. See entry on Wikipedia and August '24 spike on Google Trends.
neurospicy (neurodivergent) – peak in August 2024 on Google Trends.
pager (a wireless telecommunications device that receives text or voice messages) – used in the 2024 Lebanon pager explosions. See Google Trends for September 2024; Know Your Meme.
wienering (an act of sexual intercourse , especially one categorised by passion or love) – 'Tok filter-avoidance euphemism that became used elsewhere, such as Twitter; see the July 2024 peak per the G'Trends.
HG (homegirl) – 2024 meme, see Know Your Meme entry.
gooner (an individual who practices gooning) – see gooning (q.v.) – Google Trends shows a spike/peak in April 2024.
baby oil (a mineral oil used primarily to moisten the skin of babies after bathing) – peak in September 2024 due to P. Diddy; Google Trends spike and peak + context.
freak off (sex party; orgy) spiked and peaked in September 2024 for same reason as above entry, baby oil. BBC news
whippet (a cartridge of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), used as a recreational inhalant drug) – 2024 (sad) TikTok trend; see Know Your Meme entry.
put the fries in the bag (used to express that one does not wish to engage with someone and considers them to be inferior (implying that they are a fast food worker)) – July 2024 peak per Google Trends.
chat (the entirety of users, viewed collectively, in a chat room, especially the chat room accompanying a live stream) – Google Trends shows a climb to current tentative peak in October 2024; see also W in the chat (q.v.) above.
before GTA 6 (suggests that an unlikely, implausible, bizarre or strange event occurred) – Internet meme popular this year.
Helene (Hurricane Helene: the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since 2017) – pretty big, killed 280 poor souls.
YN (young nigga) – Internet meme slang since July/August 2024, with current peak in September 2024 per Google Trends; see also the Know Your Meme entry
unc (uncle) – became a big thing with the "unc status" meme (GTrends peak in June 2024) and after the AAVE sense of the word was ostensibly appropriated by white people on TikTok around the same time; for more context see the Know Your Meme entry for "unc".
omnicause (the intersectional relatedness of major political causes and issues, especially in the context of such relatedness being false or exaggerated) – Coined c.October 2023, but had a June 2024 peak per Google Trends.
still water (water with no carbonation) – October 2024 peak on Google Trends due to an ongoing TikTok meme trend.
noradrenaline (the compound norepinephrine: a neurotransmitter found in the locus coeruleus which is synthesized from dopamine) – tentative spike in October 2024 on GTrends due to a meme; see KYM entry.
GNG (abbreviation of gang) – popularised in 2024, particularly on TikTok then later Twitter etc.
gigaleak (a very large data leak, usually relating to a company involved in pop culture) – popularised mid-October 2024 due to a massive leak of confidential Nintendo and Pokémon stuff, including the canonical origin of the Pokémon universe; see GTrends.
Milton (Hurricane Milton) – Hurricane Milton (5–12 October 2024) was the second-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, behind only Hurricane Rita in 2005.
yummers (yummy) – popularised and used in relation to an Internet meme about The Boys; see August 2024 spike on Google Trends.
Khia (someone unimportant or irrelevant; a nobody) – popularised late 2023 and throughout 2024 on stan Twitter, originally by Nicki Minaj fans (an embarrassing title). Named after Khia, an American rapper who apparently fell off; see Google Trends for "Khia meaning", which has been spiking and increasing since about July 2024.
GIFTok / GifTok (a faux GIF, especially one made for comedic effect) – popularised after August 2024; see Know Your Meme entry.
sanewashing (the act of minimizing the perceived radical aspects of a person or idea in order to make them appear more acceptable to a wider audience.) Wiktionary entry created Sept.7 and Wikipedia article created Oct.4. Peaking in Sept/Oct.
schizophrenic (a person suffering from schizophrenia) — peak in June 2024 per Gtrends. Used as an insult or jocular term of abuse like lobotomite (also q.v.).
crazy (of unsound mind; insane; demented) – as in Internet slang such as "nahh bro X is crazy".. I feel like I have seen a spike in such comments during 2024.
fine shyt (one who is exceptionally admirable or attractive) – tentative October 2024 peak on Google Trends. Tl;dr TikTok trending word, "shyt" is a filter-avoidance spelling btw.
winter arc (a fitness and self-improvement challenge lasting between 1 October until 1 January) – tentative October 2024 peak on Google Trends; see also its Know Your Meme entry.
rejection therapy (a form of exposure therapy in which a person intentionally seeks out rejection in order to become more comfortable with getting rejected or having a request denied) – too early to predict but Google Trends shows an increase in September and October 2024 due to trending on the 'Tok. See also recent CNN article on the trending topic.
video essay (an essay given through the medium of video, as opposed to other essays which tend to be written) – trended on YouTube throughout 2024, often due to an increased number of YouTubers dubbing their videos "video essays" regardless of their content or quality, such as commentary videos.
treach (trecherious) – TikTok-ism
downfall (vro you know what it means) - mayB? We all love a good influencer downfall - spike in October for some reason
hot rodent man (an unconventionally attractive man who resembles a rodent with ostensible rat or mouse-like features) – peak in June 2024 per Google Trends.
pillow face (a puffed up face caused by the excessive use of facial cosmetics) – coined c.2009 but popularised in August 2024 by a TikToker. See Google Trends (peak in October '24) and its Know Your Meme entry.
DEI chin (the masculine chin and jawline of a woman, especially a video game character) – brief spike in September 2024 according to Gtrends.
pink cocaine (tusi: a recreational drug that includes an inconsistent mixture of other drugs, such as ketamine, cocaine, MDMA, and various designer drugs) – spiking on Google Trends in October 2024 after Liam Payne was found to have had it in his system when he died.
Frutiger Aero (a user interface aesthetic characterized by modern and organic themes associated with nature, glass, water and air) – coined back in 2017 but is trending as of 2023–24 [37]

Snowclone of the year (provisional/proposal only)

what if X was named Y and he ate ass and sucked toes (suggests a hypothetical, freaky alter ego of a fictional character or person) – meme that trended alongside the freaky meme between late 2023 and mid-2024; see KYM entry (their profile is rather incomplete)
X is not beating the Y allegations (used to suggest X does, engages in, or supports, Y, especially if X denies it) – started earlier as a meme in 2021 but seemed to enter general linguistic usage in late 2023 and early 2024
X views in Y seconds, bro fell off – some admittedly-not-linguistic-per-se-YouTube-comment-spam, i.e. someone will go on a video that was just released and comment "6 views in 28 seconds? Bro fell off".
X is not suicidal (indicates that the subject has said something controversial) – references Boeing allegedly murdering two alleged whistleblowers allegedly in cold blood according to unreliable netizens Boeing is legally innocent; see KYM entry
I worked for X, they're a fraud – parody title based on the seminal MrBeast dossier: "I worked for MrBeast, he's a fraud".
we got X before GTA 6
certified lover boy, certified X

Added after the beginning of the WOTY vote

wifejak — a drawing of a redheaded woman in the Wojak style, often used in memes poking fun of typical behaviours of wives.
4B — a feminist movement originating in South Korea whose tenets are: no sex with men, no giving birth, no dating men, and no marriage with men.
broligarchy — a small group of men who control a political structure.
boykisser — a person who kisses boys, by extension anybody who is attracted to men.

Mid-year review

Disclaimer: this section represents the opinions of User:Ioaxxere as of July 2024.

Words of the Semiyear 2024.0: aura, brainrot, cooked, yap

These are words that enjoyed a huge amount of popularity throughout early 2024 and are used across a wide variety of situations and contexts.

Honourable Mentions: glaze, lock in (not technically a word), mog, Pookie, sigma, skibidi, unserious, Yapanese

These are words which although popular, are more obscure and/or used in more restricted contexts than the terms listed above.

Resources for detecting neologisms

New New York Times
Google Trends
Category:Hot words newer than a year on Wiktionary