The word ‘demure’ – which is wildly popular with Gen Z – has been announced as the 2024 Word of the Year.
The term topped Dictionary.com’s annual list after it blew up on social media and shortly became part of many people’s vocabulary.
Chicago-based TikToker Jools Lebron (known on the platform as @joolieannie) became an internet celebrity after she made a video using the phrase: ‘Very demure, very mindful,’ earlier this year.
She was speaking about how to look presentable in an office setting and it racked up an more than 54 million views.
This led to many young people incorporating it their daily life, referencing the clip by describing things and themselves as ‘very demure’.
Demure refers to someone who is reserved and modest.
The website said its lexicographers analysed large amounts of data, including newspaper headlines, social media trends and engine search results to help make their decision.
From January to August, the word ‘demure’ saw a whopping 1,200 per cent increase in use online.
Jools took to TikTok to express her joy at ‘demure’ being crowned Word of the Year, as she smiled and cheered at the news.
In the original video that made the phrase famous, Jools said: ‘You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful,’ she said in the video.
‘I don’t come to work with a green-cut crease. I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work. You see how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job.’
She continued: ‘A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like Marge Simpson and go to the job looking like Patty and Selma. Not demure. I’m very modest. I’m very mindful.
Stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Rodrigo, RuPaul, and Penn Badgely have even made their own posts using the expression.
But Jools is currently involved in a legal battle to trademark the phrase ‘Very demure, very mindful’.
A person named Jefferson Bates had attempted to trademark the phrase before Julian Rosa also filed the same documents on ‘VERY DEMURE VERY MINDFUL’ a little over a week later on August 29.
Jools posted a now-deleted TikTok sobbing over the development because it effectively killed any chance she had at selling merchandise with the phrase she coined in the first place.
But now, she’s saying she has the situation ‘handled’ in a much more upbeat video, claiming she has a team that’s presumably helping her with trademark-related matters.
‘Divas, on the trademark front I feel like I have to say something. We got it handled and I’m going to leave it at that,’ she said. ‘Mama got a team now.’
A woman named Kassandra Pop sought ‘very demure very cutesy’ on August 24 for advertising services, and Almondia White filed for ‘always demure and very mindful’ on August 27 for hats and apparel.
The budding star, who is transgender, has said she is hoping to use any profit that she made off selling merchandise to ‘do so much for her family’ and ‘provide for her transition.’
The word ‘brainrot’ was also on Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year Shortlist, which refers to the effects of spending too much time watching low-quality content online.
The use of brainrot – which has become popular both in the mainstream media and social media – saw a surge of 1,000 per cent in the first half of 2024, compared to 2023.
British singer Charli XCX released her neon green album called Brat which helped thrust the term onto the shortlist.
She also commented her thoughts on the US election, writing ‘Kamala IS brat,’ endorsing the Democratic politician.
This caused the phrase to explode, with Dictionary.com stating that it propelled the phrase from being ‘used mostly in online communities by fans of Charli XCX and similar artists into mainstream public use.’
Whilst brat is technically defined as a misbehaved young child, or used as a shortened term for a bratwurst sausage, it now refers to someone who is rebellious, bold, and defiant.
‘Midwest Nice’ was also among the popular phrases that have spiked this year. It describes someone who is helpful, accommodating, and kind – even in situations where they may not agree.
‘Extreme weather’ and ‘weird’ were also words that were used many times, following the many storms and hurricanes that have hit the US over the past year.
