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‘Demure’ named Word of the Year 2024 by Dictionary.com

According to Dictionary.com, ‘demure’ saw a 1200 per cent increase in usage in digital media.

Demure became the most used word of the year, as per Dictionary.com (Image source: @joolieannie/Instagram)

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“So demure, so mindful!” The phrase broke the Internet this year after TikToker Jools Lebron—who identifies as a transwoman—posted a sarcastic video on “how women should appear in the workplace.” Now, the popular online dictionary platform Dictionary.com has officially announced
“demure” is its 2024 Word of the Year.

According to the platform, “demure” saw a 1200 per cent increase in usage in digital media, and the search for the work surged 200 times on Dictionary.com, which defines the word as “characterised by shyness and modesty, reserved.”

“The Word of the Year isn’t just about popular usage; it reveals the stories we tell about ourselves and how we’ve changed over the years. And for these reasons, Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year is ‘demure,'” the announcement stated, as reported by ABC News.

“Demure” set social media abuzz on TikTok in August and turned into a mantra. In a video, TikToker Lebron said, “You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful. 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.”

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The phrase took off, prompting the White House, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and big brands to use it for promotional purposes. “Cancelling the student debt of nearly 5 million Americans through various actions. Very mindful. Very demure,” the official handle of the White House wrote with a picture of the US President Joe Biden.

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Along with “demure”, Dictionary.com also announced their Word of the Year shortlist, which included Brainrot, Brat, Extreme Weather, Midwest Nice, and Weird.