Oxford Words of the Year: The Most Outlandish Picks and the Stories They Tell

Language evolves in unexpected ways, much like fashion trends no one anticipated. One year, you’re rocking bell-bottoms; the next, you’re debating whether goblin mode is a legitimate lifestyle choice. Oxford University Press captures this cultural chaos annually by selecting a Word of the Year. These linguistic MVPs often leave us amused, puzzled, or questioning humanity’s priorities.

What Is the Word of the Year?

The Word of the Year is a word or expression reflecting the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past year. It’s like the linguistic equivalent of the year’s most viral meme—except you can’t swipe past it.

Since its inception, this tradition has offered insight into society’s collective psyche. Whether it’s about technological trends, social movements, or our gradual descent into meme culture, each word tells a story.

A Journey Through Oxford’s Words of the Year

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most memorable Words of the Year and what they reveal about us. (Care to quiz your GK?)

2013: Selfie  – The year we collectively embraced duck faces and tilted camera angles. Imagine explaining this to a Renaissance painter: “Yes, I took 47 versions of the same picture just to choose one.”

2014: Vape – Aristotle might have pondered: “Smoke without fire? Preposterous!” And yet, here we are, puffing flavored clouds and debating the ethics of watermelon-mint blends.

2016: Post-truth – The year facts became as relevant as MySpace. Socrates would’ve wept, muttering, “The unexamined meme is not worth posting.”

2017: Youthquake – Socrates strikes again: “The young are shaking things up…again!” This term, highlighting youthful influence, briefly made headlines but quickly faded—kind of like a TikTok trend.

2022: Goblin mode – Marie Antoinette might have said, “Let them eat cake… in their pajamas.” This phrase captured our collective decision to embrace chaos, messiness, and unapologetic sloth.

2023: Rizz – Shakespeare would muse: “To have rizz or not to have rizz, that is the question.” Defined as charm or charisma, it’s proof that Gen Z can distill even complex concepts into monosyllables.