Oxford University Press names "brain rot" as its 2024 word of the year in a nod to modern scrolling habits. "The term has taken on new significance in the digital age."

Brain rot” is the 2024 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year, adding to a growing list of Internet-specific words chosen by dictionaries as words of the year.

“Looking back at Oxford Word of the Year over the last two decades, you can see society’s growing preoccupation with how our virtual lives are evolving, the way internet culture is permeating so much of who we are and what we talk about,” Grathwohl said.