Collins dictionary names ‘brat’ as word of the year for 2024

Collins dictionary has chosen “brat” as its word of the year for 2024, citing its evolution from a term for badly behaved children to one describing “a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”, lexicographers announced on Thursday.

The word gained prominence following Charli XCX’s album and the subsequent “brat summer” trend, which Collins said “established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life”.

The dictionary publisher’s top 10 words list reflects social media’s growing influence on language, featuring terms like “yapping” (talking excessively), “looksmaxxing” (maximising physical attractiveness), and “delulu” (deluded).

“This is the most ‘brat’ word of the year list ever,” said Alex Beecroft, Collins’ managing director, noting that many terms were popularised by generations Z and Alpha.

Other selections include “era” (inspired by Taylor Swift’s tour), “supermajority” (linked to the UK’s July general election), “anti-tourism”, “romantasy”, “brainrot”, and “rawdogging”.

The annual selection process involves monitoring Collins’ 20-billion-word database and various media sources. Last year’s word of the year was “AI”.