VOA词汇掌故2024--For Words of the Year: Brat, Brain Rot, Polarization

 

From "brat¹" to "brain rot" and "polarization," word experts agree that social media and politics have driven conversations that use these terms. Here are their selections for word of the year.

Polarization

The American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster selected polarization as its word of the year for 2024. The dictionary publisher defines polarization as "division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society...become concentrated at opposing extremes."

As divided as Americans appear, Merriam-Webster says polarization "happens to be one idea that both sides of the political spectrum² agree on."

The word was widely used in news stories and broadcasts to describe the presidential election in the United States. Supporters of both candidates, president-elect Donald Trump³ and Vice⁴ President Kamala Harris, voiced the opinion that the opposing candidate was a threat to the nation.

The U.S. election also brought attention to two other words: pander⁵ and weird⁶. Trump's supporters accused Harris of pandering⁷, in other words, changing her policy positions to get votes. And Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz called his opponents weird, meaning strange or unusual.

Brain rot

The editors at Britain's Oxford⁸ University Press say usage of its word of the year selection, brain rot, increased by 230 percent from 2023 to 2024.

Oxford defines brain rot as "the supposed deterioration⁹ of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging."

The phrase likely first appeared in written form in Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book Walden about his experiences living a simple lifestyle. He wrote: "While England endeavors to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavor to cure the brain-rot - which prevails so much more widely and fatally?"

In 2024, the phrase has been used to describe concerns about the harm of overconsuming, or watching and reading too much, online material.

Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, noted¹⁰, "I find it fascinating that the term 'brain rot' has been adopted by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, those communities largely responsible for the use and creation of the digital content the term refers to."

Brat

Politics and social media come together in the Collins Dictionary's selection of brat as its word of the year.

The most recent usage of brat started as the title of an album by pop singer Charli XCX. Then it went viral as a campaign slogan "Kamala IS Brat" for the Democratic presidential candidate.

The word means different things to different people.

Traditionally, brat describes an immature¹¹ person or an unruly child. But Collins says it is now used to describe a person with "confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude."

Collins says the term brat "has clearly captured something of the spirit of the age." And for a short time, the word brat summer even "established itself as an aesthetic¹² and a way of life."

Demure¹³

The online Dictionary.com selected demure as its word of the year for 2024. Between January and the end of August, Dictionary.com said the word "saw a nearly 1200 percent increase in usage in digital web media alone."

The sharp rise is credited to several videos on TikTok by Jools Lebron. "You see how I do my makeup¹⁴ for work?" she asked. "Very demure, very mindful."

Demure is another example of how popular word usage changes over time. In the 14th century, demure was used to describe people who avoid bringing attention to themselves. Today, the word is used to describe someone who brings attention to themselves with "refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior."

And those are the Words of the Year for 2024.

Words in This Story

selection -n. a choice that is made from several possibilities

distinct -adj. different in an observable way

spectrum -n. a complete set of small differences that can exist within one thing: for example, the spectrum of light or of popular opinion

deterioration -n. the condition of being broken down and becoming worse and less effective

endeavor -v. to try to do something with continuous effort

viral -adj. (social media) something that is seen many times and is considered popular

slogan -n. an easily remembered phrase that is meant to build support for something or someone

hedonistic -adj. interested only in pleasure

attitude -n. a way of acting¹⁵ that shows the way one thinks

sophisticated -adj. knowledgeable in worldly matters; complex is a way that appeals to people with a certain kind of knowledge

1 brat   

n.孩子；顽童

参考例句：

• He's a spoilt brat.他是一个被宠坏了的调皮孩子。
• The brat sicked his dog on the passer-by.那个顽童纵狗去咬过路人。

2 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 pander   

v.迎合；n.拉皮条者，勾引者；帮人做坏事的人

参考例句：

• Don't pander to such people. 要迎合这样的人。
• Those novels pander to people's liking for stories about crime.那些小说迎合读者对犯罪故事的爱好。

6 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

7 pandering   

v.迎合（他人的低级趣味或淫欲）( pander的现在分词 )；纵容某人；迁就某事物

参考例句：

• This magazine is criticized for pandering to the vulgar taste of some readers. 这家杂志因迎合某些读者的低级趣味而遭到批评。 来自辞典例句
• We're four points up there; we don't need to get hit for pandering. 我们在那儿领先四个百分点；我们不必为了迎合一些选民而遭受批评。 来自电影对白

8 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

9 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 immature   

adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的

参考例句：

• Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅，不夠成熟。
• The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。

12 aesthetic   

adj.美学的，审美的，有美感

参考例句：

• My aesthetic standards are quite different from his.我的审美标准与他的大不相同。
• The professor advanced a new aesthetic theory.那位教授提出了新的美学理论。

13 demure   

adj.严肃的；端庄的

参考例句：

• She's very demure and sweet.她非常娴静可爱。
• The luscious Miss Wharton gave me a demure but knowing smile.性感迷人的沃顿小姐对我羞涩地会心一笑。

14 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

15 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。