‘Brat’ named 2024 Word of the Year

Share to Google Classroom

The Collins Dictionary has chosen “brat” as its Word of the Year for 2024, a term that gained popularity thanks to singer Charli XCX.

Originally used to describe a child behaving poorly, “brat” now means having a bold and independent attitude, often seen as fun and self-assured. This new meaning became so widespread that social media buzzed with the idea of a “brat summer,” leading “brat” to become one of the most talked-about words of the year.

According to Alex Beecroft, Collins’ managing director, this year’s list reflects the influence of younger generations, especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Other words that made the list include “era,” a term inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which describes a distinctive phase in someone’s life or career.

Two more trendy terms on the list are “delulu,” short for delusional, describing someone with overly unrealistic expectations, and “yapping,” which means to talk endlessly about unimportant topics. The inclusion of these words shows how language continues to evolve with pop culture, capturing the trends and expressions popularised by young people in 2024.

1
Air New Zealand has been named the world’s safest airline...
1
The New Zealand Defence Force has revealed what its new...
1
Brazilian skateboarding champion Sandro Dias has made history by riding...
1
A Hungarian man has danced his way into the Guinness...
1
A gym teacher from Maine, USA, may have broken his...

World & National News

1
Dairy giant Fonterra confirmed it would sell its consumer products...
1
A toilet made entirely of gold is going up for...
1
The second Harry Potter book has been translated into te...
1
Seven queen yellow-legged hornets have been discovered in Auckland, New...
1
A nationwide recall of coloured play sand has started in...