Gen Z Discovers What Oxford Dictionary Is As "Brain Rot" Is Dubbed “Word of the Year”
NEW YORK, NY — In a groundbreaking moment for intergenerational linguistic evolution, Gen Z collectively discovered the existence of the Oxford English Dictionary this week after the prestigious institution named "brain rot" as its Word of the Year. The revelation prompted an avalanche of TikToks, BeReals, and "main character" energy debates about the apparent lack of other crucial terms in the dictionary.
"Wait, so this Oxford thing is like dictionary.com but they put it all in a book? That’s really meta, I love that." said Trixie "SadMaven_420," a popular influencer whose video explaining the concept to her 3.7 million followers has already been viewed 42 million times. "And they get to decide what’s legit? That's...lowkey gatekeeping. But I think they’re being funny, so vibes."
The decision to crown "brain rot" as Word of the Year—referring to the sensation of being overwhelmed by digital content, memes, and endless scroll—resonated deeply with Gen Z. "It's the only way I can describe how I feel after doomscrolling for three hours while also watching 2012-era Minecraft YouTube in picture-in-picture," explained Jasper Dunkins, a Millennial-Gen Z cusp, 25.
But the announcement has also sparked wide demand from Gen Z for Oxford to "step it up" and include more "core vocabulary." Among the proposed additions were:
"Rizz" (noun): An ineffable aura of charm, often linked to romantic pursuits.
"Slaps" (verb): To denote something exceptionally good, particularly in the context of music or niche snack foods.
"Goblin mode" (phrase): A state of chaos characterized by unrepentant messiness and indulgence.
"NPC energy" (phrase): The vibe of someone existing as an unthinking background character in life.
"If the dictionary doesn’t acknowledge 'yeet' and 'shmood,' is it even relevant?" questioned Kenzie Aster, a vibes analyst from Brooklyn.
In a rare statement, an Oxford spokesperson responded, "We are delighted that our Word of the Year has sparked engagement with language. However, we must emphasize that part of upholding our own legitimacy is grasping tightly onto a time when culture moved at a pace that only validating one word a year was necessary."
The comment was met with outrage on Twitter, where #OxfordIrrelevant trended alongside memes comparing the dictionary to "your embarrassing boomer uncle who says 'on fleek'."
Meanwhile, the news has prompted a wave of FOMO among Millennials, who are now frantically trying to figure out what "brain rot" means in hopes of remaining culturally literate.
As of press time, Gen Z has turned their attention to a new grassroots campaign: adding the shrug emoji, typed out as "¯\_(ツ)_/¯," to the dictionary as a word, with the formal definition “idk, bro, vibes.”
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