‘Goblin mode’ is Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year

The Oxford English Dictionary has chosen the slang term “goblin mode” as the word of the year, using a public vote for the first time in its history. “Goblin mode” is a slang term that is used to describe a type of behaviour, which is “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations,” according to the dictionary.

This term spiked earlier this year as the idea of rejecting societal expectations put upon us, in favour of doing whatever one wants to do. 

It’s the first time Oxford Languages opened up its annual word of the year listing to a public vote. A team of expert lexicographers narrowed down a long list of worthy contestants to a final choice of three words — Metaverse, #IStandWith, and goblin mode. The Word of the Year choice was conducted online over the last two weeks, with more than 300,000 English speakers casting their votes.

Meanwhile, American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster named “gaslighting” its word of the year for 2022. According to Merriam-Webster, searches for the word “gaslighting” on its website saw a 1740% increase in 2022 “with high interest throughout the year”.