Dictionary.com declared "demure" the 2024 word of the year after viral videos by TikToker Jools Lebron popularized the term.

Dictionary.com names "demure" as the year's top word following Jools Lebron’s satirical TikTok video reminding women to be “very mindful, very demure” in the workplace.

Popularized on TikTok by Jools Lebron and other trans creators, "demure" is now Dictionary.com's annual word of the year for 2024.

This may have been the year of "Brat summer," but by August another buzzworthy phrase had usurped it in the pop culture lexicon.

“The word ‘demure’ experienced a meteoric rise in usage in 2024. Between January and the end of August, this term saw a nearly 1200% increase in usage in digital web media alone,” the announcement read. “This sharp rise is mainly attributed to TikToker Jools Lebron’s popularization of the phrase.”

Along with "demure," words like "brainrot," "brat," and "extreme weather" also gained attention from Dictionary.com's lexicographers. These selections highlight key moments in language and culture, demonstrating how diverse influences—from internet slang to global issues—shape the vocabulary we adopt.

The word "Demure" was picked as the 2024 "Word of the Year" by Dictionary.com after it gained notoriety this year on TikTok.

Dictionary.com has chosen “demure” as its Word of the Year for 2024, a term that has seen a significant increase in use over the past year. The decision reflects ongoing shifts in language and cultural trends, particularly in how society views expressions of modesty, gender roles, and self-presentation.