Brat has been named the word of the year 2024 by the Collins English dictionary. It combines many things in itself: hedonism, bright aesthetics and even the slogan of the campaign of the candidate for the US presidency from the Democrats Kamala Harris (Kamala IS Brat).
What started as the title of an album by English singer Charli XCX turned into a cultural movement as people embraced the Brat lifestyle. Collins says it clearly reflects the spirit of the era — hedonism and anxiety combined into a "heady brew."
Brat is the title of Charli XCXʼs sixth studio album, which quickly became popular. The most commercially successful song is Guess. According to the singer, Brat is a girl who is "anxious, but thatʼs why she likes to party", she is honest, open, "a little fickle". Charli XCX said that a Brat is one of those with a pack of cigarettes, a Bic lighter and a white strapless top without a bra.
The Brat summer aesthetic has gained momentum on TikTok, where brat girl summer is seen as a rejection of other trends such as clean girl. Brat is also about being a hedonist and a rebel. Charli XCX was inspired by her early performances at raves, which are also in stark contrast to other aesthetics popular on social networks.
The list of words of the year also included:
- Delulu is something unrealistic in oneʼs ideas or expectations. Itʼs about the problems people face and their tendency to exaggerate the importance of those problems.
- Brain rot is a term used to describe clickbait and low-quality content on the Internet that people get lost in, but donʼt remember after a few minutes. It is said to cause brain rot.
- Romance is a hybrid genre that combines "novel" and "fantasy".
- Era is a word inspired by Taylor Swiftʼs Eras Tour, with which she gathered tens of millions of fans around the world.
- Anti-tourism is a movement or even an ideology where locals protest against excessive tourism.
- Looksmaxxing is a term that describes the process of maximizing oneʼs attractiveness as much as possible.
"Many of the words on this yearʼs shortlist arenʼt exactly new, but theyʼve certainly been given another lease of life, coming back into fashion for reasons that are sometimes hard to fathom," summarizes Collins.
Last year, Collins Dictionary called "artificial intelligence" the word of the year.
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