“Looking back at Oxford Word of the Year over the last two decades, you can see society’s growing preoccupation with how our virtual lives are evolving, the way internet culture is permeating so much of who we are and what we talk about,” Grathwohl said.

If you haven’t heard the term, well, perhaps you’ve been spending too much time on activities that do rot your brain, like binge-watching or doomscrolling. Oxford said this week that the phrase “gained new prominence in 2024,” as it was used about 230% more than in 2023.

Many of us have felt it, and now it’s official: “brain rot” is the Oxford dictionaries’ word of the year. Oxford University Press said Monday that the