“Goblin Mode” has been declared the Oxford Word of the Year for 2022.
The term, defined as “a type of behavior that is unabashedly condescending, lazy, sloppy or greedy, usually in a way that rejects social norms or expectations,” is the first word of the year that has been chosen by the public. , with an overwhelming majority of 93 percent of the total votes.
This phrase received 318,965 nominations, confidently beating the “Metaverse” and taking second place, followed by the hashtag on social networks “#IStandWith”.
Oxford Languages president Kasper Gratwohl said the popularity of the public being “involved in the process” took the organization “completely by surprise.”
“Given the year we’ve just been through, ‘goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little depressed right now,” he said. “It’s a relief to admit that we’re not always the idealized, curated personalities we’re encouraged to represent in our Instagram and TikTok feeds.
“This has been demonstrated by the dramatic growth of platforms like BeReal, where users share images of their unedited selves, often capturing moments of self-satisfaction in goblin mode.”
The ‘goblin community’ has spoken!
We’re pleased to announce goblin mode as the #OxfordWOTY 2022.
Read more about this year’s winning choice here #TeamGoblinMode: https://t.co/NmC2UYau3U pic.twitter.com/yqQ9eIlIeQ
— Oxford University Press (@OxUniPress) December 5, 2022
The use of “goblin mode” dates back to 2009, but went viral on social media in February 2022 after it was deployed in a satirical headline that became associated with Julia Fox and Kanye West, and has since become synonymous with self-esteem. to condemn the refutation of the culture of vanity and carefully selected personal presentation on the Internet.
“Apparently, he caught the prevailing mood of people who rejected the idea of returning to a ‘normal life’ [after being blocked],” the OUP noted, “or rebelled against the increasingly unattainable aesthetic standards and unstable lifestyle demonstrated on social networks.”
American linguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer said (via The Guardian): “Goblin mode really fits the times and the zeitgeist, and it’s certainly an expression of 2022. People look at social norms in a new way. This gives people the right to reject social norms and adopt new ones.”
Collins, meanwhile, chose “permacrisis,” while Cambridge Dictionaries chose “homer,” which went viral earlier this year due to its appearance in the online game Wordle.
