Weather term that nearly became the Word of the Year in 2024
“Demure captures this cultural shift with a modern twist: a word that once carried traditional, often limiting connotations has been reimagined to celebrate understated elegance and suavity. Its evolving meaning gives people a way to express quiet confidence - embracing modesty and charm as intentional, empowering choices," Steve Johnson, curriculum design manager of the Dictionary Media Group, said in a statement.
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SAN MATEO, Calif. – For the fifteenth year in a row, Dictionary.com has released what it considers to be the Word of the Year, but just outside of first place is a term that many weather enthusiasts use to describe extreme events.
Coming behind "demure" – the 2024 Word of the Year – were the terms "brainrot," "brat," "extreme weather," "Midwest nice" and weird.
Dictionary.com said its lexicographers analyzed trends in news, social media and search data to make the year’s selections.
The usage of "demure" surged by approximately 1,200%, partly driven by a popular TikTok series, while events such as Hurricane Helene, a drought in Brazil, flooding in Nigeria and wildfires in Canada, Portugal and California caused spikes in the usage of "extreme weather" in 2024.
"Demure captures this cultural shift with a modern twist: a word that once carried traditional, often limiting connotations has been reimagined to celebrate understated elegance and suavity. Its evolving meaning gives people a way to express quiet confidence—embracing modesty and charm as intentional, empowering choices," Steve Johnson, curriculum design manager of the Dictionary Media Group, said in a statement.
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MAYER, ARIZONA - JULY 21: Lightning strikes during a monsoon storm on July 21, 2022 near Mayer, Arizona. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for eight counties in Arizona today including Yavapai county. Climate change is making heat waves more frequent and hotter with large swathes of the U.S. currently under excessive heat warnings.
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to Dictionary.com, the term "extreme weather" possibly originated in the 1570s, a period known for colonial expansionism and religious conflicts.
In the climate realm, the time period also marked what is known as the Little Ice Age, which led to crop failures, famine and growing glaciers.
According to experts at NASA, the planetary cooldown was likely the result of volcanic eruptions, reduced solar activity and changes in ocean circulation patterns.
While there is not a uniform definition on what constitutes extreme weather, the World Meteorological Organization defines the term as an event that is "rare at a particular place and time of year, with unusual characteristics in terms of magnitude, location, timing, or extent."
Heat waves, cold air masses, torrential rainfall, drought, tornadoes and tropical cyclones are all examples of extreme weather events.
According to the WMO, climate change is causing more frequent and intense events across the globe.
In 2023, the United States experienced 28 weather events that cost at least $1 billion – the most of any calendar year.
This NOAA NCEI map shows the approximate location of all billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. for 2024.
(NOAA)
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Other terms on the 2024 Dictionary.com shortlist include:
- Brainrot (noun): Refers to the effects of consuming low-quality content on social media or the content itself.
- Brat (noun): Describes someone who is boldly rebellious and unapologetically defiant.
- Midwest nice (noun): A courteous, self-deprecating, and polite manner.
- Weird (adjective): Describes something strange or odd.
"As remote work fades and in-person experiences become the norm again, the subtle art of personal presentation has taken on renewed importance," Johnson stated.