2022 Words of the Year

The English word of the year, at least as promulgated by the Oxford Dictionaries, is actually two words: “goblin mode.” It is defined as “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.” “Goblin mode” first appeared on Twitter more than a decade ago but after coming through the pandemic, 2022 saw its resurgence. The word of the year (or, phrase, in this case), was chosen by public vote for the first

Goblin mode

time. The overseers at Oxford Dictionaries chose three words, “goblin mode”, metaverse and “hashtag IStandWith,” and then allowed voting to commence. Voters emphatically chose goblin mode with over 93% of the 340,000 votes cast.

“The word of the year is intended to reflect ‘the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past twelve months.’ “Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point,” said Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl.

Incidentally, Merriam-Webster announced that their word of the year was “gaslighting,” which they defined as psychological manipulation intended to make a person question the validity of their own thoughts.

Feel like going into goblin mode and doing a little gaslighting? That’s so last year ….