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Word of the Year for 2022

It’s that time of year. When dictionaries and those all word-knowing types start sharing their word of the year suggestions. I have collected these 2022 words of the year for your reading pleasure…as well as adding my own contender.

Merriam-Webster

The word that best encapsulates 2022, according to America’s oldest dictionary publisher, is…

GASLIGHTING

“A driver of disorientation and mistrust, gaslighting is ‘the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.’ 2022 saw a 1740% increase in lookups for gaslighting with interest throughout the year.

Its origins are colorful: the term comes from the title of a 1928 play and the movie based on that play, the plot of which involves a man attempting to make his wife believe that she is going insane. His mysterious activities in the attic cause the house’s gas lights to dim, but he insist to his wife that the lights are not dimming and that she can’t trust her own perceptions.”

Read more.

Cambridge Dictionary

This one took a great many by surprise. Without further ado, I present the Cambridge Dictionary 2022 word of the year…

HOMER

“The word ‘homer’ saw a huge spike in searches on the Cambridge Dictionary website in 2022, with over 65,000 searches occurring in a single day. This significant surge of searches occurred on May 5, when homer was the winning word on the popular online word game Wordle. Homer was not the only five-letter word that saw a spike in searches in 2022. Cambridge Dictionary, the most popular online dictionary by page views, saw bursts of searches for many five-letter words in 2022 as the ‘Wordle effect’ took hold. Among the long list of these five letter words are humor, caulk, tacit, and bayou, which prove that short words aren’t always easy ones!”

Read more.

Oxford

Normally, Oxford selects the word of the year, but in 2022 they put it to public vote from among three shortlisted words: metaverse, #IStandWith, and goblin mode.

And the winner is…

GOBLIN MODE

“‘Goblin mode’ – a slang term, often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’ – is ‘a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.’

Although first seen on Twitter in 2009, goblin mode went viral on social media in February 2022, quickly making its way into newspapers and magazines after being tweeted in a mocked-up headline. The term then rose in popularity over the months following as COVID lockdown restrictions eased in many countries and people ventured out of their homes more regularly. Seemingly, it captured the prevailing mood of individuals who rejected the idea of returning to ‘normal life’ or rebelled against the increasingly unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyles exhibited on social media.”

Read more.

Collins Dictionary

Collins Dictionary kicked it up a notch with ten words before settling on their ultimate 2022 word of the year. Those words were: Carolean, Kiev, lawfare, Partygate, permacrisis, quiet quitting, splooting, sportswashing, vibe shift, and warm bank.

The 2022 Collins Dictionary word of the year is…

PERMACRISIS

“‘Permacrisis’, a term that describes ‘an extended period of instability and insecurity’, has been named Collins Word of the Year 2022. It is one of several words Collins highlights that relate to ongoing crises the UK and the world have faced and continue to face, including political instability, the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the cost-of-living crisis.”

Read more.

As far as my favourite word of the year? I am taking a cue from the Cambridge Dictionary and drawing word of the year inspiration from Wordle and deeming my go-to starting Wordle word as my word of the year. And that word is, drum roll…

RATIO

Thanks to ratio for leading to all those many and wonderful Wordle in three guesses mornings.