2024’s Word of the Year

“Demure” is Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year

You can probably guess why. It’s thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron. Lebron’s video of her using the phrase “very demure, very mindful” achieved meteoric viral success after being published on August 5th.

@joolieannie #fyp #demure ♬ original sound – Jools Lebron

“Between January and the end of August, this term saw a nearly 1200% increase in usage in digital web media alone,” the Dictionary.com announcement read.

“Demure,” our #WordOfTheYear, originally meant shyness & modesty. This year, it shifted to represent sophisticated, quiet confidence & empowerment, thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron. 💪🏼 This viral word saw a 200x surge in searches on Dictionary. com in 2024, highlighting the impact… pic.twitter.com/T5IEiFzmJq

— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) November 26, 2024

“When something like this happens you’re supposed to shy away from appreciating your own impact but I literally love it,” Jools Lebron said of the video’s success.