Of all the words that could have defined 2022, the Oxford English Dictionary crowned “goblin mode” as the winner.
ABC-affiliate KGTV reports “goblin mode” 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,” per the dictionary.
This year’s top word was selected with help from the general public, which was asked to vote on what words truly defined 2022. More than 300,000 people voted, and a whopping 97 percent decisively chose “goblin mode” over words like “metaverse” and the popular “#IStandWith.”
“Goblin mode” first appeared on Twitter in 2009, but the terminology really took off this year. “People are embracing their inner goblin, and voters choosing ‘goblin mode’ as the Word of the Year tells us the concept is likely here to stay,” said Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl.
To recap, “vax” was the word of 2021.