Dictionary.com has officially declared “demure” as its word of the year for 2024, following a significant surge in usage driven by viral TikTok content.
The word, which traditionally referred to reserved and modest behavior, experienced a 1,200% increase in usage between January and August, according to the site.
This rise was largely attributed to beauty influencer and TikTok star Jools Lebron, who popularized the phrase “very demure, very mindful” in a series of satirical videos. In one such video, Lebron humorously demonstrates a pared-down makeup look, saying, “You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful,” mocking the exaggerated differences between how people prepare for job interviews and their actual workplace appearance.
“Every video is me just referencing me,” Lebron explained in another clip, jokingly addressing viewers who had questioned the way people are judged based on their appearance at work. The influencer’s humorous approach resonated widely, leading to its rapid spread across social media platforms.
Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and RuPaul have embraced the phrase, using it to promote their brands. Kardashian, for example, used it in a campaign for her shapewear brand, Skims, while Lopez incorporated it in a promotion for her cocktail line Delola. RuPaul also leveraged the phrase in a playful video promoting an online bookstore.
Lebron, who has amassed over 2.3 million TikTok followers, has noted that her viral “demure” videos have helped finance her transition, stating, “I used to be crazy and out of control and then I found some demurity, and along with that came success.”
Dictionary.com’s decision to select “demure” was informed by a comprehensive analysis of social media trends and its prevalence in everyday conversations. The word, originally associated with modesty and reserve, now carries connotations of an intentionally curated, polished public persona.
The word’s meteoric rise follows the selection of “hallucinate” as the 2023 word of the year, a nod to the growing influence of AI and chatbots in modern conversations. Meanwhile, Collins Dictionary named “brat” as its word of the year for 2024, reflecting its increased presence in public discourse.
