"Characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude." That's one of the definitions of "brat" in the Collins Dictionary—a word that serves as both the title of UK singer Charli XCX's sixth studio album and, now, as Collins' word of the year, reports the AP. "More than a hugely successful album, 'brat' is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and 'brat summer' established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life," Collins notes. Per the Guardian, many of the words on Collins' shortlist emerged out of use on social media. The entries that made Collins' top 10:
- Brat
- Delulu: "unrealistic in one's ideas or expectations" (delusional)
- Brainrot: "an inability to think clearly caused by excessive consumption of low-quality online content"
- Romantasy: "a literary genre that combines romantic fiction with fantasy"
- Era: "a period of history or a long period of time" (reportedly inspired by Taylor Swift's Eras Tour)
- Rawdogging: "the act of undertaking an activity without preparation, support, or equipment" (for example, going on a long flight without your phone or other distractions)
- Looksmaxxing: "attempting to maximize the attractiveness of one's physical appearance"
- Anti-tourism: "opposition to or action against large-scale tourism"
- Supermajority: "a large majority in a legislative assembly that enables a government to pass laws without effective scrutiny"
- Yapping: "talking at length, [especially] about inconsequential matters"
More here from
Collins on this year's picks. (Last year's top word for Collins?
"AI," short for artificial intelligence.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
