Charli XCX's Brat named Word of the Year 2024

The word Brat, the title of Charli XCX's sixth studio album, was all over social media this summer and now it's officially Collins Dictionary Word of the Year.

The music star, whose real name is Charlotte Aitchison, sent TikTok into a spiral earlier this year when her album title inspired a trend that became a lifestyle, rather than just an aesthetic.

According to the dictionary, Brat defines someone as being "confident, independent, and hedonistic".

The Brat movement became about embodying self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices, marking a sharp departure from the preceding "clean girl" trend, which promoted things such as yoga, early nights and slicked-back hair.

Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary put "brat" at the top of the list after looking at media sources, including social media, because the term has been "embraced so widely".

The dictionary said the phrase had become "one of the most talked about words of 2024".

Another word on the list, which highlights the role of female musicians shaping popular culture, is "era" - inspired by Taylor Swift's billion-dollar Eras Tour which takes fans through her back catalogue.

The dictionary described it as "a period of one’s life or career that is of a distinctive character".

Other words on the list include "yapping", which refers to talking at length, especially about an inconsequential matter, and "delulu", meaning utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one’s ideas or expectations.

"Rawdogging", which follows a TikTok trend where people post videos of themselves spending long-haul flights doing nothing other than staring at the seat in front of them, also features.

Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said: "With many of this year’s notable words being popularised by generations Z and Alpha, we can confidently say this is the most 'brat’ Word of the Year list ever."

The lexicographers at Collins Dictionary monitor their 20-billion-word database to create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect our ever-evolving language and the preoccupations of those who use it.

Full list of shortlisted words of the year:

• Brainrot: an inability to think clearly caused by excessive consumption of low-quality online content
• Brat: characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude
• Era: a period of one's life or career that is of a distinctive character
• Looksmaxxing: attempting to maximize the attractiveness of one's physical appearance
• Rawdogging: the act of undertaking an activity without preparation, support, or equipment
• Anti-tourism: opposition to or action against large-scale tourism
• Delulu: utterly mistaken unrealistic in one's ideas or expectations
• Romantasy: a literary genre that combines romantic fiction with fantasy
• 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