The Oxford University Press has declared “goblin mode” as the word of the year for 2022, reflecting the circumstances in which we live.
The Oxford English Dictionary’s publishers, according to CNN, revealed the year’s top word on Monday. The expression beat over others like “metaverse” and “#IStandWith,” according to OUP, before going viral in 2022 when someone sarcastically claimed Julia Fox that she was about to “go goblin mode.”
“Goblin mode,” according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a certain pattern of behavior that is “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, usually in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.” “Metaverse” came in second place, garnering 318,956 votes, or 93 percent of the overall public vote.
“Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘Goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point,” said Oxford Languages president Casper Grathwohl in a statement. “It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealized, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds. This has been demonstrated by the dramatic rise of platforms like BeReal where users share images of their unedited selves, often capturing self-indulgent moments in goblin mode. 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.”
The phrase gained enormous popularity as COVID-19 lockdowns began to loosen up globally, which may have been a reflection of how many people were feeling about the idea of “returning to normal” after spending so much time inside.