How 'brat' became 2024's word of the year, thanks to Charli XCX

The term 'brat's' popularity surged as Collins' lexicographers noticed its growing usage across social platforms

The word ‘brat’ — a term that’s exploded across social media in recent months — has been crowned the Collins Dictionary word of the year. Defined as someone with a “confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude,” the word encapsulates a rising cultural movement inspired by English pop artist Charli XCX and her chart-topping sixth album, Brat.

 

This trend of ‘brat energy’ has caught on in surprising places, even influencing US presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s team to introduce a ‘brat rebrand’ to her social media presence, aiming to attract a younger demographic early in her campaign this summer. The term’s popularity surged as Collins’ lexicographers noticed its growing usage across social platforms, tracking its rise from an album title to a symbol of defiance and self-expression.

 

 

Since the album’s release in June, Brat has dominated music charts, especially with its hit song ‘Guess’, which shot to number one in August after a remix featuring US singer Billie Eilish. Charli XCX describes a ‘brat’ as a person who “has a breakdown, but kind of like parties through it” — bold, honest, and a little volatile. She revealed to a BBC podcast that a typical brat carries “a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter, and a strappy white top with no bra.”

 

TikTok has been instrumental in the ‘brat’ movement’s popularity, with Charli XCX’s ‘brat girl summer’ aesthetic standing out as a rebellious alternative to cleaner, more curated styles like the ‘clean girl’ look, which emphasises neatness and minimalism. Embracing the brat mindset is, as Charli puts it, about embracing freedom, hedonism, and a hint of rebellion, recalling her early days at underground raves — far from today’s wellness-focused lifestyles.

 

In addition to brat, another standout on Collins Dictionary’s list of notable words this year is ‘era’, inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which captivated audiences across the United Kingdom and Europe. The term is described as “a period of one’s life or career that is of a distinctive character,” highlighting how contemporary language increasingly reflects personal milestones and self-expression.

 

Reflecting the influence of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, words like ‘yapping’ (meaning to talk at length about trivial matters) and ‘delulu’ (denoting unrealistic expectations) have also made this year’s list, proving that social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat continue to drive linguistic trends.

 

Interestingly, only one political term made it to the list this year: ‘Supermajority’. Defined as a ‘large majority in a legislative assembly that enables a government to pass laws without effective scrutiny’, the term gained traction during the UK general election in July.