NEW YORK — The word “demure”, propelled to viral status on TikTok by creator Jools Lebron, has been crowned Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year, the platform announced Monday.
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The annual selection is not merely a reflection of popular usage, but a deeper look into cultural shifts, as emphasized by Dictionary.com.
“The Word of the Year isn’t just about popular usage; it reveals the stories we tell about ourselves and how we’ve changed over the year. And for these reasons, Dictionary.com’s 2024 Word of the Year is ‘demure,'” the official announcement stated.
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The TikTok Phenomenon
The word gained momentum in August 2023 when Lebron introduced it in her viral TikTok series, coining the now-iconic phrase, “very demure, very mindful.”
In her videos, she frequently paired “demure” with terms like “cutesy” and “considerate,” offering advice on how to project modesty and respectfulness in various environments, including professional settings.
Her playful yet intentional use of the word sparked a wave of recreations and memes, firmly embedding “demure” in the social media lexicon.
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A Word’s Meteoric Rise
By August, “demure” saw a 1,200% surge in digital media mentions, according to Dictionary.com. Google searches for the term skyrocketed nearly 14-fold during the week of Aug. 18, driven by TikTok’s buzz.
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On Dictionary.com itself, searches for “demure” spiked to 200 times the usual volume at the peak of the trend, illustrating its meteoric rise in public consciousness.
Jools Lebron: A Life Transformed
Lebron’s impact extends far beyond the internet. As a transgender woman, her newfound fame has brought life-changing opportunities, improving her financial stability and supporting her personal journey.
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In a September interview with “Good Morning America”, Lebron reflected on the profound changes she has experienced:
“I grew up in a humble part of Chicago, and so being able to finally give my family good housing, and live in a good area… Being able to not do things out of survival mode but actually afford things has changed my life.”
Her success has also enabled her to complete her gender transition and provide greater security for her family.
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A Cultural Marker
The selection of “demure” as Word of the Year underscores its cultural resonance. What began as a lighthearted TikTok trend has grown into a symbol of mindfulness and intentionality in modern communication.
Dictionary.com’s choice reflects the word’s role in reshaping how people view modesty and respect in today’s digital age.
