There is only 4 days left to vote for Macquarie’s Word of the Year 2024. Check out what made it to the 2024 Shortlist and have your say.

*Language warning: Please note that this blog contains potentially offensive language. The Macquarie Dictionary acknowledges all forms and registers of Australian English, which occasionally includes taboo words and meanings.

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View the shortlisted entries here.

If you’re just joining us, here’s how it works. Every year, Macquarie Dictionary’s editors team up with a committee of language and culture experts to look at words added to the dictionary during the past year, and to choose one that captures the essence of the past year. This selection, known as the Committee’s Choice, reflects the words that left a lasting mark in 2024.

But language isn’t just about committee decisions – it’s shaped by how we all use it. That’s why, alongside the Committee’s Choice, we have the People’s Choice Word of the Year. This award celebrates the words that resonate most with you, our readers and language lovers.

Now, let’s dive into this year’s shortlist! Get to know these standout words and get ready to vote for the one you think defines 2024 best.

This year’s shortlist captures the many facets of life in 2024. Following the victory of cozzie livs as the Word of the Year in 2023, the impact of rising costs is still very much with us, affecting everything from travel to housing and daily life. As a result, there’s a growing sense that some aspects of modern life seem to be getting tougher or, as some would say, ‘going downhill’.

Reflecting this sentiment, the shortlist includes words like overtourism, enshittification and rent bidding, each highlighting the unique pressures of our time. From crowded travel destinations, fierce competition for affordable housing, to the general decline in quality of particularly online services, these words resonate deeply with the challenges shaping 2024.

In 2024, the influence of younger generations on language is stronger than ever. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are reshaping the lexicon both online and offline, sometimes leaving older generations (and each other) scratching their heads. Perhaps nothing embodies this digital language shift better than brainrot – the term for the endless stream of mindless content filling ‘For You’ and ‘Explore’ pages everywhere.

This brainrot trend includes looksmaxxing, part of the larger phenomenon of adding -maxxing to describe a kind of self-optimisation. And then there are the more cryptic terms, like sigma and skibidi. As a proud Gen Z myself, I’d say these words are largely thanks to the creative chaos of Gen Alpha. They may be used as exclamations, expressions of identity, or simply a bit of playful nonsense – proof that language is constantly evolving with each new generation.

Not all words on our shortlist are driven by generational trends; some capture broader cultural shifts and anxieties that continue to shape our world. In the post-COVID era, a heightened focus on wellness and personal boundaries shines through with terms like social battery and right to disconnect (RTD), reflecting our collective need for rest and privacy.

Other words echo shared anxieties, from incidentalomas (those unexpected medical findings) to pig butchering (a term for long-term online scams) and Q-day (reflecting fears of tech collapses). 

Meanwhile, TikTok has popularised trends and words like rawdogging flights (taking a long flight with no entertainment or distractions) and fairy porn (literature centred on fairly spicy or risqué magical creatures), adding to the mix of contemporary colloquial language. 

And, of course, there are Australian-specific creations, such as spoon bowl (a competition between lowest-ranking teams) and kup murri (a term honouring traditional Indigenous cooking methods), showcasing Australia’s unique linguistic flair.

2024 has been a rich year for Australian English – and now you get to have your say. Which of these words defined your 2024? 

VOTE NOW! 

The winner of both the Macquarie Dictionary Committee’s Choice and the People’s Choice will be announced on Tuesday 26th November.