November 26th 2024.
"Demure" was the word on everyone's lips this summer, and it has now officially been crowned as Dictionary.com's word of the year for 2024. This title was earned after beating out other strong contenders such as "brainrot," "brat," and "weird." The word's popularity skyrocketed this year, experiencing a whopping 1,200% increase in usage between January and August. This surge in popularity can be largely attributed to the TikTok sensation and beauty influencer Jools Lebron, who popularized the phrase "very demure, very mindful" in a series of cleverly satirical videos that took the internet by storm.
In one of her viral TikToks, Lebron can be seen sporting a more subtle version of her signature makeup look, complete with her usual black winged eyeliner and false lashes. She humorously states, "You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful." Her witty wordplay and clever use of the word "demure" captured the attention of millions, leading to her meteoric rise to fame.
Lebron's creative satire continued as she compared herself to the beloved characters of Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma from the hit TV show "The Simpsons." She hilariously points out the stark difference between how some people dress for a job interview and how they actually show up for work. Her message was clear – be demure, not like Marge and Patty and Selma.
Traditionally, "demure" has been used to describe someone who is reserved and modest in their behavior. However, Dictionary.com noted that a new usage of the word has been spreading like wildfire on social media. It is now commonly associated with a person's appearance and the way they carry themselves at work or in public spaces. Lebron's clever wordplay and clever use of "demure" opened up new avenues for the word's usage and cemented its place as the word of the year.
In one of her TikTok videos, Lebron playfully captions it as the "obscurity of demurity." She later explains the joke, stating that every video she creates is a reference to herself. She playfully adds, "That's the joke!" Her witty and humorous take on the word "demure" further solidified its place in popular culture.
The power of this word was not lost on notable figures such as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and RuPaul, who all jumped on the trend to promote their brands. Kardashian used the phrase in the caption of her campaign for her shapewear brand Skims, stating, "See how I take my bts pictures…very cutsie, very mindful, very demure…not like the other girls." Jennifer Lopez followed suit on Instagram, captioning a post promoting her cocktail line Delola with "very demure…very mindful," along with a video of her elegantly sipping. Even RuPaul joined in on the fun, humorously stating in a video promoting an online bookstore, "See how I'm reading this book? Very demure. I don't dog-ear pages, I put in a bookmark. And I don't divulge the ending to my friends. Very considerate. And also, my cell phone is on do-not-disturb. Very demure. Very mindful."
Lebron also collaborated with makeup artist Patrick Ta, who was promoting a new foundation from his beauty line. In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lebron shared how the fame from her "demure" videos has helped finance her transition. She jokingly stated, "I used to be crazy and out of control, and then I found some demurity, and along with that came success." Her humorous and clever take on the word has earned her over 2.3 million followers on TikTok.
Dictionary.com's choice to name "demure" as the word of the year for 2024 was based on a thorough analysis of social media trends, news headlines, and words that have transcended online conversations and become a part of everyday language. This is a significant shift from their word of the year in 2023, which was "hallucinate" – a reflection of the rise of chatbots and artificial intelligence that often spread misinformation. Similarly, "brat," a word that has taken on a new meaning in 2024, was named Collins Dictionary's word of the year for its prevalence in both online and offline conversations.
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