As ‘brat’ is crowned word of the year following Charli XCX’s hedonistic summer, can YOU understand Gen Z slang?
The Collins Word of the Year for 2024 has been revealed – and to the delight of Charli XCX fans, it’s ‘brat’.
The word, coined by the British singer, was very popular on social media this summer, especially among Gen Zers.
People who claim to be having a “brat girl summer” with their “rodent friends” wearing outfits that are “giving” can leave many feeling baffled by what their younger peers are saying.
But it seems there’s no escaping the TikTok generation’s lingo, as it has even seeped into the US presidential election.
Earlier this year, Charli even labeled XCX Vice President Kamala Harris a “brat” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Collins’s word of 2024 is ‘brat’ – as popularized by musician Charli XCX (pictured). Using the word as the name of her sixth studio album, it was redefined as “characterized by a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude.”
The word entered the American election campaign when the musician labeled Vice President Kamala Harris as a ‘brat’ in a message on X (formerly Twitter).
Charli (real name Charlotte Aitchison) sent TikTok into a spiral earlier this year when her sixth studio album titled Brat inspired a trend that became a lifestyle, rather than just an aesthetic.
“Kamala IS brat,” the pop artist insisted on social media. Her X-post has been viewed more than 50 million times.
Now that Gen Z slang has not only captured the title of Word of the Year, but is also being used in the firing line of one of the most historic elections of recent decades, it’s time to brush up on your jargon.
Charli (real name Charlotte Aitchison) sent TikTok into a spiral earlier this year when her sixth studio album titled Brat inspired a trend that became a lifestyle, rather than just an aesthetic.
Brat was redefined as “characterized by a confident, independent and hedonistic attitude” and quickly became the aesthetic movement of the summer, according to the dictionary.
The movement was about embodying self-love, positive body image and sultry style choices, marking a sharp departure from the previous “clean girl” trend, which promoted things like yoga, early nights and slicked back hair.
Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary put “brat” at the top of the list after looking at media sources, including social media, because the term has been “so widely embraced.”
The dictionary said the phrase had become “one of the most talked about words of 2024.”
Here, FEMAIL collected a list of some other popular terms floating around the internet, including ‘rizz’, ‘ate’ and ‘stan’.
But how many do you know? Take the quiz and discover…