What are some of the 2021 buzzwordsthat stand out to you? Collins Dictionary has just added a whole bunch to its top words of the year.
And its word of the year is *drum roll*... NFT. In case you missed it, that means non-fungible token and has been quite the news this year.
An NFT is a unique digital token (meaning it has no equal and can’t be traded for something else). The appeal of it is that you get to be the sole owner of this one-of-a-kind thing (it can be art, it can a tweet, autographs, pretty much anything), but only you own the original.
Artworks, games, and even memes can be sold as NFTs. And it’s not the only tech word getting a mention on Collins’ list.
Metaverse and crypto have also been added to its dictionary. Metaverse, which Collins described as “a proposed version of the internet comprising three-dimensional virtual elements” might be a closer reality than we think too, thanks to Mark Zuckerberg’s vow to build one, after his much mocked name-change for Facebook.
Crypto has been around a little longer, of course. A shortening of the term cryptocurrency, it denotes a purely digital currency for online purchases.
Other words being honoured on the list include cheugy – the 2021 version of basic’ described in The New York Times as “someone who is out of date or trying too hard”.
With gender identities becoming more normalised (though there is a long way to go), pronouns are also being more recognised.
Collins has also added neopronoun to its list, which is a word designed to avoid gender distinctions.
Popular culture has also affected the 2021 zeitgeist as Bridgerton’s success had a chokehold on the nation.
It gave birth to the phenomenon of regencycore, meaning a style of dress inspired by clothes worn in high society during the Regency period (1811-20).
It’s no surprise that in the year that saw devastating fires, floods, and COP26, that climate change was a major concern in 2021.
Which is why, climate anxiety – meaning ‘a state of distress caused by concern about climate change’ is also one of the top ten.
And naturally, a bunch of pandemic-related words are on the list. Collins honoured the pingdemic (ahhh, the memories of spring/summer 2021).
Double-vaxxed has also joined the top 10, as well as hybrid-working.
Well, that does all pretty much sum up the year.