Type up ‘demure’ on Dictionary's website and this is the definition you get – “characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved.” It can also be “affectedly or coyly decorous, sober, or sedate.” The word was recently announced as the popular website’s Word Of The Year for 2024, following its return to mainstream consciousness by way of TikTok content creator Jools Lebron.

Type up ‘demure’ on Dictionary.com and this is the definition you get – “characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved.” It can also be “affectedly or coyly decorous, sober, or sedate.” The word was recently announced as the popular website’s Word Of The Year for 2024, following its return to mainstream consciousness by way of TikTok content creator Jools Lebron.

In the past year, the usage of the word surged 1,200% in online media, and a 200% increase in searches on Dictionary.com. Much of it is attributed to Lebron’s now viral “very demure, very mindful” reels, where she speaks of proper behavior when getting off a plane, and while at work, among others. She has racked up over 2.3 million followers and 113 million likes on TikTok because of it. The trend then picked up, with netizens quoting the phrase to describe various situations, often lip-synching the content creator’s voice. Interest in word peaked in August 2024, following the video’s drop, and the use of it has shifted between sincere and satirical since, further amplifying its presence online.

Dictionary.com says that a word taking on a new definition in the modern lexicon is one of the key indicators for making the list. Demure has done just that. Thanks to the viral trend, the word now represents “a refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior in various contexts…” focusing on how a person presents oneself in a better light, as social interactions are now back in full swing. 

Other words that were in the running for ‘Word of the Year’ were Brainrot, Brat, Extreme Weather, Midwest Nice, and Weird.

Demure is also on the Oxford Dictionary’s recently announced shortlist for Word of The Year, which they consider to be a ‘time capsule’ of sorts. Their pick will be announced on 2 December.