The Collins Dictionary has named “brat” as the word of the year, thanks in part to singer-songwriter Charli XCX, who titled her sixth studio album Brat.
In a BBC News report, “brat” is now characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude, which differs significantly from its old meaning: a child, especially one who is ill-mannered or unruly.
For Charli, a brat is a girl who “has a breakdown but kind of like parties through it,” embodying honesty, bluntness, and a little volatility.
While Charli XCX fans rejoice over their idol-inspired word of the year, some are hesitant to accept brat’s new definition.
“Yeah, no, I’m gonna stick with the old definition, thank you very much,” one Instagram user commented.
In contrast, another user remarked, “Everyone in the comments is so angry that there is a new definition and usage for the word brat. They seem to have forgotten that language is constantly evolving.”
Meanwhile, the Taylor Swift-inspired word “era” has also made it onto the list this year, largely due to the American singer-songwriter’s Eras Tour in the UK and Europe.
Other notable Gen Z words include “yapping,” which means talking at length about inconsequential matters, and “delulu,” referring to being utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one’s ideas or expectations.
According to Collins, their team examines social media and other sources to determine the words to add to their annual list of new and notable words.