Words of the Year: Gaslighting, Permacrisis, Goblin Mode
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Online dictionaries have chosen the words that best reflect our collective mood in 2022. Permacrisis is a new word while goblin mode first appeared on social media in 2009. Gaslighting dates back about eight decades. The term comes from “Gaslight,” a 1944 film starring Ingrid Bergman, which in turn was adapted from a 1938 play.
Here are the Words of the Year, the most searched words online in the past 12 months.
Gaslighting (noun): The act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.
Oligarch (noun): In Russia and other former Soviet Union countries, an oligarch is one of a class of individuals who through private acquisition of state assets amassed great wealth that is stored especially in foreign accounts and properties and who typically maintain close links to the highest government circles.
Omicron (noun): In November 2021, a COVID-19 variant was named Omicron, after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.
Permacrisis (noun): An extended period of instability and insecurity. This refers to the crises we faced this year, including the war in Ukraine and the economic pressures throughout the world due to inflation.
Quiet quitting (noun): The practice of doing no more work than one is contractually obliged to do.
Vibe shift (noun): A significant change in a prevailing cultural atmosphere or trend.
Goblin mode (slang): A type of behavior that’s unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.
Metaverse (noun): A virtual reality environment in which users can interact with an environment generated by computer and with other users.
#IStandWith (noun): A hashtag used by people expressing solidarity with a movement or cause, such as the war in Ukraine.
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