Brat, redefined in 2024, declared Word of the Year in UK

Brat, newly re-defined in 2024 as “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”, was on Friday named Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year.

The dictionary said the word brat, inspired by the name of an album by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX, has become a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally. The dictionary said “brat summer” established itself as a way of life and even made its mark during the US presidential race when Charli XCX referenced Democratic candidate Kamala Harris as “brat”.

“Brat is different things to different people; a spiky attitude, a garish aesthetic, even a campaign slogan (the phrase ‘Kamala IS Brat’ proved snappy enough to go politically viral, even as its meaning remained a little hard to pin down),” reads a blog for the dictionary by author David Shariatmadari.

“And though it started life as the title of an album by pop singer Charli XCX, it has clearly captured something of the spirit of the age, one that goes beyond a potentially short-lived but exuberant ‘brat summer’. Channelling self-acceptance as well as rebelliousness, it’s a fitting word for 2024, a year when hedonism and anxiety have combined to form an intoxicating brew,” he notes.

The traditional definition of brat, which alluded to a badly behaved child, seems to have been overtaken by this rebrand.

Among the other shortlisted words for the year are ‘brainrot’, which is defined as an inability to think clearly caused by excessive consumption of low-quality online content, and ‘era’ or a period of one’s life or career that is of a distinctive character – inspired by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's hugely successful The Eras Tour around the world.

While ‘looksmaxxing’ refers to attempting to maximise the attractiveness of one’s physical appearance, ‘rawdogging’ references the act of undertaking an activity without preparation, support, or equipment.

Lexicographers at Collins, published by HarperCollins in Glasgow, make their choice annually based on popularity of usage across media.

"With many of this year's notable words being popularised by generations Z and Alpha, we can confidently say this is the most 'brat' Word of the Year list ever," said Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins.

In 2023, AI – the abbreviation of artificial intelligence – topped the charts.