The word "demure" has been declared the 2024 Word of the Year by Dictionary.com with a resounding announcement. This term soared to the top of the platform's annual list, fueled by its viral spread on social media in recent months, particularly due to TikToker Jools Lebron's viral video that featured the phrase "Very demure, very mindful."
"In 2024, the word 'demure' witnessed a phenomenal surge in usage," read the announcement. "From January to the end of August, this term experienced a staggering nearly 1200% increase in digital web media alone, a sharp rise primarily attributed to the popularization of the phrase by TikToker Jools Lebron."
According to Dictionary.com, the term 'demure' encapsulates shyness, modesty, and reserve.
On August 5, Lebron, a 31-year-old who identifies as transgender, posted the original TikTok video. In it, she sat in a car with makeup meticulously applied, while a caption read, "How to be demure…at the workplace." She then proceeded to share her tips to the camera.
"Do you see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure, very mindful," Lebron said. "I don't come to work with a green cut crease. I don't look like a clown when I head to work. I don't overdo it; I'm very mindful while at work."
"Notice how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to work. A lot of you girls go to the interview looking like my Marge Simpson and then to work looking like Patty and Selma — not demure," she joked, adding, "I'm very modest. I'm very mindful."
The clip was swiftly reshared and recreated in numerous videos across the platform, with Lebron's voiceover uttering the phrase "very demure" playing in the background. The video has amassed five million likes on TikTok.
Lebron, who became a social media sensation thanks to the video, acknowledged the announcement of "demure" as the Word of the Year by reposting the news on her Instagram Stories on Monday, November 26.
"Between August 2023 and July 2024, there was no notable trend in the usage of the word 'demure.' However, by the week of August 18, 2024, there was an almost 14-fold increase in interest in the term, showcasing its overnight popularity explosion," Dictionary.com explained, referencing Lebron's impactful video.
In August, addressing the video's attention, Lebron told PEOPLE, "When something like this happens, you're supposed to shy away from acknowledging your own impact, but I genuinely love it."
"I still can't believe it," she added. "I've been doing this for eleven years and never saw the success I desired. So, having this moment feels surreal."
