Oxford Reveals Word of the Year

Oxford Dictionaries has revealed 2018's Word of the Year, and it's not an uplifting one: "toxic." Oxford says it found a 45% increase in searches for that word on oxforddictionaries.com, and also explained that the word is increasingly being used both literally and figuratively. NPR expands on that, noting that it has covered (literally) toxic chemicals this year as well as (figuratively) toxic internet content. The top 10 words used alongside "toxic" this year, Oxford says, were chemical, masculinity, substance, gas, environment, relationship, culture, waste, algae, and air.

The other eight words that made the Word of the Year shortlist: gaslighting, incel, techlash, gammon, big dick energy, cakeism, overtourism, orbiting. More on those here. Collins Dictionary chose its word of the year last week: "single-use." It noted a four-fold increase in the use of the term since 2013, and notes that it "encompasses a global movement to kick our addiction to disposable products. From plastic bags, bottles and straws to washable nappies, we have become more conscious of how our habits and behaviours can impact the environment." (Last year, Collins chose President Trump's favorite phrase as its word of the year.)