"Demure" is Dictionary.com's 2024 word of the year

• Content creator Jools Lebron's viral video describing her "very demure, very mindful" workplace-friendly makeup and clothing now has 5 million likes.
• The term sparked a frenzy, with everyone from celebrities to brands seeking to hop on the buzzword bandwagon.

State of play: The use of the word skyrocketed 1,200% in digital media between January and August, per Dictionary.com.

• At its peak, searches for demure on Dictionary.com were 200 times greater than their previous rate, according to the online dictionary.
• The online dictionary said the word "dominated the cultural zeitgeist," and attributes the rise to Lebron's videos describing how one should act in professional, travel and social settings.

What they're saying: Demure captures a "cultural shift with a modern twist," Steve Johnson, curriculum design manager of Dictionary Media Group, said in a statement.

• "A word that once carried traditional, often limiting connotations has been reimagined to celebrate understated elegance and suavity," he added. "Its evolving meaning gives people a way to express quiet confidence—embracing modesty and charm as intentional, empowering choices."

• A representative for Lebron did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Zoom out: Alongside demure, Dictionary.com identified five words that shaped the cultural conversation in 2024: brainrot, brat, extreme weather, Midwest nice and weird.

• "Brat" — inspired by the name of British pop star Charli XCX's album — was the Collins Dictionary 2024 word of the year.

More from Axios:

• "Brat" is Collins Dictionary's 2024 word of the year
• "Very demure," very viral: The TikTok trend driving the biz bandwagon