Oxford dictionary chooses 'Goblin Mode' as word of year 2022: Here's what it means

People chose "goblin mode" as the Oxford Word of the Year 2022 after Oxford Languages granted them the right to do so "as the year's catchphrase. The definition of the term is "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy behaviour, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations."

The term first entered the trend in 2009, but it really took off in 2022 as the world began to emerge from the long pandemic-related lockdown.

This phrase gained popularity earlier this year as a way of saying that we should reject the expectations that society places on us and instead do what we want to do.

Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said, “Given the year we've just experienced, goblin mode' resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point.”

"Goblin mode" received 93 percent of the more than 340,000 votes cast, with "Metaverse" coming in second with 4 per cent. The hashtag “I Stand With secured” stood at third position.

The voting for the Oxford Word of the Year took place between November 21 and December 2. "2022 has been a year defined by opening back up. However, although we have finally been able to physically reunite and come together again, our world somehow feels more divided than ever," Oxford Languages said.

Meanwhile, Merriam-Webster, an American dictionary publisher, selected "gaslighting" as its word of the year for 2022. According to Merriam-Webster, there was a 1740 per cent rise in "gaslighting" website searches in 2022, and there was "high interest throughout the year."