“Demure” went from being a simple six-letter adjective to a pop culture phenomenon in August, after a beauty influencer named Jools Lebron exploded on TikTok with a 38-second video in which she explained “how to be demure and modest at the workplace.”

"Demure," a word that gained viral fame on TikTok thanks to creator Jools Lebron, has been named Dictionary.com 's 2024 Word of the Year. The announcement, made Monday on the platform's website, emphasized the deeper significance of the annual selection.

The more trend-conscious among us might raise an eyebrow at Collins Dictionary’s 2024 word of the year, Brat. The word is tied to Charlie XCX’s album that went viral this summer, but brat summer soon gave way to demure autumn.