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Betting what posterity will remember isn’t easy, but that’s what you’re doing when you pick a Word of the Year. Look around the websites of dictionary publishers and linguistic societies and you’ll find plenty of wild misses that can only prompt a “What were they thinking?” Remember when “youthquake” was the word of the year? (You probably don’t, but some legitimately world-class lexicographers thought it might be in 2017.)
I’m not sure all my choices (which I’ve been making since
2021)
will stand the test of time either. But
I feel better about this year’s than most.
A short, old word has found a new use that has surged in 2025. If you can’t guess it already, I’m guessing you won’t be surprised when you see it. Nobody much likes it, but I fear it’ll be with us for some time to come. | 
