The phrase won with 318,956 votes.
During the weekend, Oxford University Press, the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, organized a public vote to determine the 2022 Word of the Year. This word or phrase is meant to encapsulate the current collective mindset of English speakers. Unlike previous years when the Word was selected internally by a council, this time the public had the opportunity to vote. Among the top contenders was “metaverse,” but after a concerted campaign, another term emerged victorious.
By receiving an overwhelming 318,956 votes, accounting for 93% of the total votes cast, “goblin mode” was crowned as Oxford’s 2022 Word of the Year. The Oxford Dictionary defines this phrase as “a form of behavior characterized by unapologetic self-indulgence, laziness, sloppiness, or greed, often in a manner that challenges social norms or expectations.”
In a statement, Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages, lauded the participants for their engagement and choice. He expressed surprise at the level of enthusiasm the campaign generated, stating, “We anticipated that the public would appreciate being involved in the selection process, but the extent of their involvement truly astonished us.”
The ‘goblin community’ has spoken!
We’re pleased to announce goblin mode as the #OxfordWOTY 2022.
Read more about this year’s winning choice here #TeamGoblinMode: https://t.co/NmC2UYau3U pic.twitter.com/yqQ9eIlIeQ
— Oxford University Press (@OxUniPress) December 5, 2022
“The overwhelming response underscores the importance of our vocabulary in defining our identities and processing the events around us.
“In light of the challenging year we’ve had, ‘goblin mode’ strikes a chord with those of us who may be feeling overwhelmed. It serves as a reminder that we are not always the perfect, carefully curated selves depicted on our Instagram and TikTok feeds.”