‘Demure’ Named Word of the Year 2024 by Dictionary.com
Via Jools Lebron IG. Art by Stephany Torres for Remezcla.
“Demure” helped define 2024 after Puerto Rican-American TikTok creator Jools Lebron helped it go viral. And now it’s official. On November 25, Dictionary.com revealed that its word of the year is “demure” thanks to the viral phrase “very demure, very mindful.”
According to Dictionary.com, they choose their word of the year by analyzing “a large amount” of data that spans newsworthy headlines, social media trends, search engine results, and more to pinpoint the words that have made “an impact” on IRL and URL conversations. They also explain that the word “demure” saw a 1200 percent increment in the digital web between January to the end of August. They link the “meteoric rise” in August to Lebron’s viral series where she would use the key phrase “very demure, very mindful.” How’s that for leaving your digital print in 2024 history?
Lebron posted a TikTok with her reaction to the news. She looks happy and excited about the new milestone as a fellow TikToker explains what happened. She’s also sporting a new look with a red wig instead of her iconic blonde.
Besides this achievement, the Latine creator is making the most out of her viral phrase. She released official merchandise with the words “Very Demure” on it. The tees are available in pink and black tees with rhinestones. They are available for $40 USD.
Before the merch line, she seemingly had problems with trademarking the viral trend. In late August, she posted TikTok videos talking about her situation. Like Remezcla contributor Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, who practiced law for 18 years previously explained and inferred, it seems like the odds were certainly in Lebron’s favor seeing as she has merch line up and running.
Besides selling official merch, she’s also working with brands. Earlier this month, Jools Lebron dropped her Jools x PopSockets collaboration.