From NFT to Cheugy – Words of the Year revealed

“NFT” has been named Word of the Year by Collins Dictionary experts, who have released their annual list of new and notable words – see the full list below.

The abbreviation of “non-fungible token”, a NFT is the unique digital identifier that records ownership of a digital asset – the word entered the mainstream in 2021 as millions were spent on the most sought-after images and videos.

It was selected as the Collins Dictionary Word of the Year after seeing a more than 11,000 per cent rise in use in 2021.

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Listen to The Culture File Debate: NFT: Wow or WTF?

In theory, any digital creation – a picture, a video, a piece of music or even a tweet – can become an NFT, with one selling for £50.3 million ($67.2m) at a Christie’s auction in March.

The 2020 Word of the Year was “lockdown”, and the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on the language remains notable, with a trio of pandemic-related words making this year’s list: “double-vaxxed”, “hybrid working” and “pingdemic” – the latter popularised by notifications from Britain’s version of the Covid tracker app.

Other words on the 2021 list include “neopronoun”, “climate anxiety” and “cheugy”.

Cheugy is one of the words shortlisted for #CollinsWOTY 2021.

See the full list here: https://t.co/gmsnCqA0yv#CollinsDictionary #WordoftheYear #cheugy pic.twitter.com/eMET2ILXM2

— Collins Dictionary (@CollinsDict) November 24, 2021

For the unitiated, “cheugy” is a term used to describe (and dismiss) anything considered uncool or unfashionable, while “regencycore” relates to the recent influence shows such as Bridgerton have had on modern culture, and “neopronouns” are a category of new (neo) pronouns increasingly used in place of “she,” “he,” or “they” when referring to an individual.

Elsewhere, Oxford English Dictionary have announced ‘vax’ as their word of the year.

Collins Dictionary’s 10 words of 2021:

Cheugy

Climate anxiety

Crypto

Double-vaxxed

Hybrid working

Metaverse

NFT

Neopronoun

Pingdemic

Regencycore