'Brat' crowned Collins Dictionary word of the year

Remember when a brat was just a child who threw a tantrum over getting bhindi for dinner instead of biryani? That is so 2023. Thanks to Charli XCX and her lime-green number one album of the summer, 'brat' is now officially the Collins Dictionary word of the year, and has evolved to be defined as someone with a "confident, independent and hedonistic attitude".

"Brat has become one of the most talked about words of 2024," Collins English Dictionary stated. "More than a hugely successful album, 'brat' is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and 'brat summer' established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life."

To refresh your memory, Charli says that the essence of 'brat' is a girl who "has a breakdown, but kind of, like, parties through it". Someone who is 'brat' outrightly rejects the feminine, well-kept "clean girl" outlook popularised on social media. As the singer herself explained in a TikTok interview, "You're that girl who is a bit messy, loves to party, and maybe says dumb things sometimes. She's honest, blunt, and a little bit volatile." Painting a clearer picture, Charli told the BBC Sidetracked podcast that someone brat might have "a pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra".

'Brat' may have started out as the name of Charli's number one album, but it has grown into a cultural movement. Even the team for US presidential candidate Kamala Harris embraced the brat movement, giving her social media a "brat rebrand" to attract younger voters at the start of her campaign.

According to the BBC, Collins' lexicographers, who put together their dictionaries, look at social media and other sources to determine which words should be added to their annual list of new and notable words. Delulu (having unrealistic expectations) and looksmaxxing (attempting to maximise one's attractiveness) are among the other new words that have been added to the Collins dictionary this year.