"‘Goblin mode’ – a slang term, often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’
Oxford Dictionaries announed on Monday that 'goblin mode' has been chosen as the word of the year by people in an online poll to describe 2022 in one word. The dictionary definition of 'goblin mode' is "a type of behavior characterized by being self-indulgent, lazy, sloppy, or greedy without remorse and usually in a way that defies social norms or expectations." The term 'Goblin Mode' was first seen on Twitter in 2009 and became popular in 2022 as people around the world emerged with uncertainties from the pandemic-enforced lockdown.
"Looking back at this year, we felt that 'goblin mode' seemed to be relatable to all of us where we are feeling a little tired at the moment," said Caspar Grethwoll, President of Oxford Languages. Word of the Year Previous 12 'Reflects the ethos, style or engagements' of the month. For the first time, this year's winning word is chosen by public vote from three final words chosen by Oxford Dictionaries writers. These included 'Goblin Mode, Metaverse and the hashtag iStandWith'. The term is relatively rarely used offline, but was well-received in online surveys, with over 340,000 votes polling 93 percent of the time.
"‘Goblin mode’ – a slang term, often used in the expressions ‘in goblin mode’ or ‘to go goblin mode’ – is a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations,'" reads a statement on Oxford Languages' website.
The word 'goblin mode' was first seen on Twitter in 2009, however, it went viral on social media this year in February. The reason: it was used in a mocked-up headline, involving actress-model Julia Fox and a popular Reddit post which described someone who's been acting like a goblin. "The term then rose in popularity over the months following as Covid lockdown restrictions eased in many countries and people ventured out of their homes more regularly. Seemingly, it captured the prevailing mood of individuals who rejected the idea of returning to ‘normal life, or rebelled against the increasingly unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyles exhibited on social media," reads a statement on the website.
While 'Goblin Mode' was chosen as the Oxford Word of the Year 2022, the other two contenders for public voting were: ‘metaverse’- which got the second place, and ‘#IStandWith’- which got the third place.
Commenting on 'Goblin Mode' being the winner of this year's Oxford Word of the Year, Casper Grathwohl, President- Oxford Languages, said in a statement, “We were hoping the public would enjoy being brought into the process, but this level of engagement with the campaign caught us totally by surprise. The strength of the response highlights how important our vocabulary is to understanding who we are and processing what’s happening to the world around us. Given the year we’ve just experienced, ‘Goblin mode’ resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point. It’s a relief to acknowledge that we’re not always the idealized, curated selves that we’re encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds. This has been demonstrated by the dramatic rise of platforms like BeReal where users share images of their unedited selves, often capturing self-indulgent moments in goblin mode. People are embracing their inner goblin, and voters choosing ‘goblin mode’ as the Word of the Year tells us the concept is likely here to stay.”
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