‘Demure” has been crowned as the word of the year by Dictionary.com.
demure
[ dih-myoor ]
adjective, de·mur·er, de·mur·est.
Synonyms: retiring
Antonyms: indecorous
Antonyms: indecorous (Dictionary.com)
The word has been around for a long time but has become a social craze, following a TikTok by Jools Lebron, who describes what “truly” means.
https://www.tiktok.com/@joolieannie/video/7399736793119247662
The video describes demure as ” being cutesy, clean and mindful; not drawing attention to yourself; not being messy or loud; and getting things done and going about your day with quiet confidence and gentility. Dressing modestly at work? That’s demure. Patiently waiting to get out of your seat until the plane is ready to de-board? So demure” (USA Today).
One of the videos has over 20 million views, with one having 2 million likes. Many celebs have used the word in their TikToks, with Khloe & Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Jenna Ortega, and Rupaul all getting a fancy of the viral word.
According to Dictionary.com, “Between August 2023 and July 2024, there was no significant trend in the usage of the word demure” (NPR).
Lebron has become a star since the viral TikTok, gaining over 2 million followers on the platform and even appearing as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Lebron has stated that this viral moment has changed her life and has helped her transition fully as a transgender, stating in a TikTok, “You should make videos…I used to be a cashier making videos on my break..and now I’m going to be able to finance the rest of my transition” (TikTok) [This video contains profanity].
