Nov. 15 (UPI) — Oxford Dictionary chose “toxic” as its 2018 word of the year, citing an increase in website lookups and use alongside other words — like “masculinity” and “chemical.”
The dictionary said there was a 45 percent increase in the number of times users have looked up “toxic” on its website. It’s also “been used in an array of contexts, both in its literal and more metaphorical senses,” a release from Oxford Dictionary said.
It listed the Top 10 words regularly used alongside “toxic” as: chemical, masculinity, substance, gas, environment, relationship, culture, waste, algae and air.
Toxic chemical, for instance, saw an increase of usage after the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain using a nerve agent. Toxic masculinity has been on the tip of the tongue amid media reports on the #MeToo movement and allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
“The Oxford word of the year is a word or expression that is judged to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance,” Oxford Dictionary said.
“In 2018, toxic added many strings to its poisoned bow becoming an intoxicating descriptor for the year’s most talked about topics.”
Runners-up for word of the year include: gaslighting, incel, techlash, gammon, cakeism, overtourism and orbiting.
Oxford’s previous words of the year were youthquake in 2017, post-truth in 2016, the face with tears of joy emoji in 2015, vape in 2014, selfie in 2013, GIF in 2012, squeeze middle in 2011 and refudiate in 2010.
