‘Goblin mode’: new Oxford word of the year speaks to the times

Term resonates with people feeling overwhelmed' with having to present their best selves

Goblin mode" has been chosen by the public as the 2022 Oxford word of the year. The term, which refers to a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations", has become the first word of the year to have been decided by public vote.

Given a choice of three words (or phrases/hashtags - word" is defined fairly loosely), narrowed down by lexicographers from Oxford University Press (OUP), more than 340,000 English speakers around the world cast their vote.