Not pookie, not demure, but 'manifest' takes the crown as Cambridge Dictionary¡¯s word of 2024

Move over, pookie! The Cambridge Dictionary just unveiled its 2024 Word of the Year, and no, it¡¯s not a Gen Z slang. Say hello to manifest! Yes, the viral buzzword that has gripped social media users and dreamers worldwide. Whether you're chanting affirmations to attract a dream job or mentally willing that extra pizza slice to arrive, manifest is officially the word of the year, and we're living for it.

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Why manifest is the chosen one

Manifest isn¡¯t just a social media trend¡ªit¡¯s a movement. Defined as ¡°to use methods such as visualisation and affirmation to help imagine achieving something you want,¡± manifest racked up 130,000 searches on Cambridge¡¯s website this year. From Olympians manifesting gold medals to influencers promising abundance hacks, it¡¯s clear that manifest has transcended its humble roots to become a cultural phenomenon.

Sure, scientists like Professor Sander van der Linden from Cambridge University have called it out for its ¡°magical thinking.¡± But let¡¯s face it: pseudoscience is part of the charm. Pandemic lockdowns turned manifest into a survival tool, and social media, especially tiktok made it trendier than pumpkin spice lattes in fall. Whether you're manifesting money, love, or even sunglasses, this word screams optimism wrapped in delusion, and we¡¯re obsessed.

The Cambridge glow-up

The Cambridge dictionary didn¡¯t just pick manifest because it¡¯s trendy; the word embodies a cultural shift. Historically tied to illness (think "symptoms manifest"), manifest took a glow-up route, ditching negativity to pair itself with aspirational terms like ¡°goals,¡± ¡°dreams,¡± and ¡°success.¡±

Notably, the announcement also celebrated its role in redefining self-help, thanks to a ¡°host of manifesting influencers¡± flooding our feeds with how-to guides. Cambridge Dictionary¡¯s blog even credited Olympians, Paralympians, and celebrities for propelling the word into mainstream fame. Who knew social media tutorials on manifesting cash could land a word in the hall of fame?

The Runners-up drama

Oh, and the competition? It was fierce. The runner-up brat gained new relevance thanks to Charli XCX¡¯s album and political campaigns, while ecotarian made waves for advocating eco-conscious eating. Honourable mentions like quishing, and gymfluencer had their 15 minutes but couldn¡¯t outshine manifest. I mean of course, the term gymfluencer was competing with it.

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And if next time someone rolls their eyes at your manifestation journal, remember¡ªyou¡¯re riding the wave of a word that¡¯s officially iconic. So what is your word of the year? And if you don¡¯t have it yet, think about it, and ¡°manifest¡± good stuff for the year 2025!