Oxford University Press said the phrase "brain rot" gained "new prominence in 2024," with its frequency of use increasing 230% from the year before.

It was in Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 book "Walden." But "the term has taken on new significance in the digital age," Oxford U

The Oxford University Press -- the publishing house of the University of Oxford -- announced that "brain rot" is the 2024 Word of the Year after more than 37,000 votes and an analysis of its use, particularly online.