Earlier this year, viral TikToker Jools Lebron shared a video talking about being "demure," and now it's being crowned word of the year.

“The word ‘demure’ experienced a meteoric rise in usage in 2024. Between January and the end of August, this term saw a nearly 1200% increase in usage in digital web media alone,” the announcement read. “This sharp rise is mainly attributed to TikToker Jools Lebron’s popularization of the phrase.”

In 2024, Dictionary.com crowned “demure” as its word of the year, but its cultural significance transcended its definition, thanks to TikToker Jools Lebron. Her August clip, where she playfully used the word,

Dictionary.com names "demure" as the year's top word following Jools Lebron’s satirical TikTok video reminding women to be “very mindful, very demure” in the workplace.

Thanks to Jools Lebron, demure has become Dictionary.com's word of the year, after the creator's viral video blew up on social media.

Dictionary.com announced "demure" as their Word of the Year on November 25 in a press release, referencing the viral phrase "very mindful, very demure," popularized by TikToker Jools Lebron. The word surpassed other contenders for the title, including 'brainrot,' 'brat,' 'extreme weather,' 'midwest nice,' and 'weird.'

The word has traditionally been used to describe someone who is reserved, quiet or modest, according to Dictionary.com. In 2024, the word took a whole new meaning on social media, now being used to describe "refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior in various contexts."

Dictionary.com declared "demure" the 2024 word of the year after viral videos by TikToker Jools Lebron popularized the term.