'Goblin mode' pips metaverse to become Oxford Word of the Year

'Goblin mode', and not 'metaverse', has been chosen as the 2022 Oxford Word of the Year, the publisher behind Oxford English Dictionary announced on Monday.

The fight this year was among metaverse, Goblin mode and #istandwith, and metaverse just got 4 per cent of the public vote, despite being popularised by Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg by investing billions of dollars.

The Goblin mode 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".

Goblin mode went viral on TikTok, Twitter and other social media platforms this year.

The hashtag #goblinmode on TikTok is often used as a rebuff of the "that girl" trend, which is about being the "best version of yourself", The Guardian reported.

It received a massive 93 per cent of the public vote to become the Oxford Word of the Year.

Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, was quoted as saying that "given the year we've just experienced, agoblin mode' resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point".