Various people and organizations coined their "word of the year" at the end of 2024. See if you can tell what these words are, based on who picked it and how they defined it.
Answer the questions below to the best of your ability without using outside resources. Outside references include (but certainly are not limited to) searching for an answer on the internet, looking at maps, using a calculator, or asking a friend (or foe) if they know the answer. Basically, you are relying on your brain (and maybe a pencil and paper).
For each correct answer, you will receive 15 points. You must also mark 5 questions as "money" questions. For each money question that you answer correctly, you will receive bonus points equal to the percent of players who answered incorrectly. (That is, if 25% of players got a question right, its money bonus would be worth 75 points.) You still don't get any points for a wrong answer, though, so try to select the hardest questions you think you have answered correctly. (Note: You can't use outside resources to help pick your money questions either.)
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Oxford: “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging”
Collins Dictionary: ‘characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude’
Cambridge Dictionary: "to use methods such as visualization and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen"
Dictionary.com: "Though the term ... has traditionally been used to describe those who are reserved, quiet, or modest, a new usage has spread through social media — one used to describe refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior in various contexts, such as at work or on a plane
Macquarie Dictionary: “gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking”
The Economist: "the rule of the worst"
The rector of the ULIM University- Milan: "the term should be understood in its Latin meaning,(REDACTED), meaning 'what is to happen, what is to come,' with the hope that this word looks precisely to the future."
Merriam-Webster: “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”
CT New Junkie columnist Barth Keck: “acquir[ing] significant control over your outcomes in life’s various arenas, including school, work, sports, physical health, and psychological well-being.”
Ragan PR Daily: "Merriam-Webster defines it as a 'lack of agreement… especially : inconsistency between the beliefs one holds or between one’s actions and one’s beliefs,'"
Glassdoor: (WORD) landing as this year’s word of the year stemmed from many topics that led workers to be at odds with one another throughout 2024. The main root causes? Frustration in the job search process or discussions around current events.
American Dialect Society: “to undertake without usual protection, preparation, or comfort.”