Brainrot

Definition

Brainrot refers to the supposed mental decline from consuming too much low-quality online content. It's also used to describe a specific genre of chaotic, absurdist TikTok content (like Skibidi Toilet), or an all-consuming fandom obsession. Oxford named it the 2024 Word of the Year with 37,000+ votes.

Origin & History

The term "brain-rot" was first used by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 book Walden, where he criticized society's shallow thinking:

"While England endeavours to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot?"

The term resurfaced on Twitter in 2007, used to describe the effects of watching too much reality TV or spending excessive time online. Throughout the 2010s, it spread through Discord, Tumblr, and Reddit, particularly in fandom circles.

By the 2020s, TikTok transformed the term into mainstream slang. In December 2024, Oxford University Press crowned "brain rot" as the Word of the Year, noting a 230% increase in usage between 2023-2024.

How to Use It

Brainrot has three distinct meanings:

1. Negative: Describing mental decline from too much content
2. Content style: Referring to chaotic, absurdist TikTok aesthetic
3. Fandom: Joking about obsession with something

Examples

"I've been scrolling TikTok for 4 hours. Pure brainrot."

"This video is absolute brainrot and I can't stop watching."

"I have Taylor Swift brainrot—it's all I think about."

Related Terms

• Skibidi
• Ohio
• Sigma
• Gyatt
• Mewing