Words and phrases from the 2010s
Never under-estimate the power of words. Words not only describe subtle shades of meaning, but they also transmit culture and define the spirit of the age.
To see how words can capture and transmit the ideas and beliefs of the time, let’s take a look at the last decade in words. Do you remember when these words and phrases were first used?
Alternative facts — information used to support false or misleading claims; lies. This term was coined by White House counselor Kellyanne Conway in January 2017.
Binge-watch — to watch many or all episodes of a TV or movie series in quick succession.
“As long as there have been nerds and a means of recording, people have been mass consuming their favorite TV shows, whether on DVD or self-recorded VHS. But more recently, binge-watching has become not only something people do, but a driving factor that shapes the way some entertainment is formed on a core level.” (Collider: The Best TV Shows to Binge Watch)
Bitcoin — digital currency produced by a decentralized, public network.
Brexit — the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
Catfish — a person who sets up a false profile on social media to deceive others and commit fraud, theft, or abuse.
Climate strike — a strike to demonstrate and demand action on climate change.
Cloud — the collection of data and services available through the Internet.
Fake news — deliberately false or misleading information reported as news by media or social media outlets. Though this term was first used in the 1890s, the term was used in the modern since during the 2016 presidential election. In 2017, President Donald Trump claimed he started the “fake news” thing. (A Citizen’s Guide to Fake News).
Fracking — the act of injecting high-pressure fluids into shale beds in order to free up oil or natural gas; also called hydraulic fracturing.
Gaslight — distorting known facts, memories, events and evidence to invalidate a person’s experience. Gaslighters use lies, false promises and personal attacks to make those around them doubt themselves.
Ghosting — to suddenly cut off all contact with someone by no longer accepting or responding to phone calls, text messages, etc. See the MTV show Ghosted .
Gig economy — a job market characterized by temporary or freelance jobs rather than permanent employment.
Humblebrag — an expression of false humility, especially by celebrities on social media.
Job applicants often humblebrag about being perfectionists or about working too hard.
Obamacare — federal health care reform signed in to law by President Barack Obama in 2010; also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Manbun — a man’s hair gathered into a bun.
The manbun is the new mullet.
MeToo — a social movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Occupy — verb, noun, and combining form referring to the Occupy movement of 2010s.
Refudiate — to reject. This term was coined by Sarah Palin (the former governor of Alaska) who misspoke and combined “refute” and “repudiate” into one word.
Salty — bitter, irritated, annoyed; resentful.
Why so salty, Mom?
Selfie — a photo taken with a smartphone by a person who is also in the photo for the purpose of posting on social media. The word was first used in 2002, but became prominent in 2013. Also Velfie — a video taken of oneself.
Singular they — the use of “they” as a gender neutral, singular pronoun.
Snowflake — derogatory term for someone who is overly sensitive or who wants to be treated as special or unique.
Unicorn — a start-up that is valued at one billion dollars or more.
Vape — to breathe in nicotine or another drug as vapor rather than smoke, especially using an e-cigarette.
Have any decade-defining words to add? Please do so in the comment section.
