Here are Collins Dictionary’s top 10 words of the year

As 2016 draws to a close, the Collins Dictionary have released their top 10 ‘words of the year’ with ‘Brexit’ coming in at first place. It was chosen due to the dramatic increase in the use of the term – up 3,400 per cent according to their lexicographers - in the lead up to the European Union referendum. Head of language content at Collins, Helen Newstead, says, “Brexit is arguably politics' most important contribution to the English language in over 40 years, since the Watergate scandal gave commentators and comedians the suffix '-gate' to make any incident or scandal infinitely more compelling”. ‘Mic drop’, ‘dude food’ and ‘throw shade’ also made appearances on the list, as did ‘sharenting’ or the excessive sharing of photos of your kids. (See below for the full list and their definitions) The Oxford and Macquarie dictionaries have yet to announce their picks for 2016’s world of the year after the former nominated the laughing face emoji last year. Collins Dictionary’s top ten words: Brexit The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Hygge A concept, originating in Denmark, of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing. Mic drop A theatrical gesture in which a person drops (or imitates the action of dropping) a hand-held microphone to the ground as the finale to a speech or performance. Trumpism (1) the policies advocated by the US politician Donald Trump, especially those involving a rejection of the current political establishment and the vigorous pursuit of American national interests (2) a controversial or outrageous statement attributed to Donald Trump Throw shade To make a public show of contempt for someone or something, often in a subtle or non-verbal manner Sharenting The habitual use of social media to share news, images, etc of one’s children. Snowflake generation The young adults of the 2010s, viewed as being less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations Dude food Junk food such as hot dogs, burgers, etc considered particularly appealing to men. Uberization The adoption of a business model in which services are offered on demand through direct contact between a customer and supplier, usually via mobile technology. JOMO Joy of missing out: pleasure gained from enjoying one’s current activities without worrying that other people are having more fun.

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