by Sarah Cudd and Kaylee Holland
Some of the most used words of 2017 at Brevard High School included “lit” and “bet.” In comparison, the top words of the year from Merriam-Webster include “feminism,” “federalism” and “hurricane.”
“Lit”- “It has acquired the meaning “exciting,” Merriam-Webster stated, “as well as a broader meaning along the lines of “excellent.”
“Lit” can be used to express excitement in a given situation and has been a very popular slang word on social media and in pop culture in 2017.
“Bet”- popular slang term means “yes,” indicating agreement.
Urban Dictionary’s example of “bet” used in a sentence is “So I’ll meet you and then we’ll hit the party.” “Bet.”
“Feminism” saw a rise in uses this year due to news coverage of the Women’s March on Washington and the resulting follow-up discussions. Even more recent events include the many sexual harassment scandals in the media and women’s equality being spotlighted.
The definition of “Feminism” is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” from Merriam-Webster, “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
The word “hurricane” saw much use this year due to the devastating effects of hurricane Harvey, Maria, and Irma.
Even though words such as “lit” and “bet” are culturally popular, they might not stick around like other words. “Feminism” and “hurricane” will stay in use longer due to their impact on national discussions.