'Pingdemic' and 'NFT' among top words of 2021

Well-known phrases such as 'pingdemic' and 'NFT' have been chosen as some of the top 10 words of the past year.

Experts at Collins Dictionary compiled an annual list for new and notable words that have come into conversation in the past year.

Topping the list and Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2021 was 'NFT', short for 'non-fungible token'.

Referring to the unique digital identifier that records ownership of a digital asset, the word saw an 11,000% increase in the past year, with the rise of its use in cryptocurrency.

Other online technology-related words also ranked within the top 10 words, with 'crypto' and 'metaverse' also placing high.

The coronavirus pandemic continued to have a strong influence on conversations, which lead to words such as 'pingdemic', 'hybrid working' and 'double-vaxxed' also making it onto the list.

Other words that placed in the top 10 included 'Regencycore' - inspired by the rise in period drama shows such as Bridgerton, 'cheugy' - another word for unfashionable - and 'climate anxiety'.

Rounding out the top 10 were words such as 'neopronouns', as the representation of transgender and non-binary people increases.

The decision to choose 'NFT' as the Word of the Year comes as Cambridge Dictionary revealed "perseverance" to be its own Word of the Year for 2021.

Speaking about the word, Alex Beecroft from MD Collins Learning said: "It's unusual for an abbreviation to experience such a meteoric rise in usage, but the data we have from the Collins Corpus reflects the remarkable ascendancy of the NFT in 2021.

"Its unique technicolour collision of art, technology and commerce has broken through the Covid noise with dramatic effect."

Here is the definitive list of top words, according to Collins Dictionary:

• 'NFT'

• 'Pingdemic'

• 'Crypto'

• 'Metaverse'

• 'Regencycore'

• 'Double-vaxxed'

• 'Climate anxiety'

• 'Hybrid working'

• 'Cheugy'

• 'Neopronouns'

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