Macquarie Dictionary announces its words of the year for 2020 including ‘Rona’ and ‘Doomscrolling’

The Macquarie Dictionary has voted ‘Doomscrolling’ as its top word for 2020 after a year dominated by bushfires, floods and the global pandemic. 

A committee of some of Australia’s top wordsmiths chose the phrase, which is defined as ‘the practice of continuing to read news feeds online or on social media, despite the fact that the news is predominantly negative and often upsetting.’

The year has been so dominated by the pandemic they also created a separate category for words specific to COVID-19.   

In that category the word ‘Rona’ was voted number one. 

Macquarie Dictionary has voted ‘Doomscrolling’ as its top word for 2020 after a year dominated by bushfires, floods and the pandemic (stock image)

Doomscrolling is defined as ‘the practice of continuing to read news feeds online or on social media, despite the fact that the news is predominantly negative and often upsetting’

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The term is Australian slang for ‘coronavirus’.

A total of 75 words were shortlisted before the top words were painstakingly selected and released to the public.

Honourable mentions in the COVID-19 category included covidiot and COVID normal.

According to the Macquarie Dictionary a ‘covidiot is a person who refuses to follow health advice aimed at halting the spread of COVID-19.’

This includes but is not limited to failing to adhere to social distancing and buying large amounts of items like toilet paper. 

An entire separate category has been created for COVID-19 specific words, with ‘rona’ voted in at the top spot (pictured: a woman cycles along St Kilda in Melbourne wearing a face mask during the pandemic)

The term is Australian slang for ‘coronavirus’, a shortened version of the name of the disease that has dominated headlines in 2020 

‘COVID normal’ refers to a way of living in which a community takes precautions against the transmission of COVID-19 as a natural part of day-to-day life. 

Macquarie Dictionary gave the word ‘Karen’ an honourable mention for its 2020 word of the year 

On the general vocabulary list, ‘Karen’ and ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ were selected as honourable mentions.

The former refers to a middle-class white woman usually from generation X who has an entitled, condescending and often racist attitude.

‘A contentious term, but a big one in 2020, from Bunnings stores to the footpaths of St Kilda. The lack of a male equivalent points to the sexist nature of the word — there are definitely plenty of entitled male versions about,’ the committee said.

Pyrocumulonimbus became popular during Australia’s devastating black summer bushfires and refers to a cloud which forms above a source of intense heat like a bushfire or volcanic eruption. 

Other words to make the cut included ‘cottagecore’, which refers to rustic or old-fashioned lifestyles involving pastimes like baking and gardening. 

In the COVID-19 category honourable mentions included covidiot and COVID normal (pictured: beachgoers walk along Bondi Beach on November 28)

According to the Macquarie Dictionary a ‘covidiot is a person who refuses to follow health advice aimed at halting the spread of COVID-19’

‘Quarantini’ merges the word ‘quarantine’ and martini to refer to ‘a mixed alcoholic drink made at home during a time of enforced social isolation.’

Some of the more unusual additions to this year’s list were ‘sky puppy’ which refers to a bat or other flying mammal, and ‘bonk ban’ a government policy prohibiting employees from having sexual relationships with each other. 

‘Contact tracing’, ‘elbow bump,’ ‘social distancing’, ‘WFH’ and ‘iso’ were some of the more obvious additions to Macquarie Dictionary’s shortlist for 2020.

The People’s choice word of the year will be announced on December 8.

The full list of words and their definitions are available on the Macquarie Dictionary website.   

Other words to make the cut included ‘Cottagecore’ an aesthetic which evolved from the romanticism of agricultural life including baking, and gardening (stock image of a woman baking)

The word became part of Australia’s vocabulary after the pandemic drove hordes towards the kitchen and garden to take part in wholesome hobbies when COVID-19 took over