Words articulate our thoughts, feelings and sentiments, and Merriam-Webster’s chosen Word of the Year aptly describes 2016.
The iconic dictionary company chose the word “surreal”, defined as “marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream.”
With the whirlwind events that marked this year, from celebrity deaths (Alan Rickman, David Bowie and Prince, among others) to election season, stories of Aleppo and other conflict-ridden areas, surreal could best sum up the collective emotion of people that have stood by, watching.
According to Merriam-Webster, the word ‘surreal’ is most looked up following a tragic event, but the largest spike in searches happened after Donald Trump’s electoral win in the United States.
Thoughts on this? Do you think the word appropriately describes this year?
