Red Flag, sigma and limb: which words claim to be the "Words of the Year — 2025"

The portal "Gramota.<url> has published a list of candidates for the title of "Words of the Year — 2025". The main favorites included Red Flag, sigma, manifestation, and others. In total, the experts analyzed over 500 words, but only 12 were included in the shortlist, which reflect the key trends in modern speech this year. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

How to choose the word of the year

The title "Words of the Year" is awarded based on the results of an open rating vote in which linguists and philologists participate. The main selection criterion is the frequency of use of a word in social networks and the media. The winner receives the official interpretation of the experts and is entered into the electronic dictionary "Lexicon".

This year, the top three words were "sigma", "red flag" and "manifestation", which came from Western Internet culture and are firmly established in the lexicon. Other candidates include zoomer, limb, slop, and imba. The most unusual candidate was the word "pupupu," which, depending on the circumstances, can express sadness, surprise, or confusion.

The campaign is being held for the third time and serves as an indicator that captures the most significant phenomena in language and society. In 2023, "neural network" became the main word, reflecting the rapid development of artificial intelligence. In 2024, the word "vibe", meaning atmosphere and mood, won. Last year's shortlist also featured "skuf", "arrival", "insight", "abuse", "normis" and "mindfulness".

The philologist spoke about the number of words in the Russian language and the difficulties of counting them.

Borrowing is an evil or enriching language

The active appearance and borrowing of new words is a natural process that demonstrates the dynamic development of the language and its ability to adapt to changing realities. The main reason for this phenomenon is the globalization of the digital space, Alena Popova, a philologist, linguist, and comparative scholar, said in an interview with Izvestia.

The expert noted that trends and memes are born on the English—language Internet, and the borrowing of terms occurs much faster than the creation of neologisms - their ready-made equivalents. This can be clearly seen in the example of the red Flag or Sigma male. According to the philologist, an attempt to replace them with a "red flag" or a "lone male" is often not effective, as it does not convey the full semantic load.

In addition, for young people, the use of such words is primarily a way to separate their language from that of their parents and the official discourse, thereby creating their own group identity, the expert emphasized. She added that the massive use of borrowings by zoomers does not lead to a loss of expressiveness and simplification of the language, since they do not replace the basic vocabulary, but only fill new semantic niches that arise in digital reality.

The linguist called this process a natural development of language. She recalled that the Russian language had reacted to new realities in the past and had been supplemented with borrowings from French, Greek, Polish, Dutch, German and other languages in different historical periods.

Many of them have undergone natural selection: some borrowings have taken root, others have left, which, according to the expert, is a sign of flexibility rather than degradation of the language.

The linguist explained the status of one rude word

Dictionary of the modern zoomer

ALTUSHKA (from the English alternative — "alternative", "other") is a representative of the alt—subculture, who chooses an outrageous, provocative image: bright makeup, piercing, colored hair, anime-style clothes or steam-punk. Examples: "We have another altushka on our account," "She dressed up like an altushka today."

ANKH (from English uncle — "uncle") — a man over 30 years old who looks young, adheres to a youthful style of clothing and shares the interests of teenagers, including a passion for computer games. Examples: "She found herself another ankh", "David Beckham is a pure ankh, have you seen his photo shoot?".

VIBE (from English vibe — "vibration", "atmosphere") is a feeling of mood, atmosphere, or a sense of lightness and mutual understanding between people. Examples: "This movie is not my vibe at all — it's too dark," "We shared a common vibe, as if we've known each other for a long time."

STUFFY (derived from the adjective "stuffy", a synonym for "boring") is a person who constantly criticizes others for their opinions, tastes or actions, creating an oppressive atmosphere. Examples: "He's so stuffy — he doesn't like KISHA!", "Why do the ancestors like Goga (the main character of the film "Moscow does not believe in tears." — Ed.), he's a real douche bag!".

GRANDFATHER-INSIDER (from the English dead inside — "dead inside") is a person with an apathetically pessimistic view of the world, demonstrating emotional emptiness. Examples: "He's a typical grandfather insider, the sight of him makes you want to cry", "Don't turn on grandfather insider, I'm sick of it!".

A ZOOMER (from the English Generation Z — "generation Z") is a representative of the generation born from about 1997 to 2012. The key features are the "digital" origin, the active use of social networks. Examples: "Zoomers prefer to communicate in messengers", "This brand successfully conducts marketing for zoomers".

CRUSH (from the English crush — "falling in love", "sympathy") is a person who likes very much, an object of romantic or platonic infatuation. Examples: "He's been my crush since freshman year," "I found out that Crash loves the same series as me."

CRINGE (from the English cringe — "to shrink, to shrink") is a feeling of intense awkwardness and shame for the actions of another person. The state of experiencing "Spanish shame." Examples: "His jokes are just a cringe," "Watching that performance was an unbearable cringe."

A red flag (from the English red flag - "red flag") is an alarm signal, a sign of potential danger or undesirable qualities of a person, primarily in the context of a relationship. Examples: "His jealousy is a red flag," "Constantly being late for a date is considered a red flag."

SIGMA (from the name of the Greek letter Σ — sigma) is a self—sufficient, successful and charismatic man who acts by his own rules and does not need the approval of society. Examples: "She shouldn't have left him, her ex is a real Sigma," "He's not a leader, he's a Sigma loner."

SKUF (also "skufidon" is an Internet meme in the Russian—speaking segment) is a man who does not watch his appearance and lifestyle. He often neglects fashion, sports, and personal hygiene. Examples: "He's turned into a typical skoof, just games and a couch," "I don't want to talk to him, he behaves like a skoof."

MANIFESTATION (a term that came from psychology and coaching) is a person's ability to consciously express their feelings, thoughts, and needs in behavior and interaction with other people. Examples: "I appreciate the manifestation and emotional intelligence in a partner," "His manifestation helped us to come to an agreement."

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