“Metaverse” lost word of the year to “goblin mode.”

In what can only be bad news for Mark Zuckerberg’s virtual-reality dreams, the publisher behind Oxford English Dictionary announced the results of its word of the year poll. In a three-way matchup between “metaverse,” “goblin mode,” and “#istandwith,” metaverse took home just 4 percent of the vote.

Goblin mode — a phrase I have exclusively seen on TikTok, Twitter, and news articles about its use on TikTok and Twitter — came in first with an overwhelming 93 percent. I look forward to Meta’s 2023 pivot to Goblin, Inc.