The word of the year 2019 is “boomer”, the Dikke Van Dale announced earlier this week. Of the 17.500 votes cast, “boomer” received 41,8 percent of them.

“Boomer” is the word of the year

There you have it: “boomer” is the word of the year 2019 in the Netherlands. This word is derived from the term “baby boomer”, which was used to refer to people born during the wave of births after the Second World War. “Boomer”, according to the Dikke Van Dale, refers to someone, particularly an older someone, with old-fashioned ideas. “Boomer” is a synonym for “Fossil”, and is a popular term in online arguments between generations.

Second and third place this year both went to words which had something to do with climate change. In second place was “klimaatspijbelaar”, which translates to “climate truant”. This word refers to the masses of students and school children who skipped school to protest for better measures against climate change. In third place was “klimaatdrammer”, which translates to “climate nag” and refers to those who, in the eyes of their critics, keep complaining about the “too harsh” measures to save the climate.

Which words were nominated?

Below is a list of the 19 words which were nominated and their meanings.

• Bezorgschaamte (delivery shame): The shame one feels for ordering online when they know it is bad for the environment.
• Boomer
• Bruisregio (bustling region): The region around a big city, where the population is growing and the economy is developing strongly.
• Diversiteitsverlof (diversity leave): Work leave on a self-chosen (religious) holiday, in particular, as part of an active diversity policy at a company or institution.
• Ecopopulisme (eco-populism): Asking for attention for environmental issues in a demagogical way, in which public fears, emotions and prejudices are capitalised on.
• Foeigesprek: A probing conversation between a police officer and someone who has broken the law.
• Klimaatspijbelaar
• Klimaatdrammer
• Levensloopstress (life-course stress): Stress which employees experience as a result of events in their private lives, which can occur during any phase of their working lives.
• Luchtvluchteling (air refugee): Someone who moves, because of the air quality in their current living or work environment, to an area with cleaner air.
• Nulrentoceen (zero interest era): This is a playful name referring to the period in which savers get no interest on their savings or even have to pay interest to the bank to save.
• Plunderpuber (plunder teenager): A teen who, together with their peers, robs a lot of shops.
• Stalguerrilla (barn guerrilla): Illegal occupation of livestock sheds in protest of the intensive livestock farming.
• Stekkersubsidie (plug subsidy): Subsidy for electric cars in the form of a tax advantage for the ownership and use of them.
• Toetertrouwstoet (beeping wedding procession): A bridal procession in which members drive cars and beep loudly on public roads, often breaking traffic laws.
• Verthuizen: Restyling your existing house instead of moving.
• Vleeswroeging (meat remorse): The remorse that someone feels after having eaten meat, as they realise that said meat is a product of intensive farming which cause greenhouse gas emissions.
• Wiebelpensioen (wobble pension): Pensions where the income is dependent on the return on investment of pension funds. Synonym: casino pensions.
• Windterreur (wind terrorism): Extreme opposition to the building of wind turbines and the installation of wind turbine parks.