That's the view of the esteemed Oxford Dictionaries, the British publisher that has been defining language -- and our times -- for over 150 years, the CNN reports.
Toxic year: Oxford dictionaries name word of 2018
STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: Strictly defined as "poisonous," Oxford Dictionaries says that its research shows that "this year more than ever, people have been using 'toxic' to describe a vast array of things, situations, concerns and events."
"In its original, literal use, to refer to poisonous substances, 'toxic' has been ever-present in discussions of the health of our communities, and our environment," the video explains, pointing, among other examples, to the recent increase in discussion surrounding the "toxicity of plastics."
But it adds that "toxic" has "truly taken off into the realm of metaphor, as people have reached for the word to describe workplaces, schools, cultures, relationships and stress."
It adds the "Me Too" movement has "put the spotlight on toxic masculinity" whereas in politics more broadly "the word has been applied to the rhetoric, policies, agendas and legacies of leaders and governments around the globe."
