The announcement that Oxford Dictionaries had chosen “youthquake” as its international Word of the Year, triumphing over a shortlist that also included “white fragility,” “kompromat” and “Antifa,” drew puzzlement across the English-speaking world.

“Never bloody heard of it until an hour ago!” one Twitter user in England wrote.

We asked readers if they had a better idea, and the comments came pouring in. Some suggestions have been edited for clarity and length.

A Political War of Words

Many readers’ thoughts bent in a more bluntly political direction. “Trump” was suggested, along with “dystrumpian” (“self-explanatory,” Deb from Iowa wrote on Facebook). There were plenty of votes for “fake news” and “covfefe.”

Seems to me the obvious choice would be “fake news.” As for the O.E.D.’s definition of “youthquake,” “a significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people,” they left out “as defined by old people.” RESPECTBOUNDARIES