What is demure and why is it trending?

There’s a new TikTok catchphrase in town and it’s very demure.

It’s all over your social feeds, and everyone from Wednesday star Jenna Ortega to Emily in Paris’ Lily Collins, is using it.

So what is “demure”, why is it trending, and why is it currently all over your FYP?

What does demure mean?
The Oxford English Dictionary definitions include “calm” and “reserved or composed in demeanour”. The phrase recently went viral on TikTok, where “very demure, very mindful” was used by one TikTok creator to describe the way she presents herself for work.

Where did the TikTok demure trend start?
The phrase “very demure” was coined by a creator called Jools Lebron in a video posted on August 5 which has more than 30 million views.

Jools now has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok, and her content usually includes grwm (get ready with me) videos and make-up tutorials, but reached new heights when her “very demure” video went viral.

It has since spawned a new phrase that has blown up across the world, with the hashtag #demure being used in more than 240,000 posts, and videos explaining how to act “very demure” in various situations.

Why do videos go viral on TikTok?
There are lots of reasons for why a video might go viral on TikTok. Videos that are easy to share and use popular hashtags or trends can reach a bigger audience quickly, #demure being a great example of a trending hashtag being used to maximise views.

Another reason could be the platform’s algorithm – a computer program which decides what you see based on your likes, your shares and your follows.

TikTok’s for you page (FYP) uses algorithms to curate a personalised feed based on the type of content you engage with.