Oxford Dictionary Names ‘Rage Bait’ as Word of the Year 2025

Oxford University Press has selected ‘rage bait’ as the Word of the Year 2025. This term refers to online content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage in order to drive traffic or engagement. Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, explained that ‘rage bait’ highlights how online content has shifted from simply grabbing attention to manipulating emotions. This year’s choice follows last year’s ‘brain rot,’ which referred to the mental exhaustion caused by consuming trivial online content. Other words shortlisted for this year included ‘aura farming,’ the creation of a charismatic persona for social media, and ‘biohack,’ the use of lifestyle changes or technology to optimize one’s health. While Oxford’s decision was based on the increasing prominence of emotional manipulation in digital spaces, other dictionaries, like Collins, chose ‘vibe coding’ as their Word of the Year, reflecting a trend in software development. This growing interest in the impact of technology on behavior is also evident in the popularity of terms like ‘parasocial,’ chosen by Cambridge Dictionary to describe one-sided relationships with celebrities. These terms reflect broader cultural shifts driven by the internet and social media.