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Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, has named “rage bait” as its Word of the Year.
Defined as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive”, the term refers to the manipulative tactics used to increase traffic or engagement online.
It’s like clickbait, but luring the reader is done with the intent of making them angry.
Usage of the term has increased threefold in the last 12 months, according to the Oxford Dictionary’s language data, and its choice joins the likes of “AI slop” and “parasocial” as 2025 Words of the Year that paint a pretty negative picture of this year’s moods and preoccupations.
“The fact that the word rage bait exists and has seen such a dramatic surge in usage means we’re increasingly aware of the manipulation tactics we can be drawn into online,” says Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages.
“Before, the internet was focused on grabbing our attention by sparking curiosity in exchange for clicks, but now we’ve seen a dramatic shift to it hijacking and influencing our emotions, and how we respond. It feels like the natural progression in an ongoing conversation about what it means to be human in a tech-driven world – and the extremes of online culture.”
Last year’s Word of the Year was “brain rot”, which refers to the deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, “especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging.”
Grathwohl highlights how both the Word of the Year for 2024 and this year’s pick share common DNA.
“Together, they form a powerful cycle where outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted,” he says, adding: “These words don’t just define trends; they reveal how digital platforms are reshaping our thinking and behaviour.”
“Rage bait” joins Dictionary.com’s “6-7”, Collins Dictionary’s “vibe coding”, Cambridge Dictionary’s “parasocial” and Macquarie’s “AI slop” as this year’s key words and terms, revealing that anxieties around the reach and effects of social media and AI are at the forefront of people’s minds.
Oxford’s winner beat out two other finalists: “biohack” and “aura farming”.
“Aura farming” refers to the cultivation of “an impressive, attractive, or charismatic persona or public image by behaving or presenting oneself in a way intended subtly to convey an air of confidence, coolness, or mystique”. As for “biohack”, it is defined as the attempt “to improve or optimise one’s physical or mental performance, health, longevity, or wellbeing by altering one’s diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle, or by using other means such as drugs, supplements, or technological devices.”