Oxford Declares ‘Rage Bait’ as 2025 Word of the Year

Oxford University Press has officially declared ‘rage bait’ as the Word of the Year for 2025. The term has seen a significant surge in usage, tripling in the past year. It was chosen over other contenders, including ‘aura farming’ and ‘biohack’, reflecting the evolving online landscape.

Understanding ‘Rage Bait’

Rage bait refers to online content that is specifically designed to provoke anger or outrage. This type of content is often frustrating, provocative, or offensive. Its primary purpose is to drive engagement, whether for websites or social media accounts. Rage bait shares similarities with clickbait but focuses more on evoking strong emotional reactions.

Other Shortlisted Terms

• Aura Farming: This term describes the practice of curating a captivating or charismatic public persona to convey confidence or mystique.
• Biohack: It refers to techniques aimed at enhancing physical or mental health through various lifestyle changes, supplements, or technological aids.

The selection process included a public vote, which influenced the final decision made by Oxford’s language experts. Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, noted the increasing awareness of online manipulation tactics.

Impact on Online Culture

The recognition of rage bait highlights a shift from curiosity-driven content to one that manipulates emotions. Grathwohl remarked on this transition, stating that it reflects a crucial conversation about human interaction in a technology-dominated world. He emphasized how outrage fuels engagement and how this pattern can lead to mental fatigue.

In recent years, previous Oxford Words of the Year have included ‘selfie’, ‘goblin mode’, and ‘rizz’. Each term has captured specific cultural phenomena, with ‘brain rot’ being the focus for 2024, emphasizing the mental toll of incessant social media scrolling.

Comparative Words of the Year

Other dictionaries have also announced their Words of the Year for 2025:

• Cambridge Dictionary: ‘Parasocial’ – a term used to describe one-sided relationships between fans and celebrities.
• Collins Dictionary: ‘Vibe Coding’ – the concept of developing apps or websites by describing them to AI rather than coding manually.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, words like rage bait serve as a reminder of the complexities surrounding online interactions and the emotional responses they elicit.