Oxford’s new word of the year? It was designed to bait, debate and irritate

In a move that reflects the dark side of the social media age, Oxford University Press has done just that His name “Rage bait” is the word of the year for 2025. (It’s actually two words, but don’t let that get you into a rage.) The phrase refers to online content intentionally designed to incite anger or anger by provocation, attack, or otherwise manipulation, with the express goal of boosting engagement, clicks, or shares.

According to Oxford University Press, the use of anger bait has nearly tripled over the past year. In announcing the selection, the organization indicated that this increase is not just a change in vocabulary. This indicates a larger shift in how online platforms and content creators attract attention, often by exploiting emotional triggers rather than genuine curiosity or interest.

Casper Grathwohl, President of the Oxford University of Languages, He said This trend represents a progression from previous waves of click-based excitement toward a more emotionally manipulative digital environment — one where anger, not intrigue, is the currency that pays.
“Rage bait highlights content intentionally designed to spark outrage and increase clicks,” Grathwohl said. “Together, they form a powerful cycle where anger sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted. These words not only set trends, they reveal how digital platforms are reshaping our thinking and behavior.”

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Other big words for 2025 include “antisocial” and “67.”

The taste of anger is not the only word or phrase that has gained popularity this year. Two other major dictionaries have chosen their own Words of the Year, each highlighting a different aspect of our cultural moment.

• Cambridge Dictionary “parasocial” was chosen as the Word of the Year for 2025, as it depicts the growing phenomenon of one-sided relationships people form with celebrities, influencers, fictional characters – and now, increasingly, with artificial intelligence characters. The word reflects how many of us now treat virtual or distant personalities as if they were friends, even though they know the connection is not reciprocal.
• Dictionary.com “67” was chosen as the word of the year. Pronounced “six or seven,” the term is a playful and ambiguous slang expression rooted in meme culture. While 67 may not have a dictionary-style definition, its rise is indicative of how younger generations express attitudes of indifference, sarcasm, or insider-like humor in the digital age.

A quick look at some of this year’s past words

To understand what the 2025 selections reveal about our times, it’s helpful to take a quick look at some of the past winners, who illustrate how language is changing in response to social moods, technology, and world events.

• In 2024, Oxford Word of the year It was “brain rot”, a phrase meant to portray the mental fatigue, dissatisfaction or dull feeling people feel after endlessly scrolling through trivial or low-quality online content.
• 2023 Winner It was “rez”, a slang term for charisma or personal charm.
• In 2022, Winning phrase “Goblin mode,” reflecting a mood of laziness, self-absorption, or rejection of social expectations — especially at a time when the world is grappling with the aftershocks of the pandemic.

Previous years show a variety of themes. The climate emergency of 2019 emerged as concerns about global warming increased. In 2016, “post-truth” became the buzzword, embodying a period of political turmoil, misinformation, and changing trust in facts.