Rage Bait Chosen as Oxford’s 2025 Word
Oxford University Press has selected “rage bait” as the 2025 Word of the Year, reflecting a growing awareness of online content engineered to provoke anger. Defined as posts deliberately crafted to spark outrage and boost engagement, “rage bait” has seen a threefold rise in usage over the past year.
Although the term is now widely associated with social media manipulation, its earliest appearance dates back to a 2002 Usenet post related to aggressive driving behavior. Over time, the expression evolved into a digital-age critique of attention-driven content ecosystems, where algorithms promote divisive posts to maximize clicks.
The term surpassed other finalists such as “aura farming”—cultivating a charismatic online persona—and “biohack,” referring to efforts to enhance health or performance through lifestyle or technological interventions.
Following last year’s pick, “brain rot,” Oxford’s new choice illustrates how digital platforms shape both online culture and human behavior. Together, these terms reveal a cycle in which outrage fuels engagement, platforms amplify negativity, and users experience emotional exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Dictionary.com selected “67” as its 2025 word, a flexible, ironic expression with no fixed meaning, while Cambridge chose “parasocial,” describing one-sided emotional bonds with public figures.
