Online Manipulation Inspires Oxford's Word of the Year

The Oxford University Press has named "rage bait" as its Word of the Year for 2025, following a public vote with over 30,000 participants. The phrase refers to online content crafted specifically to provoke anger or outrage, usually to drive engagement or web traffic. According to Oxford's language data, usage of "rage bait" has tripled in the past year, a reflection of the current digital climate where social unrest and debates over online regulation have been prominent. Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl says that while the internet was once about capturing curiosity for clicks, it has now shifted toward manipulating emotions, per Deutsche Welle.

The term "rage bait" first appeared on Usenet in 2002, originally describing a driver provoking another motorist, but it eventually took hold as internet slang. It's similar to clickbait, "where a headline is used to lure a reader in to view an article or video," but with a focus on influencing emotion, per the BBC. Oxford's shortlist for this year's Word of the Year included "aura farming," which refers to attempts to cultivate a magnetic personal vibe, and "biohack," the practice of optimizing mind or body through lifestyle changes or technology. Last year's winning term was "brain rot," which describes the kind of low-value, often AI-generated content found on social media.