The Oxford English Dictionary has selected the noun “rage bait” as its Word of the Year 2025. The announcement was made by Oxford University Press, as reported by the BBC and TASS, noting that the choice followed a public vote and expert analysis by the dictionary’s linguists.
According to the dictionary, rage bait refers to online content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage, often through provocative or offensive elements, with the goal of increasing traffic or engagement on a web page or social media platform. In this sense, the term is similar to clickbait, but with a more specific intent: to make people angry.
Oxford University Press highlighted that the phenomenon has grown in significance not only online but also offline, influencing debates on politics, identity, and disinformation.
The Word of the Year was chosen through an online vote on the publisher’s website. Alongside rage bait, the shortlist included “aura farming”, referring to creating an appealing personal image, and the verb “biohack”, describing efforts to enhance physical performance through diet, lifestyle changes, or technological devices.
Last year, the Oxford Dictionary selected brain rot as its Word of the Year, a term that quickly gained popularity on social media and became a staple in the vocabulary of bloggers and journalists.