Oxford University Press Names “Rage Bait” Word of the Year 2025
UPDATE: Oxford University Press has just announced “rage bait” as its Word of the Year for 2025, highlighting a growing trend in online interactions. This term captures the essence of social media’s current climate, where content is deliberately crafted to provoke anger and outrage, driving significant engagement across platforms.
The phrase “rage bait” refers to content specifically designed to stir frustration or offense, with the intention of boosting traffic to social media accounts. Lexicographer Susie Dent emphasized this phenomenon in a statement to the BBC, noting that creators often revel in the millions of comments, shares, and likes generated by such provocative posts.
“Our engagement with negative content is driven by algorithms that favor outrage over positivity,” Dent explained. This alarming trend reflects how social media platforms amplify divisive material, making rage bait a poignant representation of today’s digital landscape.
“Rage bait” triumphed over two other notable contenders in the 2025 selection process: “aura farming,” which refers to the cultivation of a public persona intended to project confidence and allure, and “biohack,” aimed at optimizing physical and mental performance. The public vote on these terms followed a shortlist compiled by lexicographers at Oxford University Press.
Oxford University Press, known for publishing the Oxford English Dictionary, has picked a word of the year annually since 2004. Previous winners include “podcast” in 2005, “emoji” in 2015, and “goblin mode” in 2022, which described a reluctance to return to pre-pandemic norms.
This year’s selection underscores the urgent need for awareness about the effects of social media on communication and community dynamics. As content creators increasingly rely on outrage as a strategy for engagement, the implications for mental health and societal discourse become more pronounced.
Looking ahead, discussions around the impact of “rage bait” will likely intensify, prompting calls for more responsible content creation and consumption practices. As the implications of this term resonate across various platforms, observers are advised to remain vigilant about the nature of the content they engage with online.
Stay tuned for further updates on how this trend evolves and its potential effects on social media culture in the coming months.
