Oxford Announces Utterly Infuriating Word of the Year 2025

Have you ever come across an online post that feels intentionally provocative, almost engineered to spark anger? Thats whats known as rage bait material created specifically to provoke outrage and drive interaction. The term has grown so widespread that Oxford Dictionary selected rage bait as its Word of the Year this past Sunday.

The dictionary reported that the usage of the term has tripled this year, indicating that people are increasingly pulled into polarizing discussions, fueled by social media algorithms and the addictive nature of content designed to outrage. This trend reflects how digital platforms shape public conversation and influence our daily interactions.

Almost all major dictionaries have recently chosen internet-related words as their words of the year, emphasizing the deep influence of technology on everyday language. According to Matthew Horwood/Getty Images, our vocabulary is being molded by emerging digital innovations.

Rage bait can sometimes be relatively harmless, like a recipe with unappealing food combinations or a humorous clip of someone irritating a pet or family member. Yet, it has also made its way into politics, where outrage is leveraged to boost profiles and trigger cycles of reaction and counter-reaction.

Other dictionaries have highlighted different tech-inspired terms. Collins Dictionary named vibe coding, which describes AI-driven software that converts natural language into code. Cambridge Dictionary selected parasocial, referring to the one-sided relationships people form online with public figures. Last year, Oxford chose brain rot to describe the mental fatigue caused by endless scrolling, as explained by Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages.

Grathwohl noted that together, rage bait and brain rot create a cycle: outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and repeated exposure leaves people mentally drained. These words dont merely reflect trends; they illustrate how digital platforms are altering thought patterns and behaviors, he added.

Oxford Dictionary allowed the public to vote for its word of the year from a shortlist including aura farming and biohack, using playful Instagram videos to convey each concept. Aura farming refers to cultivating a compelling or charismatic persona, depicted as a casually dressed individual seemingly always one step away from finishing a creative project. Biohack involves efforts to enhance health, longevity, or well-being through diet, exercise, supplements, or technology, visualized as a person connected to an IV drip and wearing an LED mask while following a precise nutrient routine.

Meanwhile, rage bait was illustrated in a chaotic scene, highlighting its absurdity: spilling milk while preparing tea, picking toenails, and pouring the milk over oneself a humorous exaggeration of content designed purely to provoke reactions.

Author: Sophia Brooks