Oxford University Press announced "rage bait" is its 2025 word of the year on Sunday.
Why it matters: The compound of the words "rage" and "bait" has seen a "three-fold increase in usage" over the past year, "suggesting that more people than ever are aware of the negative effects that online life can bring alongside all the positives," per an online post by the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Context: The OED defines the noun as online content that's "deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account."
Fun fact: "Rage bait" triumphed in a public vote over two other words that Oxford University Press shortlisted: "aura farming" and "biohack."
- The OED defines the noun "aura farming" as the "cultivation of an impressive, attractive, or charismatic persona or public image by behaving or presenting oneself in a way intended subtly to convey an air of confidence, coolness, or mystique."
- The verb "biohack" is defined as an "attempt to improve or optimise one's physical or mental performance, health, longevity, or wellbeing by altering one's diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle, or by using other means such as drugs, supplements, or technological devices."
Flashback: Oxford University Press' 2024 word of the year: "brain rot"
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.
