Are you finding yourself increasingly frustrated while navigating your social media feeds?
If so, you may be experiencing the effects of “rage bait,” which Oxford University Press has recognized as its word or phrase of the year.
This term describes manipulative techniques employed to artificially inflate engagement online; according to the dictionary publisher, its usage has tripled in the past year.
Rage bait surpassed “aura farming” and “biohack,” the two other shortlisted terms, to secure the title.
The list of words is intended to encapsulate some of the prevailing sentiments and discussions that have shaped 2025.
Even if the term is unfamiliar, frequent social media users have likely encountered rage bait tactics.
Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, defines rage bait as online content deliberately crafted to provoke anger or outrage through frustrating, provocative, or offensive means.
Such content is typically disseminated to increase traffic to particular websites or social media accounts.
It shares similarities with “clickbait,” where headlines are used to entice readers to view an article or video.
However, rage bait specifically aims to evoke negative emotions, such as anger.
The three shortlisted words were presented for a public vote, the results of which informed the final decision by Oxford Languages’ linguistic experts.
“The existence and increased usage of ‘rage bait’ signifies a heightened awareness of online manipulation tactics,” noted Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages.
“While the internet initially aimed to capture attention through curiosity, there has been a notable shift toward exploiting and influencing our emotions and subsequent reactions.
“It represents a progression in the ongoing dialogue about the human condition in a tech-dominated world, particularly concerning the extremes of online culture.”
Last year’s word of the year, “brain rot,” characterized the mental exhaustion resulting from excessive, mindless scrolling on platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
Mr. Grathwohl observes that both the 2024 and 2025 selections share a common theme.
“Together, they represent a cycle where outrage generates engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leads to mental fatigue,” he elaborated.
Past Oxford words of the year include “selfie,” “goblin mode,” and “rizz.”
Cambridge Dictionary has designated parasocial as its word of 2025, defining it as the feeling of a relationship between someone and a celebrity they do not know.
Examples include the intense interest from fans following the engagement announcement of pop star Taylor Swift and American football player Travis Kelce.
Meanwhile, Collins Dictionary has chosen vibe coding, which refers to the process of designing an app or website by describing it to artificial intelligence, instead of manually coding.
It requires the promotion of the language in areas like education, the justice system and culture.
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