Oxford University Press Names 'Rage Bait' as Word of the Year for 2025

Oxford University Press (OUP), the renowned publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has officially announced "rage bait" as its Word of the Year for 2025.

This selection highlights a significant trend in contemporary communication, particularly within digital spaces, reflecting the increasing prevalence of content designed to provoke anger, outrage, or strong emotional reactions for engagement. The choice underscores a growing concern about online polarization and the manipulation of public sentiment.

The term "rage bait" refers to any content—be it an article, social media post, video, or comment—deliberately crafted to incite an angry response from its audience. Its primary goal is often to drive engagement, clicks, shares, and ultimately, advertising revenue, by tapping into human emotional vulnerabilities rather than fostering reasoned debate or information sharing.

OUP's linguistic experts noted a remarkable surge in the term's usage across various platforms throughout 2025, signaling its deep integration into everyday vocabulary and online discourse.

This year's selection by Oxford University Press follows a pattern of choosing words that reflect the prevailing cultural, social, or technological mood. In an increasingly digital world, the weaponization of emotion for virality has become a dominant force, making "rage bait" a particularly potent descriptor of our current informational landscape. The term encapsulates the frustrations many users feel about the quality and intent of online interactions, as platforms prioritize engagement metrics.

The impact of "rage bait" extends beyond mere annoyance; it contributes to echo chambers, fuels misinformation, and can have tangible effects on real-world events and public policy. The experts at OUP emphasized that the word's ascent signifies a collective awareness of these manipulative tactics. Its prominence reflects a society grappling with how to navigate an internet where emotionally charged content often outperforms nuanced or factual reporting.

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