Oxford Dictionary names ‘rage-baiting’ word of the year 2025

LONDON: The renowned Oxford Dictionary has named “rage-baiting” as its Word of the Year, highlighting trends in online discourse.

The Middle English word rage-baiting has become widely associated with how information spreads on various social media platforms.

“Rage bait” refers to online content specifically designed to provoke anger or strong emotional reactions. Its purpose is to manipulate emotions, spark controversy, and drive engagement through clicks, comments, and shares.

The use of the phrase has tripled over the past year, indicating that users are becoming more aware of how platforms promote emotionally charged posts to increase engagement, according to OUP.

Giving the reason for taking the above said as word of the 2025, Oxford officials said that many dictionaries selected internet-elated terms as their top word for 2025. Choosing this word for the year highlighted the strong influence of digital spaces on everyday language and communication, they added.

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The OUP’s Word for 2024 was “brain rot,” referring to a decline in a person’s mental or intellectual state, often linked to excessive consumption of trivial or low-quality content, particularly on social media.