Oxford Announces Its Word of the Year 2025

Oxford University Press has selected "rage bait" as its Word of the Year for 2025, following a three-day public vote that drew participation from more than 30,000 people. The publisher pointed to a sharp rise in the term’s usage over the past year, noting that it has tripled according to Oxford’s language data and has become a clear reflection of the current digital environment.

The expression describes online material crafted specifically to provoke anger, frustration or outrage, with the goal of driving engagement, clicks or visibility across platforms....