Words of the Year 2025: Meaning behind 'Rage Bait', 'Parasocial', 'Vibe Coding' and others

As the calendar turns toward the end of 2025, the leading dictionaries and their expert linguists commence their annual ritual. This process involves the challenging and sometimes polarising task of identifying the single word that summarises the cultural themes defining the last twelve months.

Rage Bait: As defined by Oxford University Press, it refers to online content characterized by its frustrating, provocative, or offensive nature, which is specifically designed to generate a reaction of anger or intense outrage. After a global vote involving more than 30,000 participants, "rage bait" was chosen over "aura farming" and "biohack."

Vibe Coding: The Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2025 is the term for generating software through natural language prompts directed at AI, instead of using code. This highlights AI's role in widening access to software creation for users without established coding backgrounds.

Parasocial: The Cambridge Dictionary has named it as Word of the Year for 2025. This term means a one-sided emotional bond that individuals form with a public figure, fictional entity or artificial intelligence whom they have never met.

AI Slop: The Macquarie Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2025, AI Slop describes low-quality, error-containing content churned out by generative AI, which users often did not request. The selection signifies a cultural acknowledgement of the increasing disappointment and frustration surrounding flawed AI-generated material.

67: In an unusual method, Dictionary.com has named "67" (six-seven) as its Word of the Year for 2025. This numeric phrase, which conveys indifference or uncertainty, rose from viral music and youth culture. Its selection underscores how social media, memes, and digital shorthand are unexpectedly reshaping linguistic norms, becoming a common, if confusing, part of teen vocabulary.