Oxford University Press has officially named “rage bait” as its 2025 Word of the Year, beating the runner-up, “aura farming.” As we wrap up the year, major dictionaries have been releasing words that best describe our online habits in 2025.
Cambridge Dictionary picked “parasocial”—a term boosted by streamer IShowSpeed’s influence. Dictionary.com, meanwhile, went with “67,” which exploded online as people expressed their frustrations from so-called “brain rot”.
Photo via The Today Show
So… what exactly is “rage bait”?
Oxford defines it as online content purposely crafted to spark anger or annoyance. The goal? To get more clicks and engagement by making people upset enough to react, share or argue.
Oxford’s experts said usage of the term has tripled in the past year, showing just how aware people have become of manipulative online tactics. They added that this shift reflects growing discussions about digital wellbeing, online ethics and how engagement is often engineered rather than earned.
Interestingly, this is the second year in a row a two-word term topped Oxford’s list. Last year’s winner was “brain rot,” continuing the trend of words that highlight the mental toll of Internet culture.
