Rage bait named word of the year by Oxford University Press
Guardian3 days
Oxford Names 'Rage Bait' as 2025 Word of the Year
Is selecting 'rage bait' a cynical marketing stunt, or does it capture how platforms weaponize outrage for clicks?
Above: Oxford's word of the year for 2025, "rage bait," displayed on a phone on Dec. 1, 2025. Image credit: Dilara Irem Sancar/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
"Rage bait" perfectly captures how internet content has evolved from mere attention-grabbing to deliberate emotional manipulation. The term's usage tripled in just 12 months because platforms now reward fury as currency, with newsrooms and politicians weaponizing outrage for engagement. This recognition matters as a warning label for the toxic cycle destroying online discourse.
Narrative B
Naming "rage bait" as Word of the Year 2025 marks progress: its threefold usage surge reflects rising awareness of deliberate online provocation. Following "brain rot," the choice signals a shift from exhaustion to recognition of algorithms that reward outrage. The 2002 term now equips users to spot manipulation, resist engagement traps, and foster healthier digital spaces — turning language into a tool for mindful scrolling.
Cynical narrative
Selecting "rage bait" as word of the year feels like a cynical marketing stunt rather than meaningful cultural commentary. The term has existed since 2002 and doesn't uniquely capture 2025's moment any better than last year's "brain rot" did. Naming rage bait the winner is itself rage bait, generating controversy and think pieces while reminding people dictionaries still exist.
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.1
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.1