Oxford University Press (OUP) has revealed that “rage bait” is their official Word of the Year for 2025. Over 30,000 votes were cast from a shortlist of three, which also included “aura farming” and “biohack”.
“Rage bait” is defined by OUP as: “Online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account.”
According to OUP, the word has tripled in usage over the past year, although its first mention can be traced back to 2002. Back then, it referred to a form of road rage, when a fellow driver flashed their lights to indicate they wanted to overtake, in a form of “deliberate agitation”.
The other two contenders have also seen a significant rise in usage through social media. “Aura farming” rose to prominence after a video of an Indonesian boy dancing seemingly effortlessly on the front of a boat went viral. OUP defines the word as: “The cultivation of an impressive, attractive, or charismatic persona or public image by behaving or presenting oneself in a way intended subtly to convey an air of confidence, coolness, or mystique.”
Meanwhile, “biohack” is defined as: “To attempt to improve or optimize one’s physical or mental performance.” It has risen in prominence as efforts to find ways of reversing, or even halting, the process of ageing have increased, particularly among the rich and famous.
Every year, OUP announces a word – or expression – which was of the most “cultural significance” over the past twelve months. Last year’s winner was “brain rot”, while previous selections have included “rizz”, “vax”, and “climate emergency”.
Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages described 2025 as “a year defined by questions around who we truly are; both online and offline”. He added: “The fact that the word rage bait exists and has seen such a dramatic surge in usage means we’re increasingly aware of the manipulation tactics we can be drawn into online.
“Year after year, it’s incredible to see the campaign spark curiosity, conversation, and – most importantly – participation. The Oxford Word of the Year invites us to pause and reflect on the forces shaping our collective language.”
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