Oxford crowns ‘rage bait’, spotlighting internet slang and online outrage culture.
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THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY has officially released their Word of the Year 2025, and has called it “The internet’s most effective hook.” After three days of an Instagram voting process which involved more than 30,000 people, the dictionary has chosen ‘rage bait’ as their official Word of the Year, and it falls in line with an ongoing pattern that has been reflected in the most recent Words of the Year, as well as the other contenders for this year: an increasing usage of Internet slang in spoken language.
The Word of the Year 2025, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary
rage bait (n.) 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.
‘Rage bait’ ultimately won out against other strong contenders, ‘aura farming,’ meaning intentionally doing things to cultivate an image of effortless coolness, and ‘biohack,’ the practice of using science, technology, or self-experimentation to optimize your body and mind for better health. Though ‘rage bait’ is technically two words, the Oxford Word of the Year can also be an expression with a single unit of meaning.
A word representing a culture of ‘social unrest’
Literally speaking, the word compounds ‘rage,’ meaning explosive anger, and ‘bait,’ a tempting morsel of food. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the usage of the two-word compound has increased threefold in just the last 12 months. Closely linked to the widely-used ‘clickbait,’ ‘rage bait’ is more focused on the intentional incitement of outrage, and is often used as a marketing technique. The increased usage of the term, according to the dictionary, is a direct response to this year’s news cycle, which has been “dominated by social unrest,” as well as heavy debates about online content and digital wellbeing, and reflects a change in how we talk about online engagement, both positive and negative.
“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,” said Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages. “Before, the internet was focused on grabbing our attention by sparking curiosity in exchange for clicks, but now we’ve seen a dramatic shift to it hijacking and influencing our emotions, and how we respond.”
“It feels like the natural progression in an ongoing conversation about what it means to be human in a tech-driven world – and the extremes of online culture.”
The increasing popularity of online slang in real life, and how it affects our behaviour
The choice is also indicative of a larger pattern, seen in previous picks for the Oxford Word of the Year. Last year’s word was ‘brain rot,’ meaning the supposed deterioration of the mental state from too much consumption of trivial online material; the previous year, 2023, saw ‘rizz’ crowned as the winner, colloquial Internet slang defined as style, charm, or attractiveness. The increasing colloquial usage of Internet slang in our daily lives not only represents how tech-driven the world has become, but also the incredible impact online media can have on our day-to-day consciousness … and, in the case of rage bait, on our emotional states.
“Where last year’s choice, brain rot, captured the mental drain of endless scrolling, rage bait shines a light on the content purposefully engineered to spark outrage and drive clicks,” said Mr Grathwohl. “And together, they form a powerful cycle where outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted. These words don’t just define trends; they reveal how digital platforms are reshaping our thinking and behaviour.”
Not only does the word represent the growing impact of digital media on our linguistic paradigm; the word also represents the incredible flexibility of the English language, combining two established terms to create a new one with a distinct and specific meaning.
‘Is this rage bait?’: Questioning the media we consume in a world where nothing is face-value
As for Internet slang, rage bait showcases a larger shift of society beginning to question the media we consume and the intent with which it was made. In a world that is being dominated by AI, deepfakes, and fake videos otherwise indistinguishable from real ones, asking “Is this rage bait?” is much more than just a funny comment to make under someone’s post. It is a callout, a confirmation of facts, and a questioning look into the media we consume and whether it is made in earnest or simply as a way to generate clicks.
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