‘Rage bait’ named Oxford’s word of the year for 2025
What is rage bait and why it is Oxford’s word of the year?
- Rage bait has been named the official Oxford word of 2025, with its usage tripling over the past year.
- Oxford University Press defines rage bait as online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage to increase traffic or engagement.
- The selection reflects a year dominated by social unrest, debates on online content regulation, and concerns over digital wellbeing.
- The term, first used in 2002, has evolved from internet slang to signify a deeper shift in discussions about online attention, engagement, and ethics.
- Casper Grathwohl of Oxford Languages stated that rage bait highlights online manipulation tactics, forming a cycle with last year's word 'brain rot' to show how digital platforms reshape behaviour.