Oxford University Press (OUP) has announced ‘Rage Bait’ as the Oxford Word of the Year 2025, calling it the term that best captures the mood of the digital world over the past year. The word emerged as the overwhelming winner after a three-day global survey in which more than 30,000 people participated.
A Word That Ruled the Internet in 2025
Among all the words and phrases that dominated online conversations this year, rage bait stood out the most. It appeared across angry comment threads, viral online arguments and polarising social media posts. Whether it was political outrage, algorithm-driven frustration or heated debates, the term became a shorthand for the kind of content that triggered intense emotional reactions.
According to OUP, the use of this term has tripled within a year, showing how fast online behaviour and content consumption patterns are changing. Experts believe this rise reflects growing exhaustion among users who are constantly surrounded by provocative and emotionally charged material.
What Exactly Is ‘Rage Bait’?
OUP defines rage bait as content designed deliberately to provoke anger or outrage. It includes misleading headlines, intentionally offensive opinions, exaggerated claims and posts crafted only to spark arguments. While it is similar to clickbait, rage bait goes a step further it aims not only to attract attention but to stir up strong emotions that keep users engaged, often in unhealthy ways.
This type of content has become particularly common on platforms where engagement metrics reward high-reaction posts, even when those reactions are negative. Many users reported feeling drained and irritated by the constant stream of such provocative material, making rage bait an accurate reflection of the digital fatigue of 2025.
The Competition It Beat
This year, rage bait surpassed two strong contenders ‘aura farming’ and ‘biohack.’ Both words were widely used, but neither captured public sentiment as powerfully as rage bait. The growing frustration with online manipulation and emotionally driven content made it the most relevant choice for 2025.
A Look Back at Recent Words of the Year
OUP also shared the list of the past five winners:
- 2025: Rage bait
- 2024: Brain rot
- 2023: Rizz
- 2022: Goblin mode
- 2021: Vax
Each term reflects the cultural and emotional landscape of its year. While last year’s winner brain rot described the exhaustion caused by endless scrolling of low-value content, this year’s winner focuses on the deliberate creation of emotionally charged material that fuels that exhaustion.
A Growing Concern About Digital Manipulation
OUP President Casper Grathwohl said the choice of rage bait highlights how digital experiences are increasingly shaped by emotional triggers. He explained that while brain rot reflected mental burnout, rage bait exposes the content designed to keep that burnout alive. Together, these words paint a picture of an online world that is becoming more manipulative and users who are trying to understand how it affects their mental and emotional well-being.
