Oxford University Press has named “rage bait” — content deliberately crafted to provoke anger online — as its 2025 Word of the Year, reflecting a broader shift in conversations about digital attention and emotional manipulation.
Oxford University Press has declared “rage bait” its 2025 word of the year, defining it 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 content.”
The term has seen a “three-fold increase” in usage over the past year as online discourse becomes more emotionally charged, with OUP noting a shift from curiosity-driven clicks to content that “hijacks and influences our emotions.” Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, said, “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.” Beating out “aura farming” and “biohack,” “rage bait” joins last year’s “brain rot” in highlighting how digital culture shapes attention, behavior, and the mental strain of internet life.