The Oxford University Press promises it's not rage baiting with its two-word Word of the Year.

The publishing house announced on Dec. 1 that its experts have named "rage bait" the 2025 Word of the Year.

The phrase is shorthand for online content that is intentionally meant to elicit anger. The term has tripled in usage over the last year, according to Oxford.

“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, in a press release. "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."

What does 'rage bait' mean?

The Oxford University Press defines "rage bait" 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 phrase is a combination of the words rage — meaning: a violent outburst of anger — and bait — meaning: an attractive morsel of food.

According to Oxford, the term "rage bait" was first used online in 2002 in reference to the reaction of a driver who is flashed at by another driver requesting to pass them. The phrase then evolved into internet slang and is often used to describe viral social media posts or to critique creators and trends.

Can the Word of the Year be two words?

Oxford said its Word of the Year doesn't have to be a singular word, because its experts also consider expressions as a single unit of meaning.

Like this year's choice, last year's Oxford Word of the Year — brain rot — was also two words.

The publishing house said it determines its annual Word of the Year by analyzing data and trends to identify new and emerging words and expressions. Once its lexicographers establish a shortlist for Word of the Year, Oxford opens voting on its website.

This year, more than 30,000 people voted on the shortlist for the Word of the Year, Oxford said.

See Oxford's shortlist for Word of the Year 2025

Two other words were in the running for Oxford's Word of the Year. See the full shortlist:

  • aura farming: (n.) 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.
  • biohack: (v.) To attempt to improve or optimize one’s physical or mental performance, health, longevity, or wellbeing by altering one’s diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle, or by using other means such as drugs, supplements, or technological devices.
  • 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.

6-7, parasocial also chosen as words of the year

Other publishers also chose terms with references to slang and online trends for their words of the year.

Dictionary.com announced on Oct. 29 that its Word of the Year is "6-7" (also "six-seven" and "67"), a slang phrase popularly used by Gen Alpha. While some interpret the phrase to mean "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that," it is also used as an exclamation, according to a Dictionary.com news release.

Earlier this month, Cambridge Dictionary also announced it selected "parasocial" for its 2025 Word of the Year. The dictionary defines the word as "involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know."

The pick, in part, stemmed from fans' reactions to one of the year's biggest moments in pop culture, Taylor Swift's engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce, according to a news release.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Contributing: Greta Cross and Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Rage bait' is Oxford's word of the year for 2025. What it means.

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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