Oxford University Press (OUP) has selected “rage bait,” a term used for online posts crafted to provoke outrage and boost engagement, as its Word of the Year for 2025.
The winning word was chosen through a blend of public voting, sentiment analysis, and OUP’s study of language usage trends.
According to the publisher, the term resonated deeply in 2025, reflecting how strongly it shaped online conversations and emotional responses.
Casper Grathwohl, president of OUP’s languages division, said the rise of the phrase highlights the impact of digital platforms on modern behavior and the way people process information.
“It feels like a natural step in the ongoing discussion about humanity’s place in a technology-driven age, and how extreme online culture has become,” he noted in a statement.