The term “rage bait” has been chosen as Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2025, reflecting the rise of outrage-driven online content. It beat contenders “aura farming” and “biohack” in a public vote.

The term refers to “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.”

Experts at Oxford Language say the term captures how online culture has evolved from click-driven attention to emotion-driven manipulation. They noted that 2025’s news cycle, dominated by social unrest and debates on regulating online content, contributed to rage bait becoming a widely recognized linguistic marker of the moment.