Vibe coding, an AI-assisted software development method that converts natural language into computer code, has been named Collins Dictionary's word of the year for 2025. The term, first recorded in February, saw a significant surge in usage, according to lexicographers who monitor the 24-billion-word Collins Corpus.
The phrase was coined by Andrej Karpathy, former director of AI at Tesla and a founding engineer at OpenAI. It describes how artificial intelligence enables users to create applications while effectively disregarding the underlying code itself.
Other notable entries on the annual list include biohacking, defined as altering natural bodily processes to improve health and longevity, and clanker, a derogatory term for computers, robots or AI sources popularised by Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The latter has been widely used on social media to express distrust of AI chatbots and platforms.
Further additions include glaze, meaning to praise or flatter excessively, and aura farming, the deliberate cultivation of a charismatic persona, which gained broader attention through the widely shared 'boat kid' video. The broligarchy, referring to major tech company owners, earned its place following their prominent attendance at Donald Trump's inauguration.
Other terms recognised include Henry, an acronym for 'high earner, not rich yet', coolcation, meaning a holiday in a cool climate, taskmasking, the act of appearing productive at work, and micro-retirement, a break between jobs to pursue personal interests.
Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said the choice of vibe coding captures how language evolves alongside technology, highlighting a major shift towards more accessible software development and the integration of human creativity with machine intelligence.
