Oxford University Press has named 'rage bait' as its word of the year for 2025, reflecting a surge in awareness of online manipulation tactics. The term, defined 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 webpage or social media content', has seen its usage triple over the past 12 months.
Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, said the term's existence shows how aware people are becoming of 'manipulation tactics' used to grab attention online. He noted a shift from content that sparks curiosity to content that hijacks emotions, describing it as 'the natural progression in an ongoing conversation about what it means to be human in a tech-driven world'.
Grathwohl contrasted 'rage bait' with last year's winner, 'brain rot', which captured the mental drain of endless scrolling. Together, he said, they 'form a powerful cycle where outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted'. The words reveal how digital platforms are reshaping thinking and behaviour.
Although recognised in 2025, 'rage bait' first appeared online in 2002 on Usenet, referring to a driver's reaction to being flashed by another driver. It later evolved into internet slang for viral tweets and broader critique of content networks.
