Oxford Names ‘Rage Bait’ Word of the Year

Published: 1 December 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Good news for anyone who feels their blood pressure spike while scrolling online: the Oxford English Dictionary’s publisher has announced the term that might perfectly capture this sensation. “Rage bait” has been named the Oxford University Press’ word of the year, reflecting a significant cultural shift in the way online content interacts with audiences.

According to the Oxford University Press, the usage of “rage bait” has tripled over the past twelve months, signalling heightened awareness of emotionally manipulative content on the internet. The term is 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.”

Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, emphasised that the recognition of “rage bait” demonstrates how increasingly conscious people are becoming of the “manipulation tactics” employed to capture attention online. He explained that while early internet content primarily aimed to spark curiosity to generate clicks, the current landscape focuses on hijacking and influencing emotions, fundamentally affecting how people respond to digital content.

“It feels like the natural progression in an ongoing conversation about what it means to be human in a tech-driven world – and the extremes of online culture,” he said.

Grathwohl also compared this year’s choice with last year’s word, “brain rot,” which captured the mental drain of endless scrolling. “Rage bait shines a light on content purposefully engineered to spark outrage and drive clicks,” he said. He noted that together, the two terms illustrate a cycle where outrage drives engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves users mentally exhausted. “These words don’t just define trends; they reveal how digital platforms are reshaping our thinking and behaviour,” he added.

While the term is officially recognised in 2025, the Oxford University Press noted that “rage bait” has existed since shortly after the turn of the century. It was first recorded online in a 2002 Usenet post, describing a type of driver reaction to being flashed by another driver, introducing the concept of deliberate agitation. Over time, the phrase evolved into internet slang used to describe viral content, often critiquing entire networks of content including platforms, creators, and online trends.