Oxford University Press has announced ‘rage bait’ as its 2025 Word of the Year, following a public vote of over 30,000 participants.
The term, which describes online content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage, was chosen from a shortlist that included phrases like aura farming and biohack.
Rage bait, a linguistic fusion of “rage” and “bait,” has surged in usage, tripling in just 12 months. Oxford notes that while technically a two-word phrase, it functions as a single concept - similar to clickbait but far angrier and more likely to ignite emotional reactions online.
Originating on the internet in 2002, rage bait has evolved into a pervasive online phenomenon. From performative politics to viral creator meltdowns, it represents content engineered to hijack emotions, fuel outrage, and drive engagement. Oxford points out that newsrooms and politicians alike now employ rage bait, intentionally or not, as part of their digital strategies.
Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages, highlighted that the term reflects how the internet has shifted from merely capturing attention to actively manipulating emotions. Whereas last year’s Word of the Year, “brain rot,” reflected passive consumption of endless content, rage bait embodies active engagement in the digital cycle of anger: scroll, rage, repeat.
While the term may evoke a chuckle, its implications are serious. Rage bait underscores an online culture where fury has become a form of currency, and algorithms profit from the emotional reactions of users.
The recognition serves as a reminder of the internet’s growing capacity to exploit human emotion - and perhaps a caution to pause before sharing that next outrage-inducing post.
