UK’s phrase of the yr declared as ‘Rage Bait’ whereas ‘aura farming’ and ‘biohack’ lose out

According to Oxford lexicographers, the phrase perfectly encapsulated the mood of the year as a phenomenon whose usage has tripled in the past year, according to Oxford’s data

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Enraged(Image: Getty Images)

  • The 2025 UK word of the year is “Rage Bait”.
  • Yes, it’s two words, but that hasn’t stopped Oxford University Press from choosing it.
  • OUP publishes the Oxford English Dictionary, hence why they’ve made the choice.
  • They define rage bait as online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive.
  • Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages said: “The fact that the word rage bait exists and has seen such a dramatic surge in usage means we’re increasingly aware of the manipulation tactics we can be drawn into online.”
  • Aura farming and biohack lost out.
  • Last year’s word of the year was “brain rot”, which, again, is two words.
  • READ THE FULL STORY HERE: ‘Rage Bait’ declared 2025 word of the year – here’s what it means
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