‘Rage bait’ is internet’s favourite word in 2025: Here’s what Oxford’s Word of the Year means

If the online world has been unusually volatile this year, Oxford University Press has now given that feeling a name. After a global vote that attracted more than 30,000 participants, “A Taste of Anger” was announced as the Oxford Word of the Year for 2025, securing its place as a defining expression for an era shaped by relentless digital provocation.

The choice was not surprising. Throughout 2025, social media platforms have been filled with posts designed to spark discontent, the kind that draws millions into comment spirals they never intended to join. Against this backdrop, Rage Bait beat out two other finalists, Aura Farming and Biohack, both of which are hugely popular but not emblematic of the online temperature of the world.

What exactly does anger taste like?

Anger bait refers to online content designed for one purpose: to make people angry enough to respond. This can take many forms: a deliberately unfair opinion, an exaggerated headline, or a video edited to provoke a reaction. It thrives on irritation, division, and an irresistible desire to correct or condemn.

Social media researchers say the term’s rise is rooted in the way algorithms work. Most platforms reward engagement, and nothing draws users to a post faster than the drive to react emotionally. It turns out that anger travels faster than curiosity.

Why does the word resonate now?

The past year has been marked by a remarkable shift in digital behavior. Cycles of anger intensified, political debates intensified, and misinformation spread faster than fact-checks could catch up. Many users have reported feeling mentally fatigued – feeling awake and already exhausted by the tone of their feeds.

A Taste of Anger captures this exhaustion with surprising accuracy. He calls the way people are driven into emotional reactions, the fatigue that comes from recognizing a pattern while still being drawn to it.

The word has a longer history

Although the modern rage boom is recent, rage bait is not a new invention. Linguists trace early uses of the term to online forums in the early 2000s, where it described behavior intended to deliberately provoke others. Over time, it has moved from niche internet slang to mainstream vocabulary, aided by the growth of influencer culture, political campaigns, and platforms tuned to maximize engagement.

Now, the phrase has become part of everyday discourse — used by newsrooms, creatives, and social media users alike.

Cultural background to win

According to language analysts at Oxford, several topics shaped this year’s conversations:

• Intense discussions about artificial intelligence and regulation,

• Growing concern about digital manipulation,

• Concerns about mental health, and

• Frustration with polarizing content.

Against this background, the flavor of anger seemed less like colloquialism and more like a diagnosis of the modern Internet.

Casper Gratwohl, president of Oxford University Press, said this year’s selection reflects “the public’s growing awareness of how their attention is shaped and directed online.”

A snapshot of the past five years

2025: A Taste of Anger
2024: Brain Rot
2023: Res
2022: Goblin Mode
2021: Wax

The list tells its own story: a growing awareness of how digital lives are shaping everything from identity to interest in personal wellness.