[Chungraon = Associate Editor-in-Chief Dongseop David Yeo] Presented annually by the Oxford University Press, the Oxford Word of the Year reflects on the trends in the English language across the world that were analyzed by lexicographers at Oxford. This year, they selected the word “rage bait,” a popular internet term used to describe an act of purposely inciting anger or “rage” from others through trolling or pranks.
The official Oxford definition of the term describes it 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 web page or social media account.”
The term gained popularity through social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, where creators would add the hashtag #ragebait and perform pranks or trolling that would incite just enough anger from the target to make it humorous.
Famous examples include purposely bad political takes, slander of famous artists on their platforms, or misleading headlines that “bait” clicks and enraged comments.
But what makes rage baiting so popular across various social media platforms? It’s the same reason behind why so many people are targeted by it: it attracts attention. The “rage baiters,” or the people behind such content, purposely create content that reflects topics of mass interest or controversy, as it naturally leads people who are passionate about it to click and express their personal opinions about it, generating attention and profit for the original poster.
The term itself is called rage “baiting,” and it is so successful in generating attention that it generates millions of views and interactions daily. The usage of the term increased 3x in the last 12 months, showing its increased popularity and usage across social media platforms and daily vocabulary alike.
The runner-ups on the vote for Oxford Word of the Year also originated from similar social media contexts, with the runner-ups being “aurafarming” and “biohack.” Aurafarming also originates from popular trends on social media, and its literal definition is intentionally cultivating an image of effortless coolness, charisma, or impressive presence, often through stylized, repetitive actions. The term “aurafarming” rose to fame after a popular post about an 11-year-old boy from Indonesia leading a boat race while dancing on the front of the boat, effortlessly dancing in sunglasses as he led his team to victory.
The other runner-up in the vote was the word “biohack,” and it means to attempt to improve or optimize one’s physical or mental performance, health, longevity, or well-being by altering one’s diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle, or by using other means such as drugs, supplements, or technological devices. Through social media fitness and wellness influencers, the term spread rapidly and gained attention through the benefits that it could bring both to the body and the mind, especially fitting in the up-and-coming age of social wellness.
As the year of 2025 comes to an end, the Oxford Word of the Year summarizes the trends that the year has seen and gives audiences worldwide a chance to reflect upon the events of the year as they progress into the next year, 2026.
/Dongseop David Yeo