The Oxford English Dictionary has now announced its Word of the Year for 2025— ‘rage bait.’
So, what exactly is ‘rage bait’ and why has it been chosen?
The lexicographers at the Oxford shortlisted three contenders—'rage bait’, ‘aura farming’, and ‘biohack’.
These, they said, ‘reflect our conversations and preoccupations over the past year.’
After three days of voting in which more than 30,000 people had their say, the boffins chose ‘rage bait’ after considering votes, the sentiment of public commentary, and their own analysis of what they call their ‘lexical data.’
‘Rage bait’ 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 web page or social media content”.
We’ve been familiar with the term ‘click bait’ for some time—it means those online postings that are designed to hook you in, to make you click on their website and so increase traffic.
Well, it seems the same thing happens with postings designed not to attract you but to stir up the blood.
That’s ‘rage bait.’.
The Oxford boffins go on to say that rage bait ‘was first used online in a posting on Usenet in 2002 as a way to designate a particular type of driver reaction to being flashed at by another driver requesting to pass them, introducing the idea of deliberate agitation.’
In other words, it began on the road not on the internet.
When in fast moving traffic on a major road a car pulls right up to your bumper bar and then starts flashing its lights to make you pull over so they can pass, that action is ‘rage bait’—a temptation to you to turn your face red and have steam coming out of your ears.
These days ‘rage bait’ refers to anything that is designed to elicit anger—and especially online postings.
The President of Oxford Languages Casper Grathwohl says, ‘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.’
The lesson is—when you are online, keep calm.
Think calm thoughts.
That way they can’t get you!
Tonight I will join Peta Credlin for 'Words Matter' on Sky News.
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