According to linguistic data from Oxford, use of rage bait has tripled in the past 12 months, emerging as a defining expression of the digital environment of 2025.
What does ‘anger bait’ mean?
The term refers to “online content that is intentionally designed to cause anger or outrage by being disappointing, provocative, or offensive, typically posted to increase traffic or engagement to a particular web page or social media content.”
Oxford language experts say the term reflects how online culture has evolved from click-driven attention to emotion-driven manipulation. He notes that the news cycle of 2025, which was dominated by social unrest and debate over regulating online content, contributed to rage bait becoming a widely recognized linguistic marker at this time.
Rage bait was first documented on Usenet in 2002, where it described a driver intentionally provoking another motorist. It later moved into Internet slang, particularly around viral posts on platforms like Twitter, and has since become a standard reference in newsrooms and creator communities.
Caspar Grathwohl, Chair of Oxford Languages, said, “The fact that the term rage bait exists and has seen such a dramatic increase in use means that we are becoming increasingly aware of the manipulative tactics we can engage in online.”
“In the past, the Internet was focused on capturing our attention by sparking curiosity in exchange for clicks, but now we’ve seen a dramatic shift in how it’s influencing our emotions and how we respond.”
Oxford Word of the Year doesn’t need a word. It may also be a longer expression that experts think of as a unit of meaning.
What were the other contenders for Oxford Word of the Year?
There were two other expressions competing for the lexical crown.
Aura cultivation describes the deliberate cultivation of a certain magnetic “vibe” or presence – an effort to create the effortless coolness that some people seem to naturally radiate. Its surge in 2024 was inspired by a viral clip suggesting that charisma could also be engineered.
Other contenders “biohack” refers to trying to optimize the body or mind through lifestyle changes, supplements, or technology. The idea has grown rapidly as high-profile celebrities aim for longevity and peak performance.
The 2024 Oxford Word of the Year was “brain rot”, which refers to low-quality, low-value content found on social media and the Internet, especially if it is AI-generated.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher
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