Rage bait: Expert explains what Oxford word of the year means

“Rage bait” has been declared Oxford Word of the Year 2025.

Three contenders — rage bait, aura farming, and biohack — reflecting conversations and preoccupations over the past year were shortlisted by language experts.

Lexicographer Susie Dent explained what the word means while speaking on BBC Breakfast on Monday (1 December).

Oxford University Press said 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.”