Dictionaries and cultural platforms have unveiled their selections for the words of the year, revealing a generation grappling with frustrations related to employment, artificial intelligence, and the pervasive nature of online interactions. The words chosen reflect a growing sense of exhaustion and skepticism towards technology and its impact on daily life.
Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, highlighted the underlying themes of 2025: “There’s no denying that 2025 has been a year defined by questions around who we truly are, both online and offline.” The selected words encapsulate a collective sentiment, echoing the frustrations of a generation facing significant challenges.
Words of the Year Capture Workplace Fatigue
Glassdoor, a platform dedicated to job reviews, identified “fatigue” as its word of the year, noting a 41% increase in mentions throughout 2025. The platform’s findings indicate that job seekers are increasingly disheartened by a stagnant job market and the emotional toll of a rapid rise in AI technology. An alarming 78% of professionals reported feeling drained by the relentless news cycle affecting their work environment.
As the job market remains competitive, many workers express frustration with “job huggers” who cling to their positions, limiting opportunities for others. In a somewhat sardonic reflection, Glassdoor remarked, “Yes, things could be better, but they could also be much worse.”
Tech-Driven Trends Highlight Societal Shifts
The term “vibe coding,” coined by Andrej Karpathy, a notable AI researcher, was designated as the word of the year by Collins Dictionary. This phrase refers to the practice of using natural language prompts to guide AI in writing code, as opposed to traditional coding methods. According to OpenAI’s annual enterprise report, there has been a 36% increase in code-related queries from non-engineering professionals, showcasing a shift towards a tech-dominated workforce.
The Oxford Dictionary selected “rage bait” as its word of the year, defining it as online content intentionally crafted to provoke anger or outrage. Usage of the term has tripled in 2025, reflecting the changing dynamics of online discourse and the strategies employed to capture attention.
Meanwhile, the Cambridge Dictionary pinpointed “parasocial” as its word of the year, highlighting the one-sided relationships individuals form with celebrities, influencers, and even AI chatbots. This phenomenon illustrates how deeply personal connections with digital personas can affect emotional well-being, as seen in the increasing emotional dependency on AI models.
The Macquarie Dictionary chose “AI slop,” denoting low-quality AI-generated content that often lacks accuracy and relevance. This term underscores concerns about the deluge of information produced by generative AI technologies, which can lead to a confusing and unproductive work environment. The Macquarie Dictionary Committee noted, “While in recent years we’ve learned to become search engineers to find meaningful information, we now need to become prompt engineers in order to wade through the AI slop.”
In a first for Dictionary.com, the numeral “67” was chosen as the word of the year. This selection reflects a significant increase in search volume, surging more than sixfold since June 2025. Described as “meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical,” the term symbolizes a sense of ambivalence, often used to denote something average or indifferent.
As 2025 draws to a close, these words encapsulate the zeitgeist of a generation grappling with the complexities of modern life. From workplace challenges to the intricacies of online culture, the selected terms resonate with a growing desire for clarity and connection in an increasingly chaotic world.
