Word Choice

How does your word choice reflect what is important to you?

The end, and the beginning. Each year, as the numbers turn, as the seasons change, as the light returns, there’s a collective acknowledgment of one year ending and a new one beginning. For me, the new year is simply another day, another opportunity. Yet, there is a deeper reflection of the past and setting intentions for the future. At times the process seems trite, timeworn. Often, I am humbled by the process, as I uncover gifts and insights during the long nights. The process is personal and cultural. Each year, as I contemplate my thoughts, deeds, and actions, I consider global events. As an individual, I am aware I have limited ability to influence community, regional, and global events. As the year comes to an end, I consider how my actions have affected me, and those around me. The Word of the Year offers insight into cultural thoughts, deeds, and actions.

I love that language evolves and changes. It’s not that I can easily keep up with the changes, but the fact that words have life and breath, become popular overnight, and can easily fall out of favor. My 9th-grade Spanish teacher introduced me to the history of words. The concept still fascinates me. They are like a trail of love letters, of words and meaning, representing cultural significance. As the end of the year approaches, so does the emergence of the Word of the Year. I’m intrigued by the cultural identity the Word of the Year expresses. This year, Oxford University Press selected:

Rage Bait. (n.) 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.

After three days of voting in which more than 30,000 people had their say, we have chosen rage bait as our official Oxford Word of the Year for 2025.

With 2025’s news cycle dominated by social unrest, debates about the regulation of online content, and concerns over digital wellbeing, our experts noticed that the use of rage bait this year has evolved to signal a deeper shift in how we talk about attention—both how it is given and how it is sought after—engagement, and ethics online.

The word has also increased threefold in usage in the last 12 months, according to our language data. Oxford Word of the Year 2025 - Oxford University Press

This is not the first year I needed to read the Word of the Year definition. Although I was not familiar with the word, I experienced the action. As someone who values connection through honest communication, I avoid people who sow the seeds of anger. The reflection of the word rage bait culturally feels like a plague of locusts destroying what nourishes us as a society. Sadly, it’s not the first time a communication tool has been used to evoke anger and division, and it won’t be the last.

The end, and the beginning. The new and the old. Opportunities. Letting go. As I reflect on the past and future, the words I choose to give attention to are: serenity, joy, wonder, harmony.