Answer: Rage bait
Notes: Rage bait was named the Word of the Year 2025 by Oxford University Press (OUP). Its online usage rose three times, showing changes in how people seek attention and engagement. It means online content made to provoke anger or outrage to increase views and traffic. The term first appeared in 2002 on Usenet with a different meaning linked to road rage. It later became popular in social media and digital journalism. It beat shortlisted words like aura farming and biohack. Rage bait boosts clicks and reactions, especially in politics and viral trends. Its advanced form is called rage farming, where anger is used repeatedly to drive engagement, often using misinformation.
