It’s that time of year again when we look back to see which word has been crowned Word of the Year by the Oxford University Press. Last year, it was brain rot, and this time, social media is in the spotlight again. Rage bait is the Word of the Year 2025. In this post, we’ll explore exactly what it means and learn how to use it naturally. Read on for its meaning in context and common collocations.

Definition

According to Oxford, rage bait (noun, uncountable) is 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.

Meaning in Context: Social Media Post

Collocations

Collocation	Example
to feed rage bait (= to react, engage with, or share rage bait)	Don’t reply to that comment—you’re just feeding rage bait. Every angry reply feeds the rage bait monster.
to fall for rage bait (= to be tricked into giving attention to rage bait)	Many users fall for rage bait without realizing it.
to fall into the rage bait trap (= to fall for rage bait)	Don’t fall into the rage bait trap by arguing online.
obvious rage bait	That article is obvious rage bait.
to generate rage bait	Some influencers generate rage bait to boost engagement.
to stir up rage bait (= to generate rage bait)	Some posts deliberately stir up rage bait.
to exploit rage bait (= to take advantage of rage bait)	Political campaigns often exploit rage bait to stir controversy.
to debunk rage bait (= to expose rage bait)	Fact-checkers often debunk rage bait before it spreads.
viral rage bait (rage bait that spreads very quickly across social media or the Internet, reaching a large audience and generating a lot of engagement)	That viral rage bait got thousands of angry comments.
rage bait campaign (= coordinated effort to spread rage bait among a large audience)	Rage bait campaigns are designed to polarize users.
playground for rage bait (= a space or environment where rage bait thrives and spreads easily)	Comment sections are the favorite playground for rage bait.

Rage Bait as a Verb

Interestingly, rage bait can be used as a verb, though it’s more commonly a noun. When used as a verb, it means to deliberately post or create content that provokes anger or outrage. For example: 1) Stop rage baiting in the comments—people are just trying to get a reaction out of you. 2) Some websites rage bait their audience to increase engagement and shares.

Have you ever noticed yourself falling for rage bait? Why do you think it has become so common online? Feel free to comment below and use the Word of the Year to practice using it. Hopefully, you don’t get rage baited in real life too often!