- Oxford University Press shortlisted three words for Word of the Year 2025 voting till November 27
- The words are Aura Farming, Biohack, and Rage Bait, reflecting current cultural trends
- Aura Farming surged after a viral video of an 11-year-old motivational dancer in 2023
Oxford University has released a shortlisted Word of the Year (WOTY) 2025 and opened the voting, which will continue till November 27. People can visit corp.oup.com to vote for their favourite word.
This year, the Oxford University Press selected three words in its annual tradition, where OUP selects words or expressions that capture the mood or preoccupations of the year based on data from their dictionaries, public usage, and global trends.
The WOTY has been running since 2007 and often reflects cultural, social, or technological shifts.
CONFIRMED: @OxUniPress has announced its shortlist for the Oxford Word of the Year 2025:
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) November 24, 2025
- Aura Farming
- Biohack
- Rage Bait
Voting runs from 24th to 27th November, with the winning word announced on 1st December.#OxfordWOTY pic.twitter.com/hVqbkGRltj
The three words:
1. Aura Farming - The cultivation of an impressive, attractive, or charismatic persona or public image by behaving or presenting oneself in a way intended subtly to convey an air of confidence, coolness, or mystique.
2. Biohack - To attempt to improve or optimize one's physical or mental performance, health, longevity, or wellbeing by altering one's diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle, or by using other means such as drugs, supplements, or technological devices.
3. Rage Bait - 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.
Why were only these words selected?
Aura Farming has been growing in use since its first appearance online in 2023. It surged this year, reaching a peak in July, largely as a response to a viral video of 11-year-old Rayyan Arkan Dikha from Indonesia looking effortlessly cool as he carried out his role as a motivational dancer for the crew of a traditional racing boat.
Biohack has come to prominence over recent months with increased attention to the efforts of some of us, especially the rich and powerful, to turbocharge our mental or physical performance, or to halt or reverse the ageing process.
Rage Bait has seen a threefold increase in usage over the last year, suggesting that more people than ever are aware of the negative effects that online life can bring alongside all the positives.
"Every year, our lexicographers analyse the English language to summarize words and expressions that have reflected our world during the last 12 months," said the OUP in an official notification. In 2024, Brait Rot won, rizz in 2023, Goblin Mode in 2022 and vax in 2021.
