Merriam-Webster Names 'Slop' As 2025 Word Of The Year Amid AI Content Concerns

As artificial intelligence has surged in popularity, the internet has been plagued with low-quality, automated content known as 'AI slop'. Recognising this cultural shift, Merriam-Webster has officially named 'slop' its 2025 Word of the Year. The dictionary publisher's word of the year selection is based largely on spikes in search data, and 'slop' appears to be one of the most used words online as AI use becomes ubiquitous.

"We define slop as "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence." All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again," read a statement by Merriam-Webster.

Originally used in the 1700s to mean "soft mud," the term evolved during the 1800s to describe food waste, such as pig slop, before eventually becoming a general synonym for "rubbish" or "worthless products".

"In 2025, amid all the talk about AI threats, slop set a tone that's less fearful, more mocking. The word sends a little message to AI: when it comes to replacing human creativity, sometimes you don't seem too superintelligent," the dictionary added.

Apart from slop, the other words that stood out for Merriam-Webster's editors were: “gerrymander", “touch grass", “performative", “tariff", “six-seven” and “conclave".

Also Read | British Man Fined Rs 30,000 For Spitting A Leaf That Blew Into His Mouth

AI Slop On Internet

Though anyone can write blogs, produce graphics, upload videos and write code using AI, the end product, especially for a professional setting, is not always satisfactory. AI use often results in a sloppy product that is easily recognisable by its distinct lack of human realness and imperfection.

In September, an NBC News report cited that humans were now being hired in numbers to make AI 'slop' look less sloppy, thereby spawning an unexpected employment field. Prior to that, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) highlighted that 95 per cent of organisations that implemented AI systems were getting zero return on the investment.

"Despite $30-40 billion in enterprise investment into GenAI, this report uncovers a surprising result in that 95 per cent of organisations are getting zero return," the report titled, The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025, stated.