Online discussions regularly echo with phrases shaping how people interact, and now “rage bait” sits squarely at the forefront of digital talk. Oxford University Press (OUP), home to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), has selected “rage bait” as its 2023 Word of the Year following a public vote. This decision puts a spotlight on widespread digital strategies designed to stoke anger and trigger engagement, unmasking a persistent trend in online content creation. As new words emerge each year, the conversation over how language adapts to the internet age remains as lively as ever.
Elsewhere, previous Word of the Year choices often reflected shifting online behaviors, such as the rise of “selfie” in 2013 and the popularity of “goblin mode” in 2022, capturing fun or unexpected cultural moments. The 2023 selection, though, deals more acutely with negative interactions and digital manipulation. Earlier reports suggested terms like “clickbait” might dominate, but growing annoyance with algorithmically driven outrage made “rage bait” a strong contender. Past coverage largely focused on positive or light-hearted trends, whereas this year’s result prompts further debate around the social costs of viral content designed to anger audiences.
What Does “Rage Bait” Mean Online?
OED defines “rage bait” as digital material crafted to elicit anger or outrage for the purpose of increasing clicks or online engagement. Unlike “clickbait,” which generally tries to tempt curiosity, rage bait intentionally provokes emotional reactions, intensifying division and polarization within online spaces. The use of this phrase has witnessed a notable growth, said to have tripled within the past year alone.
How Did the Public Respond to the Shortlist?
The process that led to this choice involved OUP’s expert team narrowing down a shortlist, with the public casting votes for their preferred term. “Rage bait” emerged victorious over contenders such as “aura farming” and “biohack,” highlighting collective recognition of manipulative digital trends. The surge in awareness illustrates a growing understanding of how content can influence personal emotion and public discourse.
What Broader Trends Did OUP Identify?
“The fact that the word rage bait exists and has seen such a dramatic surge in usage means we’re increasingly aware of the manipulation tactics we can be drawn into online,” says Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages.
Temporary online interests now appear more intertwined with emotional manipulation than ever before, as explained by OUP’s leadership.
“Before, the internet was focused on grabbing our attention by sparking curiosity in exchange for clicks, but now we’ve seen a dramatic shift to it hijacking and influencing our emotions, and how we respond,”
Grathwohl stated, linking the term to last year’s “brain rot” as another sign of mounting online fatigue and the reinforcing cycle of outrage-driven engagement.
Selection of “rage bait” as the Word of the Year signals a distinct move from the playful internet culture captured by previous winners toward a more self-aware and sometimes weary acknowledgment of manipulation in digital life. The contrast with “aura farming,” a term that hints at self-presentation rather than provocation, demonstrates the public’s current preoccupation with the emotional toll of online interaction. As users and platforms face new rhetoric and methods for driving engagement, terms like “rage bait” equip audiences to recognize and potentially resist getting drawn into cycles of outrage. Understanding this vocabulary can help online readers and creators alike critically assess the value and intent behind the posts and headlines they encounter.
