Gen Z-driven terms battle for Oxford’s 2025 word of the year

Three Gen Z-shaped expressions are officially competing for the Oxford Word of the Year 2025, after Oxford University Press identified the finalists through analysis of its 25-billion-word language dataset.

The shortlist reflects how younger online communities continue to set the pace for mainstream vocabulary, with all three contenders born or popularised in digital culture:

1.  “Aura farming” — a term rooted in social-media behaviour, describing the deliberate crafting of a cool, confident or mysterious persona. It has gained traction among Gen Z users who regularly dissect the mechanics of influence and “main character” energy.
2.  “Biohack” — the optimisation word of choice in wellness spaces, used by younger audiences experimenting with routines, supplements and gadgets to push physical or mental performance.
3.  “Rage bait” — the sharpest of the trio, widely used on platforms where Gen Z call out posts designed purely to provoke outrage and farm engagement.

Oxford University Press said the three words are now “in the race” to represent 2025, a year marked by identity-driven conversations, AI-enhanced online behaviour and the growing cultural power of youth slang.

The publisher is staging a campaign-style rollout across social media, giving each word a chance to make its case as voting continues.

Ballots close at 12 pm GMT on Thursday, November 27, and the winning entry will be announced on 1 December, the organisation confirmed in its press release