What are the three hottest keywords in 2025?

từ của năm - Ảnh 1. — Last year's winning keyword was "brain rot" and the official results for 2025 will be announced on December 1 - Photo: @UniofOxford

Oxford University Press has announced the top 3 candidates for "Word of the Year 2025" including: Aura farming (Building an impressive personal image), Biohack (Optimizing health and longevity) and Rage Bait (emphasizing "angry content to attract views").

These three terms are not just linguistic phenomena, but also reflect the concerns and behaviors that are shaping digital life: from personal image, health to how online users interact with shocking content.

Why are these three words called?

"Aura farming" is defined by Oxford University Press as "the cultivation of a fictional public persona that is impressive, attractive, charismatic, and expressive through behavior or image creation intended to convey confidence, coolness, or mystery."

The term started appearing on social media in 2023 and exploded in 2025, especially after a viral video of an 11-year-old boy in Indonesia with outstanding charisma while performing a dance on a traditional racing boat.

The creator of "Aura farming" is Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old boy tasked with cheering on the rowing team.

từ của năm - Ảnh 2. — This trend reflects how Gen Z takes care of their social media image, from style, captions, videos to memes, to create a unique personal brand - Photo: Instagram Oxford University Press

"Aura farming" is not only a "image beautification" trend but also a manifestation of the ability to attract attention and build personal reputation in the digital environment.

"Biohacking" is the act of trying to "optimize" physical or mental health, longevity, and work performance through changes in diet, lifestyle, or the use of drugs, devices, or assistive technology.

từ của năm - Ảnh 3. — The term "Biohack" has gained attention due to the sharp increase in discussions about health, longevity and healthy living - Photo: Instagram Oxford University Press

Ba từ khóa nào hot nhất năm 2025? - Ảnh 4. — The reason "Biohack" was nominated by Oxford University Press is because it reflects the aspirations of Gen Z and the modern community: to actively control the body, optimize quality of life and longevity - Photo: Instagram Oxford University Press

This is also a testament to a world where people are more concerned than ever about their physical, mental health and personal productivity.

"Rage bait" refers to online content that is intentionally designed to provoke anger, outrage, or controversy in order to attract engagement and views.

Oxford University Press has seen the term triple in popularity over the past year, reflecting the growing number of online content aimed at shocking and provoking emotions to increase viewer attention.