Oxford announces the 3 most prominent English keywords in 2025

(Dan Tri) - Three keywords shortlisted for 2025 announced by Oxford University Press include: Aura farming, biohack and rage bait.

Aura farming is a combination of the words aura and farming. This term refers to the act of deliberately building an attractive, “cool” and charismatic self-image in front of the public; that is, the act of trying to create an aura through the way of dressing, behaving, and social media to impress.

The term first appeared online in 2023 and exploded in popularity in July this year, after millions of people around the world responded to a video of Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old Indonesian boy, looking incredibly cool as he performed the role of a cheerleader for the crew of a traditional racing boat.

Rayyan Arkan Dikha, 11 years old, Indonesian, caused a storm online because of her "cool" demeanor (Photo: mfimages).

If aura farming is about appearance, biohacking goes deeper into the effort to optimize human biology.

Biohacking is a combination of the prefix bio (biology) and the verb hack (intervention, change). The word refers to the effort to improve or optimize health, longevity, physical or mental performance by changing diet, exercise routines, or using other means such as drugs, supplements, or technological devices.

The term has gained prominence in recent months, especially among the rich and powerful, who are interested in stopping and reversing the aging process.

Usage of the term has doubled in the past year, reflecting modern man's efforts to "cheat" illness and old age.

Ultimately, the keyword rage bait warns of the dark side of algorithms and online interactions, where negative emotions are exploited to the fullest.

Rage bait is online content “designed” to stimulate strong emotions, especially anger, controversy, and indignation, with the aim of creating interactions, views, and “view baiting”.

This is a combination of the words rage and bait.

According to Oxford, the phrase's usage has tripled in the past year, reflecting users' constant push into debate and conflict, largely due to the impact of social media algorithms, as well as the addictive power of content that appeals to outrage.

This is testament to a general trend in media, where rage is rewarded with high engagement, creating a toxic cycle in online culture.

All three keywords aura farming, biohack and rage bait are sharp lenses that reflect the pressures and ways people respond to the world in the digital age: living to be seen, living to optimize performance and living in an information environment that is easily infuriating.

Every year, Oxford’s linguistics team deciphers the social upheavals in the words we use. 2025 is set to be a year of profound change, as humanity faces profound questions about itself in a technology-driven world.

The ever-increasing penetration of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives has completely changed the way we interact and identify ourselves. The line between reality and virtuality is gradually blurring. This situation forces society to constantly question who we really are, not only on social media but also in real life.

Kieu Yen

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/oxford-cong-bo-3-tu-khoa-tieng-anh-noi-bat-nhat-nam-2025-20251130150418442.htm