Merriam-Webster has announced “Slop” as the Word of the Year for 2025, highlighting its relevance in today’s digital landscape. The term is defined as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” It encapsulates the overwhelming influx of poorly made videos, misleading advertisements, and low-quality AI-generated material saturating social media.
Insight Behind the Choice
The selection of “Slop” reflects the cultural climate of 2025. Merriam-Webster noted that this year was marked by an abundance of “absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that looks pretty real, and junky AI-written books.” These elements have taken over many online platforms, prompting a need to define this phenomenon.
Notable Mentions
In addition to “Slop,” other words that caught the attention of Merriam-Webster’s editors include:
- Gerrymander
- Touch grass
- Performative
- Tariff
- Six seven
- Conclave
The dictionary also acknowledged Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, an alternative name for Webster Lake in Massachusetts. This term gained popularity due to its presence in the online game Roblox, becoming one of the most searched words on Merriam-Webster’s website.
Methodology of Selection
Merriam-Webster bases its Word of the Year selection on significant spikes in search data, often tying it to contemporary events. In previous years, the words “pandemic” and “vaccine” were chosen due to their prominent roles during public health crises. Similarly, in 2024, “polarization” was selected to reflect the heightened political awareness leading up to the presidential election.
Comparison with Oxford English Dictionary
In contrast, Oxford University Press has adopted a different approach in its selection process. This year, Oxford chose “rage bait,” which is defined as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage.” This choice resulted from a public voting process that garnered over 30,000 votes, indicating widespread engagement with issues of digital content.
Oxford highlighted that 2025 saw a significant prevalence of rage bait in discussions around digital ethics and attention dynamics, showcasing a shift in online communication norms.
Concluding Thoughts
Merriam-Webster’s choice of “Slop” serves as a timely reminder of the challenges we face in the digital age. As low-quality content increasingly saturates our online environments, understanding and addressing these trends becomes essential.
