"Oxford Dictionary's word of the year is "rage bait": online content designed to elicit outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive. Reflecting the growing political, economic and social divisions within society. Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "slop". Capturing the proliferation of low-quality generative AI content and humans' outsourcing of thinking to AI. Pantone's color of the year was "Cloud Dancer". Described as a "billowy, balanced white", according to Pantone."
"We are looking at the same cultural symbols but decoding them in fundamentally different ways. Some say the color is tone deaf for celebrating whiteness, given the cultural context of DEI backlash in 2025. Others have praised Pantone for capturing the cultural zeitgeist. As the famous Anaïs Nin quote observed: "We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are.""
Oxford Dictionary chose "rage bait" as word of the year to capture outrage-driven online content and societal divisions. Merriam-Webster chose "slop" to capture the surge of low-quality generative AI content and outsourcing of thinking to AI. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer" color of the year, sparking debate over whiteness and cultural sensitivity amid DEI backlash. Labubu, a Pop Mart doll, surged in popularity and boosted Pop Mart profits, signaling rising Chinese cultural influence. China has overtaken the U.K. as the world's second most influential soft power nation. Chinese companies are overtaking global competitors in EVs, AI benchmarks, and coffee chains.
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