The 2025 Word of the Year List in Full: ‘Vibe Coding’ Tops List Including ‘Clanker,’ ‘Henry,’ and ‘Aura Farming’

Collins Dictionary has officially announced its 2025 Word of the Year, with the artificial intelligence term “vibe coding” taking the top spot. The selection was made by lexicographers who monitor a 24-billion-word corpus of language to track the most significant new and notable words.
The winner, “vibe coding,” is a software development method using AI to turn natural language into code. It was coined by Andrej Karpathy and praised by Collins for reflecting a major shift in human-computer interaction.
It was chosen over nine other contenders that reflect the year’s trends:
Clanker: A derogatory term for AI and robots, popularized by Star Wars and used to express frustration with technology.
Biohacking: The activity of altering one’s natural bodily processes to improve health.
Henry: An acronym for “high earner, not rich yet,” describing a financially squeezed professional class.
Broligarchy: A pejorative nickname for the elite “tech bros” who lead major technology companies.
Glaze: A slang term of disapproval meaning to praise or flatter someone excessively.
Aura farming: The deliberate cultivation of a cool, charismatic online persona, which went viral this year.
Coolcation: A holiday taken to a place with a cool climate, a trend driven by rising global temperatures.
Taskmasking: The act of faking productivity in the workplace.
Micro-retirement: A planned break from employment to pursue personal interests.
This list captures a 2025 defined by technological advancement, economic anxiety, and new social and professional behaviors.