The Language of 2025: Collins List Reveals Deep Anxieties About Tech, Wealth, and Work

Collins Dictionary’s 2025 list of new words serves as a powerful barometer of our collective anxieties. While the winner was the optimistic AI term “vibe coding,” the shortlist is dominated by words reflecting stress, distrust, and cynicism about technology, wealth, and the workplace.
The public’s frustration with technology is crystallized in “clanker,” a viral, derogatory term for AI and robots. Its popularity, which made it a top contender, shows a significant backlash to the automated world. This sentiment is echoed in “broligarchy,” a critical nickname for the “tech bro” leaders perceived as a new, unaccountable ruling class.
Economic anxiety is captured by “Henry,” an acronym for “high earner, not rich yet.” This term’s rise shows that even high salaries no longer guarantee a sense of wealth or security, pointing to a widespread cost-of-living crisis.
Workplace dissatisfaction is also a major theme. “Taskmasking,” the act of faking productivity, highlights the “productivity theater” of the modern office. Meanwhile, “micro-retirement,” a break taken between jobs, suggests a growing desire to escape the grind altogether.
Even the social media terms “aura farming” (curating a persona) and “glaze” (excessive praise) speak to a culture of artifice and inauthenticity. Though “vibe coding” (using AI to create code) won the top spot, its hopeful message is balanced by a list that paints a picture of a society feeling the strain of modern life.