I don’t know about you, but I used to look forward, with a level of geeky anticipation usually reserved for meteor showers and free samples at Costco, to the unveiling of the Word of the Year. It was like a linguistic holiday. A celebration of vocabulary! A moment when we collectively agreed that“Yes, this is the word that captured our cultural essence, our struggles, our vibe.”

But lately? Lately the Words of the Year have left me scratching my head, checking my glasses prescription, and muttering “Is this a prank?” like someone just tried to convince me that pumpkin spice spam is a thing (it is, by the way, and humanity should apologize. Maybe).

Let’s start with Oxford University Press, which insists insists that it is not rage-baiting us by announcing that the 2025 Word of the Year is “rage bait.”

Two. Words.

That is not a word. That is a phrase. A concept. Something you warn your aunt about before she clicks on another Facebook link promising to reveal “which celebrity now lives in a tiny house in Idaho.” Oxford claims it’s not trolling us, but honestly? This feels like the dictionary equivalent of dangling keys in front of a toddler.

And the kicker? Last year their “Word” of the Year was “brain rot.” Also two words.

Then we have Dictionary.com, which bravely announced that its Word of the Year is: “6-7.”

A number. Also a score. Also, what? A shrug in numerical form? A vibe? Allegedly, Gen Alpha uses it to mean “so-so,” “maybe,” or an exclamation. I’m convinced no adult knows what this means. Which is why some of them used it on their Halloween costumes this year

Somewhere, Pythagoras is shaking his head.

And then there’s Cambridge Dictionary, which selected “parasocial” as their 2025 word of the year. At least this one is technically a real word. A word that means you feel connected to a famous person you do not, in any universe, know. Honestly, it sounds one restraining order away from a very special episode of Dateline. How did that become a thing?  But hey, capturing the zeitgeist is capturing the zeitgeist. Seems we’re all delusional together.

So what does all this linguistic chaos say about us?

Maybe that we’re fractured. Maybe that we’re exhausted. Maybe that language has given up, put its hands in the air, and said, “Fine, fine, call anything a word. Call your mood a number. Make your vocabulary as unhinged as your sleep schedule.”

Or maybe, we’re in a moment where definitions no longer define us. The Words (phrases, numbers, hand gestures?) of the Year aren’t meant to be elegant. They’re meant to be chaotic, confusing, and slightly concerning. Just like everything else.

Despite my confusion, I’ll still be here, waiting eagerly for next year’s Word of the Year. I’m predicting something like:

“🤷‍♀️”

It’s about time.

The zeitgeist demands it.