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“Vibe coding”, an innovative software development method that translates natural language into computer code using artificial intelligence, has been crowned Collins’ Word of the Year for 2025.
Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary, who meticulously monitor their 24 billion-word Corpus drawing from diverse media and social platforms, selected the term after observing a significant surge in its usage since February.
This annual selection aims to reflect the ever-evolving landscape of our language.
The phrase was coined by Andrej Karpathy, a former director of AI at Tesla and a founding engineer at OpenAI, who described how AI could empower individuals to create new applications while being able to “forget that the code even exists”.
Also featuring on the prestigious list are “biohacking”, defined as the practice of altering one’s natural bodily processes to enhance health and longevity, and “clanker”, a pejorative term for computers, robots, or AI sources, popularised by Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The word went viral on social media and is often used to express people’s frustrations with, and distrust of, AI chatbots and platforms.
Also a term of disapproval, the word “glaze” has gained traction this year, meaning to praise or flatter someone excessively or undeservedly.
Another is “aura farming” – described as the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive and charismatic persona – essentially the art of looking cool.
The term was previously popular with gamers but reached a much larger audience earlier this year following the widely shared “boat kid” video that started a dance trend popular with celebrities including American football player Travis Kelce.
The owners of the biggest global technology companies, informally known as tech bros, were dubbed the “broligarchy” after their high-profile attendance at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, with the word also earning a place on the list.
A rise in the use of the term “HENRY”, an acronym for “high earner, not rich yet” also sees it named by Collins.
And “coolcation”, a holiday in a place with a cool climate, along with “taskmasking”, the act of giving a false impression that one is being productive in the workplace, make it on to the list.
Micro-retirement, described as a break between periods of employment in order to pursue personal interests, also features.
Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said: “The selection of vibe coding as Collins’ Word of the Year perfectly captures how language is evolving alongside technology.
“It signals a major shift in software development, where AI is making coding more accessible.
“The seamless integration of human creativity and machine intelligence demonstrates how natural language is fundamentally changing our interaction with computers.”
