“Vibe coding,” a new software development that turns natural language into computer code using artificial intelligence, has been named Collins Dictionary's word of the year for 2025.
Collins lexicographers monitor the 24 billion-word Collins Corpus, which is drawn from a variety of media sources including social media, to create an annual list of new and noteworthy words that reflect our an ever-evolving language.
They chose “vibration coding” as their word of the year after noticing a huge increase in its use since it first appeared in February.
The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy, former director of artificial intelligence at Tesla and founding engineer of OpenAI, to describe how artificial intelligence could allow someone to create a new application while being able to “forget the code even exists.”
Other words on the list include “biohacking,” defined as the activity of altering your body's natural processes in an attempt to improve health and longevity.
Another option is “bell”, a derogatory term for computers, robots or sources of artificial intelligence, popularized by Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The word has gone viral on social media and is often used to express people's frustration and distrust of chatbots and artificial intelligence platforms.
The word “glaze”, also a term of disapproval, has gained popularity this year, meaning to praise or flatter someone excessively or unfairly.
Another option is “aura farming,” described as the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive and charismatic personality—essentially, the art of looking cool.
The term was popular among gamers, but it reached a much larger audience this year after a widely circulated “baby on a boat” video started a dance trend popular with celebrities including American football player Travis Kelce.
The owners of the world's largest tech companies, informally known as the “tech bros,” were dubbed “bro-ligarchs” after their high-profile presence at Donald Trump's inauguration, and the word also made the list.
Collins also noted an increase in the use of the term “Henry,” an acronym for “highly paid but not yet rich.”
And “cooling off”, relaxing in a place with a cool climate, along with “masking tasks”, creating the false impression that a person is productive in the workplace, are on this list.
Also typical is a “micro-retirement,” described as a break between periods of work to pursue personal interests.
Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said: “Selecting vibe coding as Collins' word of the year perfectly reflects how language evolves with technology. It signals a major shift in software development, with AI making coding more accessible.”
“The seamless integration of human creativity and machine intelligence demonstrates how natural language is fundamentally changing the way we interact with computers.”
