Merriam-Webster has named SLOP as its 2025 Word of the Year. The dictionary defines ‘slop’ as low-quality digital content produced in large amounts. It is usually produced using artificial intelligence. In 2025, this word aptly captured the surge of subpar online content flooding screens everywhere.
‘Slop’ included strange videos, awkward adverts and fake news that looked real. It also covers AI-written books, boring office reports, and endless viral clips, such as talking cats.
People complained about it, yet many still watched and shared it. Media outlets warned that AI slop was taking over social platforms. Still, they admitted that it could be oddly entertaining.
The word itself has a long history. In the 1700s, it meant soft mud. Later, it referred to food waste and then rubbish of little value.
In 2025, slop reflected a shift in tone. Instead of fear about AI, the word carried sarcasm and mockery. It suggested that much AI content still falls far short of real human creativity.
There are a few other new words that made their entry to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Performative
In the age of social media, life often feels like a performance on a phone screen. Searches for the word performative rose sharply in 2025. The term refers to doing something primarily for show. It is done to improve one’s image rather than for real belief or action.
Many behaviours were mocked as performative. These included performative politics, activism, patriotism, and even lifestyle trends like making matcha tea, mainly for posting online photos.
Touch Grass
The phrase ‘touch grass’ means taking part in real-world activities instead of living only online. It is often used to tell people who spend too much time on social media to reconnect with everyday life.
Searches for the phrase rose sharply in September after the murder of Charlie Kirk. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has warned about the harm caused by social media. He urged people to log off, turn off their phones, touch grass, hug family members and help their communities.
While the phrase originated as an insult, it gradually evolved into an aspiration. Many now use it as a reminder to reduce addiction and reconnect offline.
Gerrymander
The term ‘gerrymander’ gained attention throughout 2025 in US politics. To gerrymander means to redraw voting boundaries in a way that gives one party an unfair advantage.
The term originates from Elbridge Gerry, a 19th-century US politician. While serving as governor of Massachusetts, he supported redrawing districts to help his party win.
One district became so oddly shaped that it looked like a salamander. A rival mocked it by calling it a “Gerrymander,” mixing Gerry’s name with the animal.
A few other words like Six Seven, Conclave and Tariff were also included. The longest of them all was Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. However, Merriam-Webster said it would still prefer its alternate name, Webster Lake.
