‘Vibe coding’ beats ‘clanker’ to be Collins dictionary’s word of the year | Technology
“Vibe coding,” an emerging software development that transforms natural language into computer code using artificial intelligence, has been named Word of the Year 2025 by Collins Dictionary.
Collins lexicographers monitor the 24 billion-word Collins Corpus, which draws on a range of media sources, including social media, to create the annual list of new and noteworthy words that reflect our ever-changing language.
They chose vibe coding as their word of the year after seeing a huge increase in its usage since it first appeared in February.
The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy, former director of AI at Tesla and founding engineer of OpenAI, to describe how artificial intelligence can allow someone to create a new application while being able to “forget the code exists.”
Other words on the list include “biohacking,” defined as the activity of altering your body’s natural processes with the goal of improving health and longevity.
Another is “clanker”, a derogatory term for computers, robots or AI sources, which was 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 AI platforms.
Also a term of disapproval, the word “icing” has gained traction this year, meaning to praise or flatter someone excessively or undeservedly.
Another example is “aura farming” – described as the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive, charismatic personality – essentially the art of looking cool.
The term was popular with gamers, but reached a much wider audience this year after the widely shared “boat kid” video that started a dance trend popular with celebrities, including American football player Travis Kelce.
The owners of the world’s largest technology companies, informally known as tech bros, have been nicknamed the “broligarchy” due to their high-profile presence at Donald Trump’s inauguration, with the word also gaining a spot on the list.
Collins also cited a growing use of the term “Henry,” an acronym meaning “high-income, not yet rich.”
And “coolcation,” a vacation to a place with a cool climate, as well as “taskmasking,” giving the false impression that one is productive in the workplace, are on the list.
“Micro-retirement,” described as a break between periods of employment to pursue personal interests, is also present.
Alex Beecroft, managing director at Collins, said: “The selection of vibe coding as Collins’ word of the year perfectly reflects 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 artificial intelligence demonstrates how natural language is fundamentally changing the way we interact with computers. »
