What the 2025 Collins Dictionary words tell us about our uneasy relationship with technology
Expert commentary by Professor Ritesh Chugh
Each year, the Collins Dictionary selects words that capture how society and language evolve. The 2025 list is dominated by technology-related terms, showing how artificial intelligence and digital culture are shaping not only how we work and communicate but also how we think.
At the top of the list sits vibe coding, Collins’ Word of the Year. It describes using natural language, prompting an AI system, to generate software code rather than writing it manually. What once required technical skill now relies increasingly on the ability to communicate effectively with intelligent systems.
This represents a major shift in how we understand programming. Coding has long symbolised precision and logical thinking. But as tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Replit make coding conversational, the emphasis is shifting from learning syntax to learning how to express intent clearly to a machine. For example, a developer can now type, “Create a web app that shows today’s weather,” and the AI will write the necessary code. In education, this raises new questions about what counts as programming competence and how it should be assessed.
Why 'clanker' and broligarchy' capture public scepticism
The 2025 list also includes clanker, a term borrowed from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and now used to describe robots, chatbots, or AI systems. It often appears online when users express frustration at malfunctioning technology or unhelpful AI responses. On platforms such as Reddit or X (formerly Twitter), posts about “clankers” blend humour with exasperation, reflecting both dependence on and distrust of automation.
Another entry, broligarchy, refers to the powerful group of male technology executives who dominate global technology discourse. It reflects growing unease about concentrated influence in the tech sector, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday life. Both words show how humour and irony have become linguistic tools for expressing fatigue and scepticism about technological power.
From biohacking to aura farming: technology and identity
Biohacking has gained renewed attention as a popular term for using science and technology to optimise health or performance. It spans everything from wearable fitness trackers and nutritional supplements to more experimental approaches such as implantable NFC chips used for unlocking doors or making contactless payments. The concept shows how technology is becoming deeply personal, even bodily.
The related word aura farming describes the cultivation of an appealing online persona to gain attention or followers. It illustrates the merging of self-presentation, visibility, and influence in the digital age. Influencers on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok consciously build visual “auras” through consistent colour palettes, tone, and posting styles to maintain engagement. Both words show how technology increasingly shapes not just our habits, but our sense of identity and self-presentation.
'Taskmasking' and the illusion of productivity
Another new addition, taskmasking, refers to the act of appearing productive, often through digital multitasking, while actually achieving very little. For many people, this means constantly checking notifications, replying to messages, and reorganising digital to-do lists, activity that feels productive but rarely achieves much. It highlights a paradox of the modern workplace: as technology promises greater efficiency, it can also create superficial activity and distraction.
As automation and AI promise greater efficiency, taskmasking reminds us that the appearance of activity does not always equal achievement. For educators and employers, this word invites reflection on how productivity is measured and how digital tools are used. It raises an important question: are these technologies enhancing focus, or simply making distraction more sophisticated?
And finally, the socially grounded 'HENRY'
Amid the tech-heavy entries, HENRY (short for “High Earner, Not Rich Yet”) stands out. It refers to professionals who earn well but still feel financially stretched. The term has been used to describe younger professionals in major cities balancing high incomes with housing costs, debt, and rising living expenses.
Although not directly technological, its popularity points to the broader context of the digital economy: even as technology drives innovation and productivity, economic pressures and inequality persist.
Language as a mirror of technological change
The 2025 Collins Dictionary list offers more than wordplay; it provides a cultural snapshot of our evolving relationship with technology. Vibe coding celebrates the blending of human and machine capability. Clanker and broligarchy express scepticism and fatigue. Biohacking and aura farming show how technology extends into the body and identity. Taskmasking exposes the superficial side of digital productivity, while HENRY reminds us that technological progress does not always translate to personal prosperity.
Language evolves alongside culture. As artificial intelligence continues to influence how we work, learn, and live, our vocabulary will keep expanding to express both our enthusiasm and unease. These linguistic shifts are more than curiosities; they are reflections of a society negotiating its digital future.
