'Vibe coding' emerges as UK's Word of the Year in nod to accessible AI

Vibe coding, or an emerging software development that turns natural language into computer code using AI, was named as the Word of the Year by ‘Collins Dictionary’ in a nod to the proliferation and accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) in our daily lives.

The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy, former director of AI at Tesla and a founding engineer at OpenAI, to describe how AI can enable someone to create a new app while being able to “forget that the code even exists”.

Other trending words gaining traction in 2025 include ‘glaze', to praise or flatter someone excessively, or undeservedly, and ‘aura farming', or the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive and charismatic persona, essentially the art of looking cool.

“The selection of ‘vibe coding' as Collins' Word of the Year perfectly captures how language is evolving alongside technology,” said Alex Beecroft, managing director at Collins.

“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,” he said.

The lexicographers at ‘Collins Dictionary' said they monitor their 24-billion-word Collins Corpus, which draws from a range of sources, including social media, to create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect the ever-evolving language and the preoccupations of those who use it.

They chose ‘vibe coding’ for 2025 after observing a huge increase in usage since its first appearance in February this year.

However, it isn't all good news for technology this year, with an increase in mentions of ‘clanker', a derogatory term for computers, robots, or sources of artificial intelligence.

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.

Big tech was also in the spotlight when 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 Donald Trump as US President in January.

A focus on quality of life also emerged as an important trend for 2025, with an increased interest in ‘biohacking' – the activity of altering the natural processes of one's body in an attempt to improve health and longevity.

This could involve small changes to diet or lifestyle but tends to imply more extreme measures to maximise human performance, essentially by hacking our biology to enhance physical wellbeing and extend lifespan.

As some Gen Zs and millennials sought a better work-life balance, they chose a break or ‘micro-retirement' between periods of employment in order to pursue personal interests. In the same context, there is ‘taskmasking' or the act of giving a false impression that one is being productive in the workplace.

The year 2025 also documented an evolution in where and how people take holidays, with more choosing to take a ‘coolcation’ – a holiday in a place with a cool climate, as temperatures soar where they live or where they customarily spent their holidays.

There has also been a rise in the use of the term ‘HENRY', an acronym for ‘high earner, not rich yet'. This refers to someone who has not accrued substantial wealth from their high income due to their lifestyle or external financial demands.

In 2024, the Word of the Year was ‘Brat' – characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude inspired by the name of an album by English singer-songwriter Charli XCX.