2025's Word: 'Slop' Declared Merriam-Webster's Choice

The Rise of "Slop": Merriam-Webster's 2025 Word of the Year Reflects the AI-Driven Digital Landscape

In a significant reflection of our increasingly digital age, Merriam-Webster has declared "slop" its 2025 Word of the Year. This term, once referring to soft mud, has evolved to describe the deluge of low-quality, often AI-generated content flooding the internet. Its selection highlights a growing public awareness and concern regarding the proliferation of inauthentic and nonsensical digital material.

Greg Barlow, President of Merriam-Webster, described "slop" as an "illustrative word," deeply intertwined with the transformative, and at times bewildering, advancements in artificial intelligence. He noted that the word captures a sentiment that is simultaneously fascinating, annoying, and "a little bit ridiculous" for many users navigating the online sphere.

The modern definition of "slop" encompasses "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence." This can manifest as absurd videos, bizarre advertising imagery, propaganda, or even AI-generated books that appear superficially real but lack substance.

The ability of AI video generators, such as Sora, to rapidly produce realistic clips from simple text prompts has been a key factor in the rise of "slop." However, this has also led to a concerning surge in manipulated content on social media. Clips featuring celebrities and deceased public figures, created without consent or context, are raising alarms about misinformation, deepfakes, and copyright infringement.

While such content has long existed online, the current accessibility of AI tools has amplified its reach and impact. This has extended even to political arenas, as seen in a recent instance where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a manipulated image of a beloved cartoon character, "Franklin," reimagined as a weapon-wielding combatant, to ostensibly support military actions. This repurposing of a children's character, known for teaching kindness and empathy, into a symbol of violence underscores the often jarring and inappropriate applications of AI-generated content.

The word "slop" itself conjures visceral imagery – think of muddy, unkempt scenes or unappetizing concoctions. In the digital realm, it evokes the unsettling amalgamations of algorithmic biases, often laden with offensive or nonsensical elements.

A Mirror to Society's Concerns

For some, the term "slop" evokes a sense of unease or even dread. However, Barlow views its prominence as a sign of hope. He suggests that the surge in searches for "slop" indicates a growing public consciousness. People are becoming more discerning, actively seeking out genuine and authentic content in contrast to the shoddy and fabricated material that abounds.

"They want things that are real, they want things that are genuine," Barlow stated. He further characterized the word as almost a defiant stance against the unchecked advancement of AI, particularly when it attempts to replicate or replace human creativity, noting that "sometimes AI actually doesn’t seem so intelligent."

The process of selecting the Word of the Year involves Merriam-Webster's editors meticulously analyzing data on word searches and usage trends. They then reach a consensus on the word that best encapsulates the spirit and significant events of the year. Barlow explained that the dictionary aims to serve "as a mirror for people," reflecting the collective linguistic landscape.

While certain words consistently appear in top lookup lists due to their presence at the linguistic frontier (such as "ubiquitous," "paradigm," "albeit," and "irregardless"), the editors filter these to identify the word that truly defines the current moment. "Irregardless," for example, is included in the dictionary due to its widespread usage, despite its unconventional construction.

Merriam-Webster has been selecting a Word of the Year since 2003, aiming to capture and interpret the essence of each passing year. In 2024, amidst a period of significant national division, the dictionary selected "polarization" to reflect the prevailing mood.

Other Notable Words of 2025

Beyond the headline-grabbing "slop," Merriam-Webster also highlighted several other words that gained significant traction in 2025:

• 6-7: This viral term, originating from a song by rapper Skrilla, exploded in popularity. Its meaning is fluid and driven by social media trends, often used as an inside joke with an unclear, self-referential purpose. Barlow described it as "all the rage, but it’s not a defining term."

• Performative: This word gained prominence in describing individuals, particularly online, who engage in disingenuous displays of interest or emotion. The "performative male" is shorthand for someone feigning shared interests to gain trust, while "performative kindness" refers to superficial acts of goodwill. The term's versatility extends to political stunts and grandstanding on social media.

• Gerrymander: The practice of partisan gerrymandering in the United States remained a significant topic, particularly with calls to redraw electoral maps before upcoming elections. This word reflects ongoing political maneuvering and efforts to influence election outcomes through district manipulation.

• Touch grass: This popular internet phrase, meaning to engage with the real world as opposed to solely online experiences, was a strong contender for Word of the Year. It signifies a widespread aspiration to disconnect from digital addiction and reconnect with tangible reality.

• Conclave: The centuries-old process of electing a pope, derived from the Italian "con clave" (with a key), saw renewed public interest. This was largely due to the election of history's first American pope, Leo XIV, in May 2025, which generated a massive spike in searches for the term.

• Tariffs: This word, with origins in Italian and Arabic, refers to government duties on imported or exported goods. The debate surrounding tariffs, their impact on American industries, and their role in international trade wars continued to be a prominent economic and political issue.

• Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg: This exceptionally long place name from Massachusetts captured attention and amusement, appearing on Merriam-Webster's top lookup list. While known locally by a shorter name, its full, complex spelling delighted and baffled users, particularly within the context of online games like Roblox.

The selection of "slop" as Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2025 serves as a powerful reminder of the evolving digital landscape and the critical need for media literacy in discerning authentic content from the ever-increasing tide of AI-generated material.