AI dominates the 2025 words of the year: "slop" and "vibe coding"

2025-12-15 · Publisher : Merriam-Webster · Domain : Artificial Intelligence

On December 15, 2025, Merriam-Webster named "slop", low-quality content mass-produced by AI, its word of the year. Collins had crowned "vibe coding" and Macquarie "AI slop": generative AI has entered everyday language.

### Definition **Slop** refers to mediocre digital content mass-produced by AI: absurd videos, off-kilter ad images, believable fake news. Merriam-Webster defines it as "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence." ### Origin On December 15, 2025, Merriam-Webster made "slop" its word of the year. Its president, Greg Barlow, explained: "It's part of a transformative technology, AI, and it's something that people have found fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous." The choice capped a series: - on November 6, 2025, Collins picked "vibe coding", defined as "the use of artificial intelligence prompted by natural language to write computer code"; its shortlist also included "clanker", a derogatory term for machines and AI; - on November 25, 2025, Australia's Macquarie Dictionary chose "AI slop", both by committee and by public vote. ### What the term covers Slop has spawned offshoots, such as *workslop* in the office and content farms on social media. Vibe coding has its own entry in this timeline. ### Key takeaway In 2025, generative AI did not just create tools: it shaped the language. The success of "slop" reflects public fatigue and a demand for authentic content that creators and brands need to take into account.

Tags : Vocabulaire, Société, Qualité, Contenus générés