Merriam-Webster Selects Slop As 2025 Word

Merriam-Webster on Dec. 15, 2025 named "slop" its 2025 Word of the Year, defining it as low-quality digital content often produced by generative AI. The announcement cites a spike in lookups and public concern about deepfakes, manipulated images and copyright issues tied to AI tools. Editors listed runners-up including "six seven," "performative" and "touch grass," and added over 5,000 new entries.
Key Points
- 1Selects 'slop' as 2025 word, defining it as low-quality, AI-produced digital content.
- 2Highlights surge in lookups reflecting public concern over misinformation, deepfakes and copyright infringement.
- 3Signals need for practitioners to authenticate content and mitigate risks from junk AI output.
Scoring Rationale
Official, culturally relevant reporting warrants a high score, limited by absence of technical or methodological novelty.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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