Merriam-Webster Names “Slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year
If you have felt that the internet has become a strange place recently, you are not alone. Users everywhere are noticing a flood of content that seems to be created on autopilot, from fake photos to repetitive copy-and-paste videos. Because of this growing trend, Merriam-Webster has officially selected “slop” as its Word of the Year.
This term perfectly captures the current state of the digital world and the overwhelming rise of artificial intelligence. It specifically refers to low-quality digital material that is mass-produced by AI systems with little regard for value or accuracy.
Historically, the word had a very different meaning. In the 1700s, it referred to soft mud, and by the 1800s, it was commonly used to describe unappetizing food waste fed to livestock. Today, the definition has evolved to describe the “junk” that is constantly being dumped onto our screens.
Dictionary editors noted that the word reflects a collective exhaustion with unwanted technology. It serves as a way for humans to categorize the messy and often useless byproducts of the generative AI boom.
Rather than being fearful of the technology, the choice of this word suggests a more mocking attitude toward these low-effort creations. It highlights the contrast between genuine human creativity and the synthetic clutter filling up social media feeds.
We are curious to hear if you have encountered this type of content in your daily browsing. Please tell us what you think about this new terminology in the comments.
