In the realm of online content, bizarre, eerie, and clearly fabricated material is often labeled as “slop.” This term has gained significant traction, particularly due to the widespread use of generative artificial intelligence, leading to its selection as Merriam-Webster’s word of the year in 2025.
Describing the significance of the term, Greg Barlow, the president of Merriam-Webster, highlighted its relevance in the era of transformative AI technology. He emphasized how “slop” encapsulates a range of emotions from fascination to annoyance, resonating with people due to its slightly absurd nature.
Originally denoting soft mud in the 1700s, “slop” has evolved to represent something of little value. It now encompasses a broader definition, referring to “digital content of low quality mass-produced through artificial intelligence.”
In practical terms, Barlow explained that “slop” includes a variety of content like absurd videos, strange advertising visuals, misleading propaganda, realistic-looking fake news, and poorly written AI-generated books.
The rise of AI video generators such as Sora has showcased the capability to swiftly produce lifelike clips based solely on textual cues. However, the proliferation of such content, especially on social media, has sparked concerns regarding misinformation, deepfakes, and copyright issues.
Although low-quality digital content has been present online for some time, the widespread accessibility of these tools has ushered in a new era. Political figures, including Pentagon officials, have utilized such content for various political purposes, leading to controversies like the manipulated image posted by U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Despite the negative connotations associated with “slop,” Barlow sees a silver lining in the increased awareness of fake and substandard content. This reflects a growing desire among people for authenticity and genuineness in the face of AI’s attempts to emulate human creativity.
Selecting a word of the year has been a tradition for Merriam-Webster since 2003, aiming to capture the essence of the current societal landscape. The process involves analyzing search data to identify words that have surged in popularity and usage, culminating in the selection of a term that best encapsulates the year’s spirit.
In addition to “slop,” other frequently searched words in 2025 included “performative,” “gerrymander,” and the enigmatic term “6-7.” While “6-7” gained massive popularity, originating from rapper Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot (6 7),” it was not deemed a defining term despite its viral nature.
The year’s top words varied across different dictionaries, with “6-7” named the word of the year by Dictionary.com, “rage bait” by Oxford University Press, and “parasocial” by Cambridge Dictionary. Noteworthy search spikes were observed for terms like “gerrymander,” reflecting political maneuvers by both Republicans and Democrats.
Moreover, phrases like “touch grass,” the intricacies of a “conclave,” and the tongue-twisting name of a Massachusetts lake rounded out the list of notable mentions in the ever-evolving lexicon.