The term ‘geek’ was word of the year in 2013 – and now a tech-obsessed population has helped an IT phrase to pick up the same accolade.
Chosen by lexicographers from a pool of new terms, ‘vibe-coding’ has been selected as this year’s winning word by Collins Dictionary.
It is defined as an easy way for non-IT minded individuals to make computer code simply by telling artificial intelligence (AI) programs to do it.
The team used its Collins Corpus database, which tracks language across social media and TV, to select the phrase coined by Andrej Karpathy – a former AI boss at Tesla and founding engineer at OpenAI.
Other words on the list include ‘biohacking’, defined as the activity of altering the natural processes of one’s body in an attempt to improve health and longevity.
Another is ‘clanker’, a derogatory term for computers, robots, or sources of AI, which was popularised by Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The word went viral on social media and is often used to express people’s frustrations with, and distrust of, AI chatbots and platforms.
Also a term of disapproval, the word ‘glaze’ has gained traction this year, meaning to praise or flatter someone excessively or undeservedly.
Another is ‘aura farming’ – described as the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive and charismatic persona – essentially the art of looking cool.
The owners of the biggest global technology companies, informally known as tech bros, were dubbed the ‘broligarchy’ after their high-profile attendance at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, with the word also earning a place on the list.
A rise in the use of the term ‘HENRY’, an acronym for ‘high earner, not rich yet’ also sees it named by Collins.
And ‘coolcation’, a holiday in a place with a cool climate, along with ‘taskmasking’, the act of giving a false impression that one is being productive in the workplace, make it on to the list.
Micro-retirement, described as a break between periods of employment in order to pursue personal interests, also features.
Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said: ‘The selection of vibe coding as Collins’ Word of the Year perfectly captures how language is evolving alongside technology.
‘It signals a major shift in software development, where AI is making coding more accessible.
‘The seamless integration of human creativity and machine intelligence demonstrates how natural language is fundamentally changing our interaction with computers.’
