What was social media’s ‘word of the year’ for 2025?

Boat dance

‘Aura’ originated in niche online communities, where it was used in early conversations about sports, fashion, and meme culture as a way to playfully talk about someone’s vibe and presence. From there, it spread across social platforms – being mentioned in over 2.3m posts across various social media platforms – highlighting how micro-trends can become mass movements.

The word moved from in-jokes to a full-blown aesthetic, spawning phrases such as ‘aura-farming’ and ‘aura-maxxing,’ as people became interested in ways to maximize their perceived energy and appeal. The shift accelerated after Rayyan Arkan Dikha’s now-iconic boat dance went viral, turning a single clip into a global reference point for the entire ‘aura’ movement.

The word quickly became marketing shorthand too, with brands using it to frame campaigns, products, and collaborations around themes of self-belief, magnetism, and expressive personal style. Crocs, for example, shared a video highlighting their Jibbitz charms as the key to unlocking: “infinite positive aura points.”

This is proof of a pattern every marketer should understand: social media doesn’t just reflect culture, it helps to create it. The biggest movements often start inside small, passionate communities before cascading into the mainstream. This dynamic rewards brands that listen early and act fast.

Wider change

Our Social Media Dictionary also shines a light on the words that are reshaping marketing itself. ‘GEO’ (generative engine optimization) racked up roughly 116bn impressions as brands adapted to AI-driven discovery, optimizing content not just for traditional search engines but for language models and social media. It’s the natural evolution of SEO, and 2026 will see it become an essential skill for digital teams everywhere.

Meanwhile, ‘Substack’ registered over 117bn impressions. The rise of the newsletter platform reflects audiences seeking more intentional and direct relationships with creators, without the interjection of an algorithmic feed. In parallel, marketers are rethinking owned media, leaning into depth, trust, and direct connections. In an era of algorithm fatigue, brands are rediscovering the value of slow content and loyal, niche communities that actually care.

In fact, our Q2 2025 Pulse Survey found that 41% of global social users plan to spend more time on Substack, rising to over half of Gen Z and Millennials, as people seek slower, more intentional feeds.

Brands, keep listening

Our shortlist of contenders for word of the year also included ‘6–7,’ ‘skibidi,’ and ‘pookie,’ showing how, on an AI-saturated internet, people are embracing the surreal, the chaotic, and the joyfully ‘brainrot’ as a way to feel unmistakably human. As machine-made content floods feeds, these unpredictable, creator-driven trends signal a quiet pushback.

Terms like ‘AI slop’ (mass-produced AI content) and ‘clanker’ (derogatory term for clunky AI-generated voices or bots) exploded in searches during late 2025, with over 280m online impressions combined, reflecting user backlash against AI saturation. Marketers tempted by the dizzying productivity of their AI tools should heed this reaction to low-effort, overly automated AI content.

Our data highlights one clear takeaway: listening is critical to know yourself, know your audience, and build a strategy to connect both. Viral words aren’t just fleeting memes used by Gen Z or Alpha; they’re early indicators of where audiences are heading emotionally and culturally, and how to stay relevant to them.

Brands that tune in can turn social chatter into creative advantage: knowing when to ride a trend, when to redefine one, and when to start their own. In 2026, brands that understand the language of their audiences will set the tone for culture, not just follow it.