Merriam-Webster Selects “Slop” as the 2025 Word of the Year, Highlighting the Rise of Low-Quality AI Content
Merriam-Webster has officially crowned “slop” as the Word of the Year for 2025, defining it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” This decision underscores the overwhelming influx of low-quality AI-generated material encountered across various platforms, from misleading movie trailers on YouTube to algorithm-driven music bands on Spotify.
The notion of “slop” resonates particularly in today’s social media landscape, where users often find themselves inundated with AI-generated videos, sometimes featuring popular themes like dogs or food. In fact, many users report receiving countless AI-created videos from well-meaning friends and family, illustrating how pervasive this trend has become.
Merriam-Webster emphasizes the term’s derogatory connotations, likening it to “slime, sludge, and muck.” Originally meaning “soft mud” in the 1700s, the term evolved to signify “food waste” or “rubbish,” reflecting a decline in quality over time. The dictionary explains that slop has seeped into many aspects of digital content, creating a sense of unease about the quality of what users consume online.
In response to the deluge of AI-generated content, platforms like TikTok and Pinterest have introduced features that aim to minimize the presence of such material in user feeds. Meanwhile, Spotify is grappling with the challenges posed by AI content, as evidenced by instances of AI-generated duplications going unnoticed for extended periods. As 2025 approaches, the debate surrounding the quantity and quality of AI-generated content shows no sign of resolution.
Additionally, Merriam-Webster has recognized other significant words from the year, including “Gerrymander,” “Touch Grass,” “Performative,” and “Tariff,” capturing the evolving nature of language amidst changing societal trends.
