Cambridge Dictionary names 'parasocial' as word of the year. What it means and how to use it

The dictionary pointed to several cultural moments that drove discussion around the term this year.

Cambridge Dictionary announced that “parasocial” had been named its word of the year, citing a surge in public interest as more people sought emotional connection through celebrities, influencers and artificial intelligence tools.

The dictionary described the term as referring to a sense of personal closeness that someone feels towards a public figure they do not actually know. It noted that the word captured a shift in how people were forming attachments in a digital era shaped by constant access to well-known personalities and interactive technologies.

According to The Guardian, the concept itself dated back to 1956, when researchers at the University of Chicago examined the way television viewers built familiar, almost companion-like bonds with presenters and entertainers. Although those relationships resembled friendships or family ties in form, the academics emphasised that they were entirely one-sided.

Cambridge Dictionary editors said the internet had radically expanded the conditions for these asymmetrical relationships, particularly through social media platforms and, more recently, conversational AI systems.

“Parasocial captures the 2025 zeitgeist,” said Colin McIntosh, an editor at Cambridge Dictionary. “Millions of people are engaged in parasocial relationships; many more are simply intrigued by their rise. The data reflects that, with the Cambridge Dictionary website seeing spikes in lookups for ‘parasocial’.”

The dictionary pointed to several cultural moments that drove discussion around the term this year. These included Taylor Swift’s engagement to NFL player Travis Kelce, which sparked outpourings of personal commentary across online platforms, and Lily Allen’s breakup album "West End Girl", which encouraged listeners to respond in ways that mirrored close emotional involvement. AI chatbots also featured in the list of examples, with the dictionary observing that many users had begun treating such systems as confidants, companions or sources of reassurance.

Simone Schnall, professor of experimental social psychology at the University of Cambridge, said the landscape of fandom and celebrity interaction had shifted significantly. She noted that parasocial attachments had become a central part of how individuals related to both entertainers and digital services.

Schnall explained that diminishing trust in conventional news sources had pushed many people towards influencers, which could lead to “unhealthy and intense relationships” with online personalities. She added that parasocial responses to global stars such as Swift might fuel over-interpretation of music and inflamed exchanges on social media.

According to Schnall, younger users were particularly vulnerable to feeling a connection with AI tools. “Parasocial trends take on a new dimension as many people treat AI tools like ChatGPT as ‘friends’, offering positive affirmations, or as a proxy for therapy,” she said.

Cambridge Dictionary also confirmed that it had added or revised several AI-related expressions this year. Among them was “slop”, used to describe repetitive or low-quality AI-generated content now circulating widely on digital platforms, and “memeify”, a verb describing the act of turning an image into a rapidly shareable meme.