Artificial intelligence’s influence on what we see online has become so pervasive that it has earned a linguistic milestone. Merriam-Webster announced on Sunday that its Word of the Year for 2025 is “slop”, a term it defines as low-quality digital content produced in large quantities, usually using AI tools.
According to the dictionary, the word’s appeal lies as much in how it sounds as what it describes. Much like “slime” or “sludge”, “slop” carries an unpleasant, messy quality, suggesting something that spreads where it is not wanted. Merriam-Webster says the term has gained traction because it allows people to talk about AI-generated content with mockery rather than outright fear, reflecting a more cynical and world-weary tone around the technology.
Greg Barlow, president of Merriam-Webster, described “slop” as an unusually vivid expression for a very modern problem. Speaking to the Associated Press, he said the term neatly captures how people feel about AI, a technology they find impressive, irritating and faintly absurd all at once.
The word has surged in popularity as journalists and commentators attempt to describe how tools like OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Gemini-powered video models are reshaping the web. AI-generated books, podcasts, songs, adverts and even feature-length films are now commonplace. One study published in May claimed that nearly three-quarters of new web content created the previous month involved some form of AI assistance.
This explosion has given rise to what critics call a “slop economy”, where mass-produced AI content is churned out to attract clicks and advertising revenue. Detractors argue that it risks deepening digital inequality, splitting audiences between those who can afford paywalled, curated content and those left consuming vast quantities of material with limited informational or cultural value.
The term has also expanded beyond media. “Slop” is now used to criticise AI’s role in areas such as cybersecurity reporting, legal documents and student essays, highlighting concerns about accuracy, originality and trust.
Notably, Merriam-Webster is not alone. Tech-driven language has dominated word-of-the-year lists in 2025. Macquarie Dictionary selected “AI slop”, Oxford chose “ragebait”, and Collins crowned “vibe coding”, underlining how deeply technology has shaped both culture and conversation this year.
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