Annual Words Reflecting the World in 2025

What will the world look like in 2025?

The annual words from nearly 20 countries outline the pulse and trends of the world in this year. One of these words may resonate with your memories of the past year.

“Disruption,” “Change,” and “Tariffs”

In 2025, the world is not at peace, as reflected in the annual words chosen by multiple countries.

“Disruption” was selected as the Chinese character of the year in Singapore for 2025. According to an article by the Lianhe Zaobao, over 160,000 votes were cast for this word in a selection event, seen as a profound summary of the series of actions by the Trump administration that triggered a chain reaction and turmoil worldwide, reflecting people’s unspoken anxiety about the current state of the world.

In South Korea, 766 university professors chose the four-character idiom “Constant Change” as the annual phrase for 2025. Professor Yang Il-mo from Seoul National University explained that this phrase signifies “the world is in constant flow and change,” reflecting the intense upheaval South Korea experienced this year, including presidential impeachment, political disputes, and changes in governance, alongside geopolitical tensions and chaotic economic orders.

Many citizens believe that the U.S. instigating a tariff war is one of the significant reasons for global turmoil in 2025.

The character “Tax” was chosen as Malaysia’s annual Chinese character, while “Tariff (Arancel)” was selected as the annual term by the Spanish Royal Language Academy and the Spanish Emergency Vocabulary Foundation. In Switzerland, “Tariff” was also recognized as the annual word in the Italian-speaking region. The Spanish Emergency Vocabulary Foundation noted that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration occupied international headlines for months and continue to do so. The El País commented that “tariff” is Trump’s favorite word, marking his second term with a trade war against various countries.

“The U.S. indiscriminately imposes tariffs, putting pressure on developing countries, especially Malaysia,” said Wu Hengcan, chairman of Malaysia’s annual character committee, reflecting the strong opposition of developing nations to hegemonic bullying.

In addition to “tariff,” Finland’s Language Research Institute recognized “Drone Wall” as the international buzzword of the year, a response to the geopolitical tensions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In Portugal, “Immigration” ranked second in the annual vocabulary list due to policy controversies surrounding immigration in European countries. Norway’s Language Council chose “Tech Oligarch” as the annual keyword, pointing to the digital sovereignty struggles in Europe and the U.S.

“AI,” “Garbage,” and “Hallucination”

In 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) empowers various industries at an unprecedented pace, entering homes and changing the world. The term “artificial intelligence” appears on many countries’ annual word lists.

The German Language Association named “AI Era” as the annual vocabulary for 2025, believing that AI has stepped out of the “ivory tower” of scientific research and into mainstream society. From online searches to dynamic photo generation and text writing, more people are using AI tools.

The UK Collins Dictionary chose “Vibe Coding” as its annual word, illustrating the shift in programming from a professional skill to an expression of intent, depicting AI’s impact on creativity and work methods.

However, the explosive development of AI brings both joy and concern. The U.S. Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary independently selected “Slop” or “AI Slop” as their annual words, referring to low-quality digital content typically generated in bulk by AI, or “AI garbage.”

The publisher of Merriam-Webster stated that absurd videos, distorted images, vulgar content, and misleading fake news generated by AI have flooded the internet, causing public disgust yet being widely consumed and disseminated. The term “Slop” conveys that AI is not always “super intelligent” in replacing human creativity.

This phenomenon was summarized by Finland’s Language Research Institute as “AI Quagmire” in its annual buzzwords.

“Hallucination” (Hallucineren) was chosen as the annual word by the Dutch publishing house Van Dale, describing how large models like ChatGPT sometimes generate seemingly credible yet false and absurd information when queried.

British media noted that AI and online platforms are profoundly reshaping how people experience emotions and interpersonal relationships.

The UK Oxford Dictionary’s annual word was “Rage Bait,” referring to deliberately designed online content intended to provoke strong emotions like anger to boost web traffic or social media account engagement. The Cambridge Dictionary selected “Parasocial” as its annual word, denoting a one-sided emotional connection with someone, which could be a chatbot, an unknown celebrity, a book, or a movie. Romanian media suggest that in a country with high social media usage, “Parasocial” has become a keyword reflecting social reality, particularly among the youth.

“Rice,” “Power Outage,” “Anxiety,” and “Bear Encounters”

In a world of turmoil and change, the annual words from various countries reflect the anxieties and worries of ordinary people.

On December 12, the abbot of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan, wrote the character “Bear” to reveal the annual character reflecting the state of society in Japan for 2025. The selection of “Bear” was due to the increasing encounters with bears across Japan, with 230 people reported injured or killed in bear attacks from April to November, a historical high. Media commentary noted that while “bear encounters” cause fear in affected areas, the political “monsters” in Japan also worry many citizens.

In Japan’s selection, the character “Rice” narrowly ranked second, followed by “High.” Japanese media stated that these two characters reflect the rising cost of living and the depreciation of the yen, which have sparked a “price surge” affecting the everyday experiences of the Japanese populace this year.

In Portugal, the public selection event chose “Blackout” as the annual word. On April 28, widespread power outages occurred in Portugal and Spain, lasting several hours and causing chaos in transportation, communication, and public services. The publisher noted that the choice of “Blackout” as the annual word reflects a deeper concern about the heavy reliance on technology in modern life.

Life is challenging, leading to rising anxiety. “Anxiety” topped the online voting for the “National Buzzword” initiated by the Russian Reading-City website, reflecting that in this turbulent era, anxiety has become a fundamental aspect of life, indicating uncertainty about the future.

“Uncertainty” was named the annual word by Brazil’s polling agency KAS and IDEIA Big Data, as rapid changes in economy and technology, along with geopolitical tensions and domestic governance issues, have made Brazilians feel that 2025 is full of challenges, impacting daily life and personal decisions.

“Resilience,” “Trust,” and “Labubu”

How can people respond to this uncertain world?

“Resilience!” The character “Resilience” was selected as the domestic word of the year in the “Chinese Language Selection 2025” event organized by the National Language Resources Monitoring and Research Center, Commercial Press, and Xinhua News.

The character “Resilience” captures the essence of being steadfast, determined, and unyielding, symbolizing the spirit and action power of perseverance in the face of difficulties. In this era of intertwined political, economic, and technological uncertainties, “resilience” signifies not just growth but also pressure resistance, adaptability, and rebound capacity.

In response to the world of 2025, the Russian State Pushkin Institute of the Russian Language named “Victory” as the top buzzword, symbolizing the remembrance of history on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. The South African Pan South African Language Board declared the annual buzzword as the “G20 Summit,” reflecting an international conference with an African imprint, showcasing the rise of the South and promoting multilateralism.

The Italian Treccani Encyclopedia Research Institute chose “Trust” as the annual word. Organizers and media believe that in this uncertain era, the selection of “Trust” responds to people’s hopes for the future. “Trust” can prevent polarization and “adhere” to increasingly fragmented societies, guiding people out of the quagmire of uncertainty. “The most complex and powerful algorithm for human survival remains unchanged: mutual trust.”

Notably, the Chinese trendy toy “Labubu” was included in the annual word selection by Finland’s Language Research Institute and ranked highly in the cultural section of the annual buzzword list initiated by several authoritative institutions in Russia. Russian media noted that the “Labubu” toy has gained popularity through social media. The Finnish Language Research Institute highlighted the toy’s distinctive feature: “a big smile.”

In facing challenges with “resilience,” treating friends with “trust,” and smiling at the future, how would you describe the year 2025?