Collins Dictionary’s 2025 Word of the Year list offers a fascinating snapshot of our contemporary lifestyles, anxieties, and aspirations. Beyond the headline-grabbing tech terms, the inclusion of “coolcation” and “biohacking” reveals how we are adapting our bodies and our travel plans to a changing world.
“Coolcation” has been recognized as a new trend, defined as a holiday taken specifically to a place with a cool climate. The rise of this term is a direct reflection of our new reality, where soaring global temperatures and intense summer heatwaves are prompting travelers to seek refuge in colder destinations rather than traditional sun-soaked resorts.
“Biohacking” also earned a spot, defined as the activity of altering the natural processes of your body in an attempt to improve health and longevity. This term captures a growing cultural interest in everything from specific diets and wearable tech to more extreme forms of body modification, all in the pursuit of optimizing human performance and extending lifespan.
These lifestyle terms, however, were runners-up to the word that defined the year: “vibe coding.” This term, which refers to using AI to generate computer code from natural language, was crowned the 2025 Word of the Year. Its win signifies the massive impact of artificial intelligence on language and industry, a shift described by Collins’ Alex Beecroft as “fundamentally changing our interaction with computers.”
The list also reflects our complex relationship with the very tech that enables “biohacking” and “vibe coding.” The terms “clanker” (an insult for AI) and “broligarchy” (a name for the tech elite) highlight the significant social friction and distrust that accompany technological progress.