Collins Dictionary’s 2025 Word of the Year list has captured a precise and growing economic anxiety with the inclusion of the acronym “Henry.” Standing for “high earner, not rich yet,” this term has gained significant traction, reflecting the financial pressures faced by a generation grappling with high costs of living, debt, and stagnant wealth accumulation.
A “Henry” is typically a professional who earns a substantial salary but finds it difficult to build significant wealth after taxes, housing costs, and other expenses. The rise of this term, identified by lexicographers monitoring the 24-billion-word Collins Corpus, signals a widespread cultural conversation about what it truly means to be “rich” in the modern economy, where a high income doesn’t always translate to financial security.
While “Henry” captured the economic zeitgeist, the top honor for Word of the Year went to “vibe coding.” This term describes the revolutionary use of AI to turn natural language descriptions into computer code. Coined by OpenAI’s Andrej Karpathy, its selection points to the other major theme of 2025: the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into every facet of life.
The list also reflected the dual nature of our relationship with technology. It featured the optimistic “vibe coding” alongside “clanker,” a Star Wars-inspired insult for AI and robots that went viral as an expression of public frustration. Furthermore, “broligarchy” was included as a new name for the “tech bro” elites who oversee this changing world.
Other notable entries paint a picture of our social and personal lives. “Aura farming” (deliberately looking cool), “glaze” (to flatter excessively), “biohacking” (DIY biology for longevity), and “taskmasking” (faking productivity) all earned a place, showcasing a language rapidly evolving to meet modern complexities.