Merriam-Webster Names 'Slop' the Word of the Year

A Surplus of AI-Generated Content in 2025

For 2025, Merriam-Webster has chosen 'slop' as its word of the year. This choice by the foremost dictionary creators reflects the rampant spread of "low-grade digital material predominantly generated by artificial intelligence in massive quantities." Over the past year, we've witnessed an unprecedented wave of AI-produced slop, ranging from fictitious film previews on YouTube to AI-generated musical acts on Spotify. Even platforms that facilitate meal delivery such as Uber Eats weren't spared from the flooding of unwanted AI-generated junk.

AI Slop: An Unwelcomed Mainstay in Social Media

Nowadays, approximately half of the video content my well-meaning family members circulate to me on social networks consists of AI-generated dog videos. This is hardly shocking given the deliberate manner in which social media behemoths have inundated our timelines with such content.

The Derisive Descriptor 'Slop'

Merriam-Webster justifies the use of the term "slop" by citing its somewhat derisive tone. Similar to the sounds of words like slime, sludge, and muck, 'slop' offers an auditory sense of something unappealing to interact with and tends to permeate everything. Historically, 'slop' referred to soft mud in the 1700s, progressed to mean 'food waste' like pig feed in the 1800s, and has since evolved to denote 'trash' or goods of negligible worth,' according to the dictionary's annotation.

Platforms Respond to AI Content Overload

As AI slop continues to pervade digital spaces, certain platforms such as TikTok and Pinterest have started to devise methods that allow users to reduce the influx of this content. Although Spotify has initiated efforts to address this concern, AI-created imitations were able to exist undetected for extended periods. Meanwhile, companies like Google have welcomed AI, incorporating Veo 3-generated clips within YouTube Shorts. Whether 2025 will ultimately represent the zenith of AI slop will be determined in the annals of time, but currently, it appears not to be diminishing.

Other Words of the Year Identified

In addition to 'slop,' Merriam-Webster has spotlighted several other noteworthy terms for the year, likely familiar to those deeply engaged with online cultures. These include 'Gerrymander,' 'Touch Grass,' 'Performative,' 'Tariff,' 'Conclave,' and 'Six Seven.'