‘Slop’ tops Merriam-Webster’s 2025 World of Year list: Here’s why

Merriam-Webster has named the word “slop” as its 2025 World of the Year, reflecting the crises of modern age characterized by deepfakes, post-truth, and bogus online content generated by AI.

As per dictionary definition, slop is defined as a “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in huge quantities by means of artificial intelligence.”

According to Greg Barlow, Merriam-Webster's president, “It’s such an illustrative word. It’s part of a transformative technology, AI, and it’s something that people have found fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous.”

The word “slop” was first used in the 1700s, attributing it to soft mud. Over time, the word’s meaning has evolved.

Now, its meaning has expanded to the digital realm, showcasing fake, low-quality, creepy content, absurd videos, and weird advertising images.

As per Merriam-Webster, “In 2025, amid all the talk about AI threats, slop set a tone that’s less fearful, more mocking. The word sends a little message to AI: when it comes to replacing human creativity, sometimes you don’t seem too superintelligent.”

Besides Merriam-Webster, Macquarie, Oxford, Collins, and Cambridge Dictionary have designated a word for 2025 that demonstrates modern anxieties and obsession related to generative AI.

Among the following list of words, Merriam-Webster crowned slop.

• Gerrymander
• Performative
• Six Seven (6-7)
• Touch grass
• Tariffs
• Conclave
• Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

In November, Macquarie Dictionary named “AI slop” as the 2025 World of the Year.