- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-15
Creepy, zany, and often demonstrably fake content is increasingly being labeled as “slop.” Thanks in part to the widespread use of generative artificial intelligence, the term has gained prominence online, earning it Merriam-Webster’s 2025 Word of the Year.
“It’s such an illustrative word,” said Greg Barlow, president of Merriam-Webster. “It’s tied to a transformative technology, AI, and it’s something people find fascinating, annoying, and a little ridiculous.”
Originally used in the 1700s to describe soft mud, “slop” evolved to refer to anything of little value. Its modern definition now includes “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” Barlow elaborated: “You know, absurd videos, weird advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that looks real, junky AI-written digital books.”
AI video generators like Sora have impressed audiences with their ability to create realistic clips from simple text prompts. However, the surge of such content on social media — including clips featuring celebrities and deceased public figures — has raised concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, and copyright violations.
While low-quality digital content has existed online for years, AI tools have made it more accessible, sometimes even for political purposes. Last month, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a manipulated image of a beloved cartoon turtle, reimagined as a grenade-wielding fighter, to justify U.S. military actions in Venezuela. The Canadian animated show Franklin, which teaches preschoolers about kindness, empathy, and inclusivity, was repurposed to promote violence in Hegseth’s depiction.
The word “slop” conjures unappealing images: mud-caked pigs crowding around a trough or a bucket of steaming, fetid stew — or AI-generated amalgamations rife with offensive or nonsensical content. For some, the term evokes dread.
Yet, Barlow sees hope in it. He believes the spike in searches for “slop” reflects a growing public awareness of fake or shoddy content and a desire for authenticity. “People want things that are real; they want things that are genuine,” he said. “It’s almost a defiant word when it comes to AI. Sometimes AI doesn’t seem so intelligent when it attempts to replace human creativity.”
Merriam-Webster selects its Word of the Year by reviewing search data and usage trends, ultimately choosing the word that best reflects the year’s cultural and societal currents. “We like to think we are a mirror for people,” Barlow noted.
While some words, like ubiquitous, paradigm, albeit, and irregardless, consistently top lookups, they are often filtered out in favor of words that capture the zeitgeist. “‘Irregardless’ is in the dictionary because it’s used. It has been used for decades to mean regardless,” Barlow explained.
Merriam-Webster has selected a Word of the Year annually since 2003, aiming to define the current moment in language. Last year, amid the post-election national mood, the dictionary chose “polarization.”
In line with its evolving lexicon, Merriam-Webster released a fresh edition last month, adding over 5,000 new words — a rare step involving a full revision and reimagining of one of its most popular dictionaries.
If you want, I can also create a concise version for online readers that’s punchy and shareable, suitable for news portals or social media. Do you want me to do that?
