The dictionary defines “slop” as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence”.

Merriam-Webster noted that the flood of slop in 2025 encompassed absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that appears convincing, junky AI-written books, and so-called “workslop” reports that waste co-workers’ time.

Tracing the word’s history, Merriam-Webster explained that slop originally meant “soft mud” in the 1700s. By the 1800s, it referred to food waste, as in “pig slop”, and later expanded to describe rubbish or products of little value.

The contemporary usage adds a layer of humour to an otherwise serious discussion about the impact of technology. In a year dominated by debates over AI’s influence on creativity, productivity and truth, “slop” reflects a tone that is less fearful and more mocking, the dictionary said.

US media outlets have noted that Merriam-Webster’s annual word selection, informed by spikes in search data, often mirrors the anxieties, obsessions, and cultural moments that defined the year.

For the record, Merriam‑Webster’s Word of the Year for 2024 was “polarization”, acknowledging the significant rise in lookups throughout the year as people sought to understand the deep social and political divisions that shaped public discourse.

“Polarization” or “polarisation” is defined as “the division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes”.

Notably, Oxford English Dictionary only recently revealed its own Word of the Year: “rage bait”, chosen to reflect the online content designed to provoke outrage and inflame reactions.