While Collins Dictionary crowned the optimistic “vibe coding” as its 2025 Word of the Year, the rest of the shortlist paints a striking portrait of modern anxiety. Terms like “clanker,” “Henry,” and “taskmasking” reveal a public grappling with fears about technology, money, and work.
“Clanker,” a derogatory term for AI and robots, was a powerful runner-up. Its viral spread from Star Wars fan culture to mainstream slang shows a deep and growing distrust of automated systems. It’s the word people use to express frustration with the very technology “vibe coding” celebrates.
This technological anxiety is matched by profound economic anxiety, captured by “Henry.” The acronym for “high earner, not rich yet” gives a name to the financial precariousness felt even by those with high salaries, highlighting a cost-of-living crisis that has become a central source of stress.
Finally, “taskmasking” brings that anxiety into the workplace. The act of faking productivity is a direct symptom of burnout and a culture of surveillance. It’s a word born from the pressure to constantly perform, even when disengaged or overwhelmed.
Taken together, this trio of words tells a powerful story. They are the language of a public feeling threatened by automation (“clanker”), squeezed by the economy (“Henry”), and burned out by work (“taskmasking”).