The 2025 Collins Dictionary Word of the Year list is a goldmine of terms for our stressed-out, tech-saturated, and economically anxious era. The new entries, including “Henry,” “broligarchy,” and “taskmasking,” provide a perfect glossary for modern life.
“Henry,” an acronym for “high earner, not rich yet,” has been recognized as a key term. It perfectly captures the financial frustration of professionals who, despite high incomes, feel far from wealthy due to the high cost of living.
At the top of the economic ladder, the list gives us “broligarchy.” This informal nickname for the “tech bro” elite highlights public scrutiny of their concentrated wealth and power, contrasting sharply with the “Henrys” they employ.
In the workplace, “taskmasking” has emerged. This word describes the act of faking productivity, a response to the pressures of the modern office. It’s joined by “micro-retirement,” a term for escaping the office entirely for a personal break.
While these words defined our socio-economic landscape, the 2025 Word of the Year was “vibe coding,” the use of AI to generate code. This winning term represents the technological force that is reshaping the very economies and workplaces “Henry” and “taskmasking” describe.