What once scared engineers is now Collins Dictionary’s ‘Word of the Year’ - Details

A term once unsettling for programmers has now defined a new tech era. “Vibe coding” becomes Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025.

The phrase that once unsettled software engineers has now earned top linguistic honours. Collins Dictionary has selected “vibe coding” as its Word of the Year for 2025, marking a turning point in how people build software and interact with technology.

“Vibe coding” has been chosen as Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025. (Pexels)

By MD Ijaj Khan

Ijaj Khan is a technology journalist and Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, with over three years of experience covering the consumer technology industry. His work spans smartphones, laptops, wearables, gaming, appliances and AI - from hands-on reviews, comparison and buying guides to breaking news and in-depth features that help readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions. Before joining HT Tech, he worked with Jagran New Media, where he sharpened his instincts for fast-paced digital reporting. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Whether he's testing the latest flagship smartphone, tracking a major AI announcement, or putting a gaming laptop through its paces, Ijaj approaches every story with the same goal - making technology feel relevant and easy to understand for everyday users, not just enthusiasts. When he's not in front of a screen for work, he's usually travelling to a new city, hunting for great food, or keeping tabs on what's next in tech before everyone else catches on.

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What “Vibe Coding” Means

“Vibe coding” refers to creating apps or websites by conversing with artificial intelligence instead of manually writing lines of code. The term was first introduced by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy in February when he encouraged developers to “forget the code even exists” and instead “give in to the vibes.” What started as an experimental concept quickly turned into a mainstream trend, spreading across developer communities and tech companies worldwide.

With this approach, anyone can now request AI to develop software through simple commands, such as “Build me a meal planner” or “Create a fitness tracker.” Industry leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, have embraced this new workflow, reportedly using AI tools like Cursor and Replit to assemble digital projects.

Tech investors and startup founders are also recognising the shift. Y Combinator head Garry Tan noted that ten “vibe coders” can now match the output of one hundred traditional engineers. Nearly a quarter of Y Combinator’s current startups reportedly depend on AI for most of their coding tasks. Tan described the transformation as a defining moment in how modern software is produced.

Major tech firms are reflecting similar changes. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated earlier this year that AI now generates around 30% of the company’s code, while Google’s Pichai confirmed that over a quarter of its new code is AI-written. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg expects half of his company’s development work to be AI-driven within a year, with new AI systems being built to create other AI models.

Concerns About the Future of Software Jobs

While some celebrate this efficiency, others express caution. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that as AI takes over routine programming, the need for human engineers may decline. Companies such as Amazon and Salesforce have already linked AI adoption to workforce reductions.

Still, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang views the trend differently, calling AI the “great equaliser” that transforms human language into the ultimate programming tool.

“Vibe coding” surpassed contenders like “clanker,” “broligarchy,” and “aura farming” to claim the top spot. According to Collins’ Alex Beecroft, the choice captures how technology continues to reshape both language and the way people communicate with machines.