ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rage bait

n.

n. Online content, like a headline or video, made just to make people angry. The creator hopes that if you feel angry, you will share it or comment on it, which helps it spread.

n. Online content intentionally designed to provoke anger and outrage, thereby increasing user engagement through shares and comments. A compound noun, typically uncountable, with an informal or journalistic register.


SIMPLE

That headline is just rage bait to get more clicks.

CONTEXTUAL

Many influencers post obvious rage bait because angry comments still boost a video's visibility in the algorithm.

COMPLEX

The op-ed was less a sincere argument and more a piece of calculated rage bait, intended to polarize readers and drive traffic to the struggling publication.

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