2025’s Words of The Year And Our Digital Fatigue

Professor Roger J. Kreuz, writing in The Conversation, recently summarized the official “Words of the Year” for 2025. The selections from major dictionaries paint a clear picture: a growing sense of digital disillusionment. We’re all just tired of the constant, often negative, noise generated by AI and online culture.

Kreuz’s article does more than recap the word‑of‑the‑year lists; it shows that many of the chosen terms aren’t just about digital life, they point to widespread fatigue with it. Together they reveal frustration, exhaustion, and skepticism about online life and today’s digital culture.

AI‑shaped writing: words and phrases to watch

In a New York Times article, Sam Kriss highlights words and phrases that are increasingly common in AI‑generated writing. Researchers have found that AI‑generated papers often lean on the same small set of terms—words like “delve,” “underscore,” “intricate,” “highlight,” “showcase,” “tapestry,” “swift,” “meticulous,” and “adept.”

Kriss also notes that OpenAI’s newer ChatGPT model, ChatGPT‑5, has a strong preference for the word “quiet” in its output, even in contexts where it feels out of place. This pattern appears across very different prompts: a party scene, an essay about pebbles, and a science‑fiction story. Other recurring words include “hum,” “humming,” “echo” (used twice), “liminal,” and “ghosts.”

Kriss points to one especially striking example: the phrase “I rise to speak.” He writes that AI may be responsible for a sudden spike in British MPs using this line, which is more typical of American lawmakers. On a single day in June, he notes, it appeared 26 times in parliamentary speeches.

How AI explains itself

When I asked ChatGPT whether it agrees with Kriss’s observations, it replied with a qualified yes. Here’s a slightly cleaned‑up version of its response, kept close to the original wording:

Partly, yes—but with some caveats.

Many of the words listed (“delve,” “underscore,” “intricate,” “highlight”) do appear often in A.I.-generated text, especially in academic, explanatory, or analytical writing. They are safe, formal, and broadly applicable, which makes them attractive to language models.

The repetition of atmospheric words like “quiet,” “echo,” and “liminal” can reflect stylistic defaults in creative writing prompts, where models tend to lean toward mood-setting language.

However, these words are not exclusive to A.I., and their presence alone isn’t reliable proof that a text was machine-generated. Human writers—especially in academia, journalism, and politics—have long used many of them.

The political example (“I rise to speak”) is intriguing, but correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation. Cultural borrowing, speechwriters, or imitation could also explain the spike.

Overall: Kriss’s observations are perceptive as patterns, but they work better as signals of possible A.I. influence, not as definitive evidence on their own.

When I asked ChatGPT, does it agree? here is the response

Sam Kriss’s observations about recurring words and phrases in A.I.-generated writing are largely persuasive, though they require qualification. Research shows that such texts often rely on a narrow set of terms—“delve,” “underscore,” and “intricate,” among others—particularly in academic and analytical contexts. These words convey authority while remaining stylistically neutral, making them well suited to large language models.

Kriss’s focus on atmospheric vocabulary—“quiet,” “hum,” “echo,” and “liminal”—is also compelling. Their repeated appearance across varied creative prompts suggests not deliberate style, but a structural bias toward mood-setting language embedded in model training.

However, these words are not exclusive to A.I. writing. Many have long been common in human academic, journalistic, and political prose, and their increased use may reflect stylistic convergence rather than machine authorship.

The example of British MPs adopting the phrase “I rise to speak” is intriguing but inconclusive. While atypical in British parliamentary speech, the shift could stem from rhetorical fashion or imitation rather than A.I. influence.

Overall, Kriss’s analysis is strongest as a study of emerging linguistic patterns, not as definitive evidence of A.I.-generated authorship.

A quick guide to commas and em dashes

In the Conversation article, Prof. Kreuz explains into the word list, it helps to be clear about commas (,) and em dashes (—), since both show up in AI‑style writing.

Commas (,)

Use commas to:

Separate items in a list: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
Add small extra information closely connected to the main sentence:
My brother, who lives in London, is visiting next week.
Link independent clauses with a conjunction (and, but, or): I wanted to go, but it started raining.

Tip: Commas are subtle—they don’t interrupt the flow much.

Em dashes (—)

Use em dashes to:

Add emphasis or a dramatic pause: She finally answered—after three hours of waiting.
Insert additional information that’s more noticeable or “extra” than a comma would allow: My brother—who lives in London and just got a new job—is visiting next week.
Replace parentheses for a slightly more conversational or stylish effect.

Tip: Em dashes are louder than commas—they highlight or interrupt for effect.

A simple rule of thumb

If the extra information is small or expected → comma
If you want to highlight, pause, or add drama → em dash

Commas vs. em dashes: a quick cheat sheet

Use case	Comma (,)	Em dash (—)	Example
Extra info / clarification	Subtle, gentle addition	Emphasized, more noticeable	My sister, who loves painting, won an award. vs. My sister—who loves painting—won an award.
Pause for effect	Mild, almost invisible	Dramatic, noticeable	She hesitated—then spoke her mind.
Lists	Standard, everyday use	Only for special emphasis	I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
Replacing parentheses	More neutral	Stylish, conversational	He finally arrived—after three hours of waiting.
Connecting clauses	Standard with conjunction	Rare, for strong emphasis	I wanted to go, but it started raining.

A quick memory tip:

Comma = gentle whisper
Em dash = drumbeat / spotlight

For a fuller guide, see Merriam‑Webster’s page on how to use em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Definitions:

Delve (synonyms: explore, looks into, examine, inquire into, dig): to dig or labor with or as if with a spade, to make a careful or detailed search for information, to examine a subject in detail.
Underscore (synonyms: emphasize, reinforce): to draw a line under : underline; to make evident : emphasize, stress; to provide (action on film) with accompanying music
Em dash ( — ): it can function like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it.
Steatotic: Cleaveland Clinic defines it a term healthcare providers use to describe fat buildup in an organ (usually your liver).
Highlight (synonyms: emphasize, feature, stress): to throw a strong light on; to constitute a significant or especially interesting part of : to constitute a highlight of; to mark (text) with or as if with a highlighter.
Showcase: to exhibit especially in an attractive or favorable aspect.
Intricate (synonyms: complicated, complex, sophisticated): having many complexly interrelating parts or elements; difficult to resolve or analyze
Tapestry (related: mosaic, rainbow, variety, assortment, collage): a heavy handwoven reversible textile used for hangings, curtains, and upholstery and characterized by complicated pictorial designs; something resembling tapestry (as in complexity or richness of design).
Swift (synonyms: rapid, fast, quick, brisk): moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
Meticulous (synonyms: careful, loving, diligent, conscientious): taking, showing, or involving great care and effort
Adept ( synonyms: skill, skillful, proficient, experience, excerpt) : having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor
Quiet (synonyms: peaceful, serene, calm, placid, restful): free from disturbing noise or uproar

Prof. Kreuz sees the recurring words of 2025 and the stylistic fingerprints of AI writing as signs of a quiet shift, from digital excitement to digital disillusionment. He concludes that digital nihilism, characterized by a lack of meaning and certainty in online interactions, is exemplified by the shrug emoji (🤷). This attitude reflects the pervasive misinformation and distrust in our digital lives.

Acknowledgement: This post summary was generated using AI writing tools as part of my AI Explorations process. For more information, please refer to the original articles listed below.