What were the top suggested words of the year in Russia?

The most popular user-suggested words were 'Labubu,' 'Pupupu,' and 'Red flag,' reflecting youth internet culture and memes.

Why are Russians unfamiliar with the word of the year candidates?

Many candidates proposed by experts are unfamiliar, while popular speech embraces social media language and memes, often from English.

What is 'rage bait' and why did it resonate in Russia?

'Rage bait' refers to aggressive media content that provokes strong emotional reactions, with 25% of Russians agreeing with its relevance.

Home / Lifestyle / Russians Stumped by Word of the Year Candidates

Russians Stumped by Word of the Year Candidates

11 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Over a third of Russians didn't recognize any word of the year options.
Popular user suggestions include internet memes like 'Labubu' and 'Pupupu'.
A significant portion rejected all expert-chosen words, favoring 'rage bait'.

Russians Stumped by Word of the Year Candidates

A new study indicates a disconnect between linguistic experts and the general public in Russia regarding the word of the year. Over 36% of respondents admitted to not recognizing any of the officially suggested terms, highlighting a widespread unfamiliarity.

Instead of expert-selected words, Russians, particularly youth, proposed their own alternatives. Popular choices included internet memes such as 'Labubu,' 'Pupupu,' and 'Red flag,' alongside gaming terms like 'Sigma' and 'Imba,' reflecting current online vernacular.

This trend suggests that everyday language is increasingly shaped by social media and subcultures, often incorporating English loanwords due to a lack of direct Russian equivalents for concepts like 'rage bait,' a term that resonated with 25% of respondents, indirectly signaling concerns about media aggression.

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