A new travel trend, likely driven by climate change, has been officially recognized in Collins Dictionary’s 2025 Word of the Year list. “Coolcation,” defined as a holiday taken to a place with a cool climate, has entered the lexicon as travelers seek to escape increasingly intense summer heat.
The inclusion of “coolcation” on the annual list, which is compiled by monitoring a 24-billion-word language corpus, signifies a notable shift in vacation planning. Instead of prioritizing sun and sand, a growing number of people are opting for the mountains, fjords, and northern latitudes to find comfort.
This environmental and lifestyle trend was one of several key themes on the 2025 list. It was joined by other new lifestyle terms like “micro-retirement,” a career break for personal pursuits, and “biohacking,” the optimization of one’s own health.
While these words reflect our changing personal lives, the Word of the Year itself came from technology. “Vibe coding,” the act of using AI to generate computer code, took the top prize. Its selection highlights the dominant role of artificial intelligence in shaping our work and language.
The list also reflected the anxieties of this new era, with “clanker” (an insult for AI), “broligarchy” (the tech elite), and “Henry” (high earner, not rich yet) all earning a place.