clickbait
noun
click·bait ˈklik-ˌbāt 
: something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest
It is difficult to remember a time when you could scroll through the social media outlet of your choice and not be bombarded with: You'll never believe what happened when … This is the cutest thing ever … This the biggest mistake you can make … Take this quiz to see which character you are on … They are all classic clickbait models.
Emily Shire
Emily Shire
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Twitter might be a warped representation of reality, but the TV Academy is probably banking on the clickbait heat a Chappelle win could ignite. Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Aug. 2022 The first effort is to build a reasonable network—nobody is going to accept clickbait from a LinkedIn profile that only has a handful of connections. Shiran Weitzman, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Since the coverage of DC Films has been reliable clickbait, at least since 2013, even the absence of news tends to get treated as news. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 Gaffe videos are ubiquitous clickbait, and politicians’ bloopers are among the most popular fodder. New York Times, 8 June 2022 The timely story also touches on Internet clickbait culture and headlines. Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 Mar. 2022 Naturally, many low-quality clickbait springs out from negative cannabis industry stories. Hazey Taughtme, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2022 In the digital age, those images of people’s worst days are forever lurking as internet clickbait. Keri Blakinger, oregonlive, 27 Dec. 2021 Many of its most popular posts have been apolitical clickbait — police-chase videos, accidents and weather disasters. Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2022 See More
Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Aug. 2022 The first effort is to build a reasonable network—nobody is going to accept clickbait from a LinkedIn profile that only has a handful of connections. Shiran Weitzman, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Since the coverage of DC Films has been reliable clickbait, at least since 2013, even the absence of news tends to get treated as news. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 Gaffe videos are ubiquitous clickbait, and politicians’ bloopers are among the most popular fodder. New York Times, 8 June 2022 The timely story also touches on Internet clickbait culture and headlines. Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 Mar. 2022 Naturally, many low-quality clickbait springs out from negative cannabis industry stories. Hazey Taughtme, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2022 In the digital age, those images of people’s worst days are forever lurking as internet clickbait. Keri Blakinger, oregonlive, 27 Dec. 2021 Many of its most popular posts have been apolitical clickbait — police-chase videos, accidents and weather disasters. Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1999, in the meaning defined above