clickbait
KLIK-bayt
/ˈklɪk.beɪt/
Web content or headlines deliberately designed to entice users to click on a link, often using sensationalism or misleading exaggerations.
Implies a dishonest bargain: promising an astonishing revelation in the headline but delivering low-quality or disappointing content.
The story behind the word. Coined in the late 1990s as internet search engines and social media networks shifted advertising monetization toward total raw clicks and impression numbers. It metaphorically treats online readers like fish rising to swallow a baited hook.
Word relationships
- headline grabbing: Focuses on attracting attention, but without the specific digital mouse-click connotation.
- sensationalism: Broader journalistic strategy of stirring emotion; clickbait is the specific web-traffic mechanism.
- objective headline: A title that neutrally and accurately summarizes content.
Commonly confused with
- sensationalism: Clickbait specifically lures digital clicks; sensationalism is an overall style of exaggerated news coverage across any media.
Word family
- clickbaiter (noun): A publisher or author who creates clickbait.
- clickbaity (adjective): Having the sensational, misleading qualities of clickbait.
Collocations
- clickbait headline
- shameless clickbait
- resort to clickbait
- clickbait title
Idioms & expressions
- curiosity gap
- snake oil
Example sentences
- "The website relied heavily on outrageous clickbait headlines to drive ad revenue rather than investing in quality reporting." Digital Journalism
- "Readers quickly grew exhausted by clickbait articles that promised shocking secrets but provided no real information." Media Critique
Memory hook
CLICK-BAIT puts BAIT on a hook to lure your CLICK. Tempting online headlines designed to trick you into clicking.
When not to use
Do not use for intriguing, high-quality headlines that actually deliver on their promises in the article body.
Fun facts
- The classic clickbait structure 'You won't believe what happened next!' leverages a psychological phenomenon called the 'curiosity gap'.
Related words
Explore more words
bait, disinformation, deceitful, muckraking, exposé, provocative
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