If it ever feels like Taylor Swift is someone you’ve grown up with, a familiar voice whose highs and lows you experience alongside her, then Cambridge Dictionary’s newly announced word of the year might resonate with you.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement sparked an outpouring of excitement from fans around the world, many celebrating the moment with the warmth usually reserved for close friends. That wave of emotional response helped shine a spotlight on a growing cultural trend one now formally recognized by the Cambridge Dictionary, which has chosen “parasocial” as its 2025 word of the year.
The term refers to a one-sided emotional bond someone feels toward a public figure, fictional character, or even an artificial intelligence, according to Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
The publisher says that Swift’s confessional songwriting has long created a sense of closeness with listeners, and searches for the word surged online when news of her engagement broke. That spike contributed to its word-of-the-year status.
The dictionary notes that parasocial relationships aren’t limited to music fandom millions form similar emotional attachments to actors, influencers, podcast hosts, and increasingly, AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Parasocial captures the 2025 zeitgeist. It’s a great example of how language changes. What was once a specialist academic term has become mainstream.
Colin McIntosh, of the Cambridge Dictionary team, said:
Source: Yahoo Entertainment