Etymology

ragebait

R1A1G2E1B3A1I1T1

Today it means: Content that intentionally provokes anger or fear in order to increase viewership or interaction. Full definition →

English bait ← Middle English bayte ← Old Norse beita
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The story

  1. Latinrabiō
  2. Classical Latinrabiēs
  3. Late Latinrabia
  4. Anglo-Normanrage
  5. Middle Englishrage
  6. Englishrage
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeyd-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéydt
  9. Proto-Germanic*bītaną
  10. Proto-Germanic*baitijaną
  11. Old Norsebeita
  12. Middle Englishbayte
  13. Englishbait
  14. English todayragebait

From rage + -bait (“manipulation to elicit a particular response”). Compare rage farm.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.