vibe coding

US/ˈvaɪb ˈkoʊ.dɪŋ/

noun

A method of programming in which a developer generates code by repeatedly prompting a large language model, while having a very limited awareness of how the code actually functions.

Meanings

nounvibe coding (uncountable)

alternative vibecoding

  1. neologismuncountablecomputingA method of programming in which a developer generates code by repeatedly prompting a large language model, while having a very limited awareness of how the code actually functions.

    There's a new kind of coding I call "vibe coding", where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists.

    [2025 February 2, @karpathy [Andrej Karpathy], Twitter, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2025
    4 more examples

    Not all of my vibecoding experiments have been successful. I've been struggling for weeks to build an "inbox autopilot" tool capable of responding to my emails automatically, in my writing style. I've encountered roadblocks when trying to integrate A.I. work flows into apps like Google Photos and iOS Voice Memos, which aren't designed to play well with third-party add-ons.

    2025 February 27, Kevin Roose, “Not a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2025

    With all this vibe coding going on, we had to turn to an expert for some input. Simon Willison, an independent software developer and AI researcher, offered a nuanced perspective on AI-assisted programming in an interview with Ars Technica. "I really enjoy vibe coding," he said. "It's a fun way to try out an idea and prove if it can work."

    2025 March 5, Benj Edwards, “Will the future of software development run on vibes?”, in Ars Technica, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2025

    Of course, vibe coding isn't perfect, but picking the right tool will help iron out many potential hiccups - whether that be security concerns or limited budgets.

    2026 February 10, Ritoban Mukherjee, Owain Williams, “10 best vibe coding tools of 2026”, in Techradar, archived from the original on 17 Feb 2026

    The project is yet another example of "vibe coding," the trend of non-engineers using AI tools to build software by describing what they want in plain language. What once required a team of developers can now be prototyped by a lawyer in a number of days.

    2026 March 25, Russell Melia, “A startup lawyer vibe-coded an AI version of himself”, in Insider, US edition
verb

alternative vibecoding

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of vibe code

Origin

Coined by Slovakian-Canadian AI researcher Andrej Karpathy in February 2025 (see quotation).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 氛圍編程 /氛围编程
  • 氛圍編程 /氛围编程 (fēnwéi biānchéng)method of programming
German Vibe-Coding, Vibecoding
  • Vibe-Codingmethod of programming
  • Vibecodingmethod of programming
Japanese バイブコーディング
  • バイブコーディング (baibukōdingu)method of programming
Swedish vibbkodning
  • vibbkodningmethod of programming
Vietnamese (sự) lập trình theo cảm hứng
  • (sự) lập trình theo cảm hứngmethod of programming
Cite this entry
APA

vibe coding. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibe%20coding

MLA

“vibe coding.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibe%20coding. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vibe coding,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vibe%20coding.

Source: vibe coding on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.