What Is Rage Bait & How Should You Respond to It?

What is “rage bait?”

Rage bait is the act of posting something to intentionally enrage viewers. Nwodo says, “Ragebait is when you purposely antagonize and tease someone for the express purpose of an angry reaction. This can involve saying things you don't really think or believe, or something you know the other person is susceptible to just to get a reaction.” It’s also known as rage-baiting or rage farming. Most people post rage bait for clicks, views, engagement, or attention. Example: If someone keeps intentionally talking about how you’re bad at a video game just to make you angry and upset, they’re rage-baiting. Example: Your roommate constantly leaving slivers of milk in the carton on purpose to make you angry is rage baiting. Other Forms of Rage Baiting: Posting controversial opinions Spreading misinformation Making bad or upsetting content to trigger strong, angry reactions Posting misleading news to incite arguments Meet the wikiHow Experts Tobi Nwodo is an influencer and content creator. His goal is to educate and entertain his audience by explaining the newest slang, memes, and brainrot characters. Brooks Gibbs, PhD, is a resilience educator who specializes in conflict resolution with an emphasis on emotional resilience. Jessica Lizarraga is an influencer & content creator who teaches slang and English Colloquialism to help others become more articulate.

Where does “rage bait” come from?

The term ‘rage bait’ was first used in 2016 but became popular in the 2020s. Although the specific origins of the phrase are unknown, “rage bait” was first seen online in February 2016, being used by Daniel Herborne in The Age (a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia). The phrase gained popularity in the 2020s, with online users and politicians realizing they could take advantage of the use of anger and rage in driving engagement and support.

How to Use “Rage Bait”

Use “rage bait” to call out someone who’s intentionally trying to anger you. When you can tell someone is just trying to bait you into getting angry or upset, call them out by saying you know that they’re rage-baiting. Example: “Man, I know you’re rage baiting. You should be more slick if you’re trying to make me mad.” Example: “Rage bait used to be believable, now you’re just being over the top.”

Use “rage bait” when you are intentionally trying to anger someone. On the flip side, if you are the one trying to bait other people into being upset and you’re called out for it (or you want to diffuse the situation) say you were just rage baiting. Example: “Bro chill! I know you got mad because I spilled melted cheese on your new Balenciaga sneakers, but I was just rage-baiting! I’ll clean ‘em bro, it’s not even that serious.” Example: “Yo chill! I was just rage-baiting. I didn’t actually mean it when I said I’d steal your PS5 and run it over. That’s obviously rage bait, bro!”

How to Respond to Rage Baiting

Take a moment to breathe before getting upset. Deep breaths help calm down angry feelings, which is essential for not falling for rage bait. So, when you notice that someone is rage-baiting you, take a moment to breathe from your diaphragm. Picture the breath coming up from your diaphragm and imagine yourself relaxing to keep yourself from getting upset.

Don’t let their comments get to you. The rage baiter is typically rage-baiting for a reason. Resilience educator Brooks Gibbs, PhD says, “When [someone is] bothering you, they’re provoking you, just be unfazed. That’s what they want. They’re not being mean to you to make your day awesome. They’re trying to ruin your day." So keep it cool and don’t let them get under your skin.

Call them out to diffuse the situation. Don’t come at them crazy, simply explain that you know they’re rage-baiting and that it won’t work. Say something like “your rage bait isn’t going to work” or “I know you’re just fishing for a response, it’s not going to work,” to let them know you won’t be shaken by their rage bait.

Related Online Slang Terms

Aura farming “Aura farming” is when you intentionally do something or act in a way that makes you seem cooler and helps you build “aura” (basically the TikTok version of cool points). Aura farming looks like posting up in a dark corner with a good outfit to look mysterious and maximize your aura.

Rizz “Rizz” refers to a person’s charisma and their ability to flirt. When someone has rizz, their ability to attract someone and pique their interest is almost natural, with how easily it comes to them. Influencer and content creator Jessica Lizarraga says, “Someone with rizz is great at hitting on people, they have seductive charm, or maybe perhaps they’re super attractive and blessed with good looks.” Lizarraga continues, “Rizz can also be used as a verb. For example, ‘I have a huge crush on that girl, I’m going to build up the courage to go rizz her up.’”

Mewing “Mewing” is when you push your tongue to the roof of your mouth and swallow to make your jawline look sharper. Although it’s heavily promoted in the looksmaxxing community as a way to maximize your jawline’s looks, it’s not scientifically supported.

Looksmaxxing “Looksmaxxing” is an online trend where you practice self-care techniques and appearance-enhancing exercises to maximize your attractiveness and improve your social status. This trend is mainly performed by young men online.