clickbait

American

[klik-beyt] / ˈklɪkˌbeɪt /

noun

a sensationalized headline or piece of text on the internet designed to entice people to follow a link to an article on another web page.

adjective

noting or relating to such internet content.

Clickbait articles contribute to the online visibility of the news website.

Usage

What does clickbait mean? Clickbait describes misleading internet content or shocking headline titles that aim to drive traffic to a website.

Etymology

Origin of clickbait

First recorded in 1995–2000; click ¹ (in the computer sense) + bait

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On X, Kurt Caz dismissed criticism of the thumbnail as "clickbait" and said "if you're going to do a hit piece on me do it properly".

From BBC

And now it’s escalated by the talking heads on TikTok that need clickbait.

From Los Angeles Times

Everyone wants a click of this clickbait, even though it isn’t clear this is an actual crisis, and may simply fall under the rubric of “inane stuff to talk about before people we start winning medals.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Speaking to Sky Sports' Gary Neville, the defender warned opinions sometimes strayed into "clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for the mental side of players".

From BBC

As the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, experts warn that such content -- whether produced as clickbait for commercial gain, or for political motives -- threatens efforts to preserve the memory of Nazi crimes.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023