“Taskmasking”: The 2025 Word for Faking It at Work Makes Collins’ Annual List

A new word that perfectly describes the art of “productivity theater” in the modern workplace has been named one of Collins Dictionary’s words of the year for 2025. “Taskmasking,” defined as the act of giving a false impression that one is being productive, has resonated with workers in an age of remote work and digital surveillance.
The inclusion of “taskmasking” on the prestigious list highlights a widespread phenomenon. As work becomes more screen-based, the appearance of productivity—being active on team chats, moving a mouse, or appearing in virtual meetings—can become divorced from actual output. The term captures the anxiety and absurdity of “looking busy” for an unseen manager or tracking software.
“Taskmasking” was joined by other terms reflecting new work-life philosophies. “Micro-retirement” also made the list, describing a deliberate break taken between jobs to pursue personal interests. Together, these words suggest a workforce that is both faking productivity and actively seeking escapes from the traditional career structure.
These workplace terms were part of a diverse list that saw the AI-related term “vibe coding” take the top prize as Word of the Year. “Vibe coding,” the use of natural language to get an AI to write code, represents the other major force disrupting the modern office: artificial intelligence.
The 2025 list was notably “tech-heavy,” also featuring “clanker” (an insult for AI), “broligarchy” (a name for tech leaders), and “biohacking” (using tech to improve health). These words, sourced from a 24-billion-word corpus, paint a clear picture of a society grappling with technological and workplace revolutions.