clickbait

American  

[klik-beyt] / ˈklɪkˌbeɪt /

noun

1. 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

1. 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

And even if Byrne won’t be appearing in any clickbait lists of actors whose careers went south anytime soon, an Oscar-worthy performance and a strange indie melodrama being released in such close succession make for an absorbing study in how we view and think about cinema.

From Salon

"But thanks to the sort of media that loves a clickbait story, even when they don't understand it, the panic itself became real. Eventually parents were terrified, schools sent letters home, news outlets ran alarmist coverage and suddenly something done for the lols and appreciated originally on that level is on the actual news."

From BBC

“Is it leading to deeper, more time-intensive reporting or just enabling them to churn out more clickbait?” he asked.

From The Wall Street Journal

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