The 8 Most-Searched Terms of 2025 (That Were Searched for the First Time)

Lately, it can seem like the world is changing faster than ever. There’s more news than a person could possibly keep track of, and more TV shows and movies trending than most people could actually fit into their schedules. And that phenomenon extends to language, with Oxford keeping track of new words and phrases like “aura farming,” “biohack," and the 2025 word of the year, “rage bait."

With so much going on in the world, you can be forgiven for missing some of the year’s biggest trends. As part of Google’s Year in Search roundup, they identified eight phrases that took over the internet in the United States—for the first time this year.

From pop culture references to health and beauty trends, these eight search terms offer a glimpse of what you might have missed earlier in the year.

1. Gen Z Stare

Gen Z is growing up quickly, with members of this generation ranging in age from 13 to 28. Now that this generation is taking its place in the workforce and the social world, people are starting to notice some unusual traits they share. The biggest of these is the “Gen Z stare,” a term that rapidly gained popularity in July of this year.

The concept is that many members of Gen Z will maintain a blank stare during social situations, which older generations see as rude or evidence that the Gen Z-er wasn't properly socialized. There have been many explanations given for this expression, including disrupted social conditioning from the COVID-19 pandemic, familiarity with viewing the world through a screen, and even a deliberate refusal to engage in social rules they see no value in.

While many of the other searches on this list seem to have peaked quickly and then fallen drastically in popularity, the Gen Z stare seems the most likely to continue on, as it is a social phenomenon unlikely to disappear with the new year.

2. What the Helly

Rapper Rob49 dropped the song “WTHelly” on March 21, and the internet went wild. While about half of the song talks about living a luxurious life, the other half is spent repeating and riffing on the phrase “What the helly.” Many listeners saw it as utter nonsense, but others found something worth repeating.

Rob49 joked, “The only thing I wanted out of ‘WTHELLY’ was to change the culture and make people start saying ‘what the helly’ – but it wind up being bigger than that forreal.”

It went viral on TikTok, with users applying the repeated lines to relatable situations in their own lives. Many also enjoyed coming up with their own versions of the celebrity wordplay in the last lines, which include “Helly Berry” and “Helly 'Bron James.”

But what comes up must also come down, and TikTok trends tend to peak quickly. The phrase's popularity on Google has been down significantly since September, indicating it will likely have minimal impact on pop culture moving forward.

3. Beaded Sardine Bag

One of the biggest trends in fashion this year was the sardine craze, with the fish appearing (with and without its can) on all kinds of clothing items. The most sought-after sardine item comes from Staud's 2024 collection, where they released a nearly $300 light blue purse with a pair of beaded sardines and the label "Staudines" on the top.

While other sardine-printed items also took off in popularity this past summer, the primary goal seems to be for thrifters to be able to find the initial bag or others from the same company at thrift stores and discount retailers.

The phrase "beaded sardine bag" took off in May of this year, frequently appearing alongside stores like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, where the merchandise may be different from one location to another.

The longevity of this trend is uncertain. While sardine-themed fashion may continue to be popular in the future, the frenzy seems to be over. Seeking out this unusual designer bag was a fun quest, but too many people caught this white whale for it to have much allure in the future.

4. Tai Chi Walking

"Tai chi walking" is not a new phenomenon, but it did take off this year as a mainstream exercise fad, promising to improve all manner of health factors.

The idea is to walk slowly and deliberately, focusing on your breathing and your connection to your body, in such a way that you gain the benefits of both exercise and meditation.

If done properly, experts swear that tai chi walking can improve balance, lower stress, improve cognitive function, strengthen the heart, boost the immune system, and help you lose weight. While there are classes for this type of walking, it was marketed as something anyone can do at home, which adds to the appeal.

Although tai chi walking has many supporters claiming that it changed their lives, it may or may not last as a widespread practice. Earlier this year, other supposedly revolutionary trends like Japanese walking were considered just as exciting. If you're looking for a way to multitask exercise and mindfulness, tai chi walking is worth trying, but it may not be as popular in a few months’ time.

5. Korean Retinol Tea

Korean beauty products are having a moment right now, and one of the most significant new trends this year was Korean retinol tea. The name comes from comparisons made between the tea and popular prescription skin products that use retinol, although it is actually made using antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herbs.

While the ingredients may be beneficial for skin health in general, experts don't believe this tea mixture is the miracle solution that it has been called on social media. Like so many health and beauty trends, this seems to be fueled more by influencers seeking viral videos than scientific evidence. It's not likely to hurt you in most quantities, but it probably won't do much more for your skin than any other tea.

Given its limited demonstrable benefits, Korean retinol tea seems to have been a trend of the moment, not one that will stick around long-term. Its popularity in Google searches was already dropping in September, and it's unlikely that it will have a major resurgence any time soon.

6. Chicken Jockey

While the concept of a chicken jockey has existed in the Minecraft fandom since 2013, it became part of larger pop culture when A Minecraft Movie premiered in April.

In the game, a chicken jockey is a rare spawn of a baby zombie riding a chicken. The movie then showed precisely that in a face-off with Jason Momoa’s character, triggering chaotic reactions in theater audiences.

When Jack Black says the words “chicken jockey,” audiences would go crazy—screaming, throwing popcorn and toilet paper, and otherwise causing mayhem. One viewer even snuck a live chicken into a theater.

Videos of these reactions began trending on TikTok, which only caused things to escalate. Eventually, some theaters had to ban minors from seeing the movie without adult supervision due to the trend creating dangerous viewing environments and property damage.

In honor of its rise to fame, the game Grow a Garden also released a “chicken zombie” pet, which some of Minecraft's less-explosive fans were eager to acquire.

While the trend was initially compared to Rocky Horror screenings, with talks of special showings with dedicated hype guys and call-and-response sections, the online fervor died down pretty quickly. Since there has been minimal popularity since June, it’s likely that this was an explosive but ultimately short-lived phenomenon.

7. Labubu Rave

It’s hard enough for many people to understand the Labubu trend in general, but Labubu raves are a whole other animal.

For those with no background knowledge, Labubus are little plush monster figures that have become popular as both toys and fashion accessories. They’ve developed a massive cult following in the US, which has prompted clubs across the country to host Labubu-themed raves.

One of the executives for a Las Vegas venue hosting a Labubu rave described it as “a celebration of art, music, eccentric creativity and pop culture ... where guests can really let loose and be part of something joyfully weird.”

While people have a variety of reasons for enjoying Labubus in general, the raves seem to be a way for people to reject cringe culture and enjoy themselves, no matter what others think.

According to WIRED, Labubu events increased by 518% on Eventbrite this past summer, which aligns with the search trends identified by Google. However, their popularity has dropped significantly since October, suggesting that clubs and their attendees may be moving on to other themes to break them out of their everyday habits.

8. Unfortunately I Do Love

The final new search trend Google highlighted was the “Unfortunately I do love” TikTok format, which involves people posting aesthetic pictures and videos alongside the song “Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh and lists of their guilty pleasures.

Some people list traditionally feminine things as a pushback against the “not like other girls” mentality of the 2010s, while others include whatever hobbies and interests they are devoted to.

While TikTok and Instagram influencers jumped on the trend, it was also widely used by regular people. By sharing their interests, they were able to essentially reclaim their enjoyment from those who might shame them and find other people with similar interests.

It's not surprising that it caught on so quickly, since it helped people connect in a world that feels increasingly hard to make new friends in.

While the idea clearly resonated with a lot of people online, social media users tend to move from one fad to the next at rapid speeds, and “Unfortunately I do love” was no exception. It’s actually surprising that it was able to earn a spot on Google's list of top new trends, because it was only popular for about a month in September and early October.

The top new trends in 2025 might come from different parts of the internet, but many seem to revolve around the idea of embracing the things others tell you to be ashamed of. Whether it’s a love for traditionally shamed feminine hobbies, a desire to find the latest thrifting treasure, or the refusal to fake emotions you aren’t really feeling, the name of the game is authenticity.

Most of these trending terms will mean nothing to people in a year or two, but the feelings that they have evoked might have long-term benefits. People have been expressing how constrained they feel by societal rules for a long time. Perhaps in 2025, we’ve decided to reject those rules altogether and let ourselves be carried away by whatever trending topics resonate with us.

Some might see these trends as nothing more than consumerism and brain rot, but they may actually suggest a major overhaul coming to redefine our cultural priorities.