noun

clickbait

KLIK-bayt

Clickbait (noun) means Online content, especially a headline or thumbnail, written to tempt people into clicking rather than to inform them, usually by withholding the point or overstating it. Example: “The site survives on clickbait headlines that never deliver.”

noun

informal Online content, especially a headline or thumbnail, written to tempt people into clicking rather than to inform them, usually by withholding the point or overstating it.

"The site survives on clickbait headlines that never deliver."

"Readers have grown wise to clickbait about miracle cures."

adjective

Designed chiefly to attract clicks rather than to be accurate or useful.

"That is a clickbait title for a fairly dull study."

"Editors were told to drop the clickbait approach."

How to Use Clickbait

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA headline that tricks you into clicking and then disappoints you.

When to use it

Always disapproving; a mass noun, so write a lot of clickbait rather than many clickbaits.

Memory tip

Clickbait is uncountable; refer to a piece of clickbait or a clickbait headline rather than a clickbait.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

engagement bait rage bait native advertising

Common pairings

clickbait headline pure clickbait clickbait title clickbait thumbnail dismissed as clickbait

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The site survives on _____ headlines that never deliver.

Etymology

A compound of click, as in clicking a link, and bait, something used to lure.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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bait headline hype teaser sensational misleading attention-grabbing

Related Words

awesome excellent false exciting dramatic trailer PR notable

Rhymes for clickbait

wait gait bait lait Cait Fait trait await plait strait parfait portrait

See all rhymes for clickbait →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between clickbait and a good headline?

A good headline promises what the article actually delivers and enough of it to help the reader choose. Clickbait deliberately holds the payoff back or exaggerates it, so the click is the goal rather than the reader being informed.

Is all sensational writing clickbait?

No. Clickbait specifically depends on a gap between what the link promises and what it provides. A story can be dramatic and still be honest about its content.

What is rage bait compared with clickbait?

Rage bait is a subtype that provokes anger to drive comments and shares, whereas clickbait more broadly exploits curiosity. Both aim at engagement rather than at informing the reader.

Example Sentences

Real-world examples showing clickbait in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

Clickbait works on the curiosity gap — the headline withholds exactly enough that not clicking feels like leaving something unfinished.

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