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It means what you think it means: bait for clicks. It's a link which entices you to click on it.

The "bait" comes in many shapes and sizes, but it is usually intentionally misleading and/or crassly provocative. Clicking will inevitably cause disappointment. Clickbait is usually created for money.

One common type is adverts and spam, such as you might find on a random website or in your Facebook feed. Such clickbait usually leads to a site which tries to sell you something or possibly extort you, by withholding the promised "bait". Typical examples include: a sexy picture which promises to show more; suggestive and intriguing captions, like "you won't believe what this hot girl did"; stories designed to inflame people, such as by playing on political passions, like "woman demands more benefits to pay for comfort eating"; and claimed weight loss methods or body building methods, often with some "weird easy trick".

The second main variety is headlines to media sites which make money from page views. Common offenders are Buzzfeed, and Gawker and its affiliated sites. The headlines are designed to cause maximum provocation or interest, but as a result are frequently extremely exaggerated or flat out lies, and the articles themselves are often just as shoddy.
Thanks for wasting my time with this lying clickbait, random Gawker editor. Congratulations, you've gotten your two cents out of me. Now off you go and spend it on your favourite brand of cheap gin - the one you swill at night as you silently shed tears whilst contemplating your miserable, tortured existence and failed journalism career.
clickbait by Gloone February 23, 2015

Not clickbait

The biggest lie you can get on the internet, commonly found on N&A Production’s YouTube videos.

The description and the thumbnail of these videos are worse. Usually containing massive arrows pointing to something blurred out, and having a crap ton of cancerous emojis.
FACETIMING DAME TU COSTIA IN A ROBLOX, MINECRAFT, MCDONALD’S WHILE ORDERING A NUMBER 15 BURGER KING FOOT LETTUCE AND SCREAMING GUCCI GANG WITH BOSSBABY AND PENNYWISE AT 3AM WHILE SPINNING ILLEGAL FIDGET SPINNERS OMG OMG OMG😱😱😱 (GONE SEXUAL) (NOT CLICKBAIT)
Not clickbait by iGood July 28, 2018

clickbaiter

A person or website that posts eye-catching headlines for stories that aren't very accurate or just plain made up, in the hope that they'll go viral on social media, bringing in ad revenue. Also, a generator of fake news that frequently claims to be doing "satire" when called out for just making up outrageous shit.
He fancies himself a hip satirist, but he's really just a second-rate clickbaiter.
clickbaiter by PieterB March 10, 2015
A cheap tactic used to gain views. Common types of clickbait are misleading titles (You Won't Believe What Happens Next!) or more recently with the rise of custom YouTube thumbnails, misleading thumbnails-most commonly boobs.
1) There are so many clickbait articles here. Who writes this stuff anyway?

2) Anything from Flashgitz. Seriously.
clickbait by Pitchy May 22, 2016

fuckbait 

An attractive young woman who is openly interested in hooking up, especially one who isn't looking for a commitment.
So I kissed her while we were dancing and she put her hand on my dick -- she's pure fuckbait.
fuckbait by passerthru September 28, 2005
The thing I absolutely hate the most.

This method is set up by what looks like a cool or innocent article, video, etc, but once the viewer clicks on it, the creator gets profit.

On YouTube, there are many of these YouTubers. They often use overused thumbnails such as boobs, or annoying things IN the thumbnails, such as circles or arrows. These are usually attractive to many viewers, and once they get their hands on that video, the creator gains money just from people clicking.

Some may also use misleading titles. Again, this is another way to lure viewers into a video that just has a misleading title put there on purpose. And again, this is another way the creator can get money.

There are some YouTubers I've come across, and as a very underrated YouTuber, I find this act selfish and a lazy way to get money. If there's a day I get popular, I would never use this stupid method to gain money; I'd be out of my house, earning money at a REAL job.
Clickbait is just the worst thing I've seen. And I hate how some people get away with it, like YouTubers do not get terminated for spam content.
Clickbait by Tomboy05 April 22, 2018
More from Urban Dictionary

Soul digger

A man who dates women with the sole purpose of exploiting their time, energy, and labor while he sucks the joy and happiness from their lives.
"That guy's a soul digger. He'll expect you to work full time, but you'll be doing all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, and childcare while he plays video games or watches TV."
Soul digger by anonymous November 11, 2026
Word of the Day on November 11, 2026

pod person 

A person pretending to be something they aren't, or an impostor. This is inferred because of the old alien movies where alien pods appear on earth and the "pod people" dispose of the humans and slowly reproduce the bodies, pretending to be humans.
The pod person was pretending to be my father, but I knew that he was an alien when he acted differently than my father ever would have.
pod person by Christopher M. May 9, 2005
Word of the Day on November 10, 2026
A dead drop is a location used to secretly pass items between two people, without requiring them to meet.

Spies have been known to use dead drops, using various techniques to hide the items and to signal that the drop has been made. Drug dealers use this as well.

A common place is to duct tape the item to the underside of a toilet cover in a public restroom.

A signal is sometimes used as well to indicate there is something to pickup, like a pile of stones in a certain formation. After checking the drop the signal is removed.
"The dead drop is the restroom toilet at the Gulf station at the corner of Commercial Ave. and Georges Rd."
dead drop by rubberroom July 23, 2008
Word of the Day on November 9, 2026

No Surprises Wedding

A "No Surprises Wedding," or NSW, is a wedding invitation designation that tells attendees that there can be no unplanned announcements, engagements, events or speeches at the wedding - all actions must be pre-approved by the couple. Anyone who performs an unapproved "surprise" will be asked to leave the wedding early.

This designation comes from Reddit, where so many stories of bad wedding behavior indicated a need to communicate expectations for the wedding behavior of attendees.
You are cordially invited to the nuptials of Brian and Tom on October 31 at noon.

Please note that this wedding is child-free (under 10) and a No Surprises Wedding (NSW). Reach out to wedding planner Sami Smith to request approvals or exceptions; please note that exceptions will be rare. Limited child care for under-10s will be available. All approvals will be noted and included in planning. Unapproved, or surprise exceptions, will result in guests being asked to leave.
Word of the Day on November 8, 2026
Ulzzang true definition is "best & "face" = best face in korean. They are basically people with above average looks, sometimes with the use of photoshop and haduri who post their pics online, some becoming internet celebrities.
"Hey, see that chick over there? She's pretty enough to be an ulzzang. :D"
ulzzang by `r i k kit t y February 26, 2008
Word of the Day on November 7, 2026
EBK stands for "Elite Ball Knowledge." 1 In internet slang, "ball knowledge" originally referred to a deep understanding of football/soccer or basketball, but it has evolved into a broader term for having a highly sophisticated, deep, or niche understanding of any specific topic (such as music, movies, or subcultures).
Person A: "That scene was a direct homage to an unreleased 1982 Japanese indie film."
Person B: "Wow, EBK."
EBK by silwhett November 5, 2026
Word of the Day on November 6, 2026
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