‘Coolcation’ Enters the Lexicon: 2025 Word List Reflects Climate Change’s Linguistic Impact

The climate crisis has officially altered our vacation plans—and our vocabulary. Collins Dictionary has included “coolcation” on its 2025 list of notable words, signaling a tangible linguistic shift driven by rising global temperatures.
A “coolcation” is defined as a holiday in a place with a cool climate. The rise of this term, tracked by the 24-billion-word Collins Corpus, directly correlates with record-breaking heatwaves that have made traditional summer destinations in southern Europe and other warm regions increasingly unbearable for many travelers.
The word itself represents a new travel trend where tourists are actively seeking refuge from the heat, prioritizing comfort and climate over traditional sunny hotspots. This is a clear example of language evolving in real-time to meet the pressing realities of our changing environment.
The 2025 list, which was won by the AI term “vibe coding,” featured other words reflecting modern anxieties and adaptations. But “coolcation” is perhaps the most visceral, linking our leisure time directly to a global environmental crisis.
Alongside terms like “biohacking” (altering one’s body for health) and “micro-retirement” (a break from work), “coolcation” adds to a narrative of adaptation. It’s a word that captures how we are changing our very lifestyles—down to where we relax—to cope with a new and challenging world.