Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's relationship has inspired the Word of the Year.
Cambridge Dictionary has announced that the 2025 Word of the Year is parasocial. The official definition of the word is “a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, a character in a book, film, TV series, etc., or an artificial intelligence,” per the Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
How this relates to Swift and Kelce is that with both of the stars having large fan bases, many fans believe that because they know details about their lives, they actually know the NFL player and Grammy-winning singer.
The press release stated per People that “millions of fans related to Taylor Swift’s confessional lyrics about dating, heartbreak and desire, leading to what psychologists describe as ‘parasocial' bonds with stars.”
A triggering moment for several fans of Kelce and Swift was when the couple announced their engagement back in August. The Kansas City Chiefs star and The Life of a Showgirl creator began dating in 2023.
“When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, many fans felt a deep connection to the singer and American footballer, even though most had never met them,” the post stated.
Another interesting antidote in the post was that the Easter eggs that Swift leads in her music is a way in which fans feel closer to her without knowing her. A lot of fans on social media dissect the singer's lyrics in trying to understand her.
“There’s a more traditional and healthy manifestation of fandom as people develop parasocial ties with stars like Taylor Swift who are exceptionally good at what they do, but this can also lead to obsessive interpretations of lyrics and intense online discussions about their meanings and what they mean for fans, as well as Swift herself,” the post read.
While Swift and Kelce inspired the Word of the Year, the actual term parasocial dates back almost 70 years.
