Dictionary.com selects maxxing as its 2026 Word of the Year

Dictionary.com selected maxxing as its 2026 Word of the Year. Mashable and NewsNation both report that the digital publisher selected the internet term, which describes pursuing an activity to the fullest extent or optimizing a specific aspect of life. [1][3]

Mashable reported that the term originated as gaming shorthand for min-maxing and later spread through online forums into general conversation. The word functions as a slang suffix attached to various everyday activities, including wellness practices like sleepmaxxing and proteinmaxxing, appearance routines like looksmaxxing, and relaxation habits like cozymaxxing. [1]

As FTMQ Entertainment reported earlier, Dictionary.com chose maxxing after search interest and usage for the word grew by 1,000 percent in 2026. The suffix entered mainstream social media use during the 2020s, following previous Dictionary.com selections such as demure, hallucinate, and 6-7. [9]

In related lexicography announcements, Euronews.com and Vietnam.vn both report that Collins English Dictionary selected mogging as its 2026 Word of the Year. [2][4]