Dictionary website picks 'maxxing' as new word of the year

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October 28, 2026 | 10:44am

MANILA, Philippines — Gen Z slang term "maxxing" is the Word of the Year for 2026, as selected by Dictionary.com.

The dictionary website defines "maxxing" as "the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life," noting how it is commonly attached to other words like "looksmaxxing" or to "optimize one's physical appearance."

Origins of the words can be pointed to "maximum" and "maximize," which led to the verb "max" as in to "maxing out credit cards." The version with two letter "x" popped up on social media, the new formations like "looksmaxxing" becoming a hit on Reddit.

Research by Dictionary.com found that "maxxing" formations were used as early as 2015 but only took off a decade later and spiked this year.

"Maxxing" on its own was increased in usage as months went by, its growth in February five times more the frequency of the year before going up to 19 times by August.

"For some, 'maxxing' still describes an earnest effort to improve their appearance, habits, or performance. For others, its exaggerated ambition is the joke," said Dictionary.com. "The language can celebrate self-improvement, poke fun at the pressure to optimize everything, or do a little of both."

Other considerations for Word of the Year were "affordability," "data center," "odyssey," and another Gen Z term "unc."

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