Dictionary.com names ‘maxxing’ for 2026
'Maxxing' selected as Dictionary.com word of the year
Monday, 26 October 2026
Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash
Warm-up
- What recent slang word have you noticed online?
- How do social media trends change your language, if at all?
- Do you try to optimise parts of your life? Which ones?
Vocabulary
- suffix
- A group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
- optimise
- To make something as good, effective, or useful as possible.
- trend
- A general direction in which something is developing or changing.
- lexicography
- The work of making dictionaries and studying how words are used.
- influencer
- A person who affects what others buy, do, or think, especially online.
- criteria
- The standards or rules used to judge or choose something.
- ironically
- In a way that shows the opposite meaning for humour or effect.
- affordability
- How easy it is for people to pay for something without too much cost.
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishDictionary.com has chosen “maxxing” as its 2026 Word of the Year. Short for maximising, the suffix can stand alone or attach to other words to mean doing something to the fullest, or trying to optimise it. The site said digital media used the term nearly 19 times more in August 2026 than the 2025 monthly average, reflecting a trend towards squeezing more from everything.
Steve Johnson, the group’s director of lexicography, linked the rise of maxxing to a culture focused on results. Gen Z influencers promote “proteinmaxxing”, “sleepmaxxing” and even extreme “looksmaxxing”. One creator, Clavicular, tracks routines aimed at criteria such as jawline, eyes and physique. Others use the word ironically, or to laugh at the pressure to improve.
The choice marks a shift from recent picks: “demure” two years ago and “67” last year. Other candidates included affordability, data centre, odyssey and the shortened “unc”. People have played with the idea for decades; in the 1990s, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rapped: “Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool.”
Comprehension
- Who selected “maxxing” as the 2026 Word of the Year?
- What does adding the suffix “maxxing” to a word suggest?
- How did usage of “maxxing” change in August 2026?
- Give one example of a “maxxing” term used by influencers.
- What other candidates were considered for the title?
Grammar focus
Future perfect continuous
Use this tense for an action continuing up to a future point: will have been + verb-ing. Common with by + time and for/since to show duration. (Examples constructed.)
- By next year, influencers will have been promoting 'sleepmaxxing'.
- By then, people will have been joking about 'maxxing' for years.
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the future perfect continuous form.
- Next year, Gen Z (discuss) ___ 'proteinmaxxing' for weeks.
- In six months, creators (coin) ___ 'maxxing' tags for weeks.
- By then, one influencer (track) ___ routines daily for a year.
- By next August, digital media (use) ___ the term for months.
- By that point, platforms (feature) ___ 'maxxing' posts for months.
Discussion
- Is maxxing positive, negative, or both? Why?
- Which areas of life do people over-optimise today?
- How fast do slang terms in your language rise and fade?
- Which word would you choose as Word of the Year, and why?
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