Dictionary.com Names “Maxxing” Its Word of the Year

WHO:

BBC News - Many people in Gen Z and Gen Alpha use the term “maxxing.”

CBS News US - Dictionary.com named “maxxing” its Word of the Year.

WHAT:

CNET - “Data center” and “unc” were among the words on the shortlist considered for the tribute.

BBC News - “Maxxing” was selected as Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year.

CBS News US - The viral social media trend “maxxing” was named Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year.

WHY:

BBC - Johnson said, “Whatever we're doing, we want to push it further,” adding that people’s responses to the impulse include embracing it, exaggerating it for laughs, or subverting it to describe stepping back from the relentless pursuit of more.

NY Post - The Word of the Year had people’s patience “maxed out.”

BBC News - “Maxxing” describes an emphasis on optimisation.

HOW:

Mashable - “Maxxing” is tied to “looksmaxxing.”

BBC News - People use “maxxing” as an adjective, adverb, noun, and verb.

CBS News US - “Maxxing” gained recognition as a viral social media trend.

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 04:07 UTC)

Dictionary.com named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year, recognizing a viral social media trend popular with many people in Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The term, linked to “looksmaxxing,” describes the drive to optimize or push something further, and people use it as a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. Responses range from embracing or exaggerating that impulse for laughs to using the word to describe stepping back from the relentless pursuit of more; “data center” and “unc” were also considered for the honor.

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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 22:07 UTC)

Dictionary.com named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year, recognizing a viral social media trend popular with many people in Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The term describes an emphasis on optimization and can be used as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. “Data center” and “unc” were among the other words considered for the honor.

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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 20:07 UTC)

Dictionary.com has named “maxxing” its Word of the Year, recognizing a viral social media trend popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The term describes a focus on optimization. People use “maxxing” as a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb.