Collins English Dictionary on Tuesday named “mogging” its Word of the Year for 2026.
The word means to outshine or outperform someone, particularly in physical appearance, confidence or status. It describes making another person appear inferior in comparison.
“Mogging” is believed to have originated as a shortened form of “AMOG,” meaning “alpha male of the group.” It first appeared around 2016 as a noun in bodybuilding culture, referring to the most physically dominant man in a gym, before evolving into a verb and spreading across online communities.
Its growing popularity reflects how social media and younger generations influence modern language, with internet slang increasingly becoming part of mainstream vocabulary.
Other words shortlisted for the 2026 award include “carspreading,” describing the tendency of car manufacturers to produce increasingly larger and heavier vehicles; “firewave,” referring to multiple wildfires breaking out within a short period; and “Manchesterism,” a political philosophy associated with regional devolution and social progress.
Other contenders include “hydration break”, “ghost jobs,” “friendslop,” “fricy,” “bixie” and “P(doom).”
According to Collins, several shortlisted words reflect a broader pattern of competition, comparison and excess, with people, trends and situations increasingly defined by surpassing others.
However, the shortlist also highlights how people navigate everyday life through playful word creation as in the following words: “Bixie” which describes a hairstyle combining features of a bob and a pixie cut, while “fricy” blends the words fruity and spicy.
“Friendslop,” which initially emerged as an insult on social media refers to low-budget, independently produced video games designed for groups of friends, but gamers have since embraced the term.