Gen Z and Gen Alpha's ever-evolving slang continues to shape everyday language.
On Oct. 26, Dictionary.com announced its 2026 Word of the Year: Maxxing. Short for "maximizing," the term "can be used on its own or added to the end of any word to convey you're doing something to the fullest or optimizing it as much as possible," according to Dictionary.com.
In August 2026, the word was searched for 19 times more than in August 2025, a Dictionary.com analysis found.
"Maxxing is the linguistic manifestation of a culture increasingly preoccupied with getting the most out of everything," Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, said in a news release. "Whatever we're doing, we want to push it further. But
its expanding uses also reveal how people are responding to that impulse. Some embrace it. Some exaggerate it for laughs. Others subvert it entirely to describe stepping back from the relentless pursuit of more."
But in many cases, varieties of "maxxing" are used in the manosphere, an online community that promotes aggressive masculinity. Perhaps the most popular use of "maxxing" is "looksmaxxing," which originated from incel communities in the 2010s, where young men discussed strategies to improve their physical appearances after facing romantic rejection from women, according to Dictionary.com.
The term has grown more popular in recent years with the rise of manosphere influencers like 20-year-old Braden Peters, known as Clavicular, who touts the pros of extreme looksmaxxing habits that can have negative, permanent affects on those who try them.
Here's what to know about the popular slang term, "maxxing."
What are common 'maxxing' examples?
Common examples of "maxxing" include:
- Looksmaxxing: Pursuit of maximizing one's physical appearance, especially popular among young men online
- Hardmaxxing: Extreme approaches like crash dieting, facial reconstruction surgery or even bone smashing, which involves hitting one's face with a hammer based on the unfounded belief that it will reshape the bones into a more chiseled look
- Softmaxxing: Generally harmless "glow-ups" like getting a new haircut or trying a new skincare routine
- Jestermaxxing: Use of humor to get people to like you, often used to describe young men practicing self-deprecating humor to attract women
- Pheromone maxxing: Act of not bathing or using deodorant in order to bring out natural pheromones
- Sleepmaxxing: Use of practices and devices to help increase the quality and quantity of sleep
- Fibermaxxing: Getting the maximum amount of fiber in a daily diet
What is the origin of 'maxxing'?
Before "maxxing" with two "x"s became an internet phenomenon, "maxing" was long used as shorthand for taking something to its limit, like "maxing" out a credit card or pushing a car to top speed," as explained by Dictionary.com.
But the more modern "maxxing" originates from video game culture, derived from the slang "min-maxing," which means optimizing a character in a role playing or video game for the best chance of success, according to Dictionary.com.
What words were shortlisted for 2026 Word of the Year?
Here's a look at the runner ups for Dictionary.com's 2026 Word of the Year:
- Affordability: Quality of being affordable
- Data center: Building or facility used for processing, storing or transmitting large amounts of computer data
- Odyssey: Long series of wanderings or adventures, especially when filled with notable experiences or hardships
- Unc: Short for "uncle," used by Gen Z and Gen Alpha to describe an older person who is seen as out of touch
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dictionary.com's 2026 Word of the Year goes all out
