By Basant El-Faramawy
Collins Dictionary has named "mogging" as its word of the year for 2026, highlighting the term's rapid rise from niche bodybuilding slang to mainstream usage among younger generations.
Definition and origins
The term is defined as outperforming or outshining another person, often making them appear inferior in appearance, confidence, or status. It is used both as a playful putdown and a compliment depending on context.
Believed to be a shortening of "AMOG" (alpha male of the group), "mogging" emerged around 2016 in bodybuilding culture as a noun for the most physically dominant man in the gym. It later morphed into a verb and spread through online communities known as the manosphere before being adopted by Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Selection process
Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary selected the word after monitoring its database, the Collins Corpus, which tracks language use on social media. Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins, said the choice shows how each generation leaves its mark on language and how Gen Z and Gen Alpha have turned the term into humorous slang.
Other shortlisted terms
The shortlist included "ghost job" (a job posted with no intention to hire), "bixie" (a haircut between a bob and a pixie cut, popularized by celebrities), "hydration break" (water breaks introduced at the World Cup due to heat), "p(doom)" (estimated probability of AI-aided civilization collapse), "Manchesterism" (associated with Andy Burnham and regional devolution), and flavor mash-ups like "fricy" (fruity and spicy), "swicy", "swavoury", and "spour". Last year's word was "vibe coding".
