By Salma El-Sakka
Collins English Dictionary has named "mogging" as its word of the year for 2026, highlighting the growing influence of Generation Z and Alpha slang on mainstream language.
The term, defined as outperforming or outshining someone in appearance, confidence, or status, originated around 2016 in bodybuilding culture as a shortening of "alpha male of the group" (AMOG).
Initially a noun referring to the most physically dominant man in the gym, it evolved into a verb within online "manosphere" communities before becoming a playful putdown or compliment used widely by younger generations.
Collins lexicographers track usage patterns across social media via the Collins Corpus. Managing director Alex Beecroft said the selection shows how each generation leaves its mark on language, with Gen Z and Gen Alpha adopting the word as humorous slang.
Other shortlisted terms included "ghost job" for fake job postings, "bixie" for a hairstyle between a bob and pixie cut, "hydration break" from World Cup water breaks, "p(doom)" for AI collapse probability, "Manchesterism" referring to regional devolution associated with Andy Burnham, and "fricy" for fruity-spicy flavors.
