Everyone is ‘maxxing’ something, and now it’s the Word of the Year

Dictionary.com has named ‘maxxing’, an internet slang term for pushing something to its fullest potential, its Word of the Year for 2026, reflecting the growing influence of online culture on everyday language.

Announced on October 26, the term refers to “the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimising a certain aspect of your life”, according to the dictionary.

Derived from ‘maximum’ and ‘max’, the word is commonly combined with other terms to describe efforts to improve or maximise a particular aspect of life. One prominent example is ‘looksmaxxing’, which refers to attempts to enhance physical appearance.

Looksmaxxing gained popularity in the early 2020s, particularly among male content creators discussing appearance and self-improvement on social media platforms such as TikTok. Dictionary.com reported a rise in searches for both ‘looksmaxxing’ and ‘maxxing’ this year.

The term is also increasingly being used independently, with people applying it to different areas of their lives, from daily routines and personal goals to lifestyle choices. The expression ‘maxxing everything’ broadly describes an attempt to get the most out of different aspects of life.

The growing use of the word highlights how internet slang is moving beyond online communities and becoming part of mainstream vocabulary. Expressions that originate on social media are increasingly finding their way into dictionaries as their popularity spreads.

The trend has also been reflected in other dictionary updates. Last year, Cambridge Dictionary added internet expressions such as ‘skibidi’, ‘delulu’, ‘tradwife’ and ‘lewk’ to its listings, highlighting the influence of digital culture on modern English.

Dictionary.com selected ‘67’, pronounced ‘six-seven’, as its Word of the Year for 2025. The expression gained popularity through social media and was associated with ‘brainrot’ slang, a category of deliberately nonsensical internet language whose appeal often lies in its absurdity and shared cultural references.