The term “maxxing”, which describes efforts to maximise or optimise different aspects of life, has been named Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year, reflecting the growing influence of internet culture on modern language.
The word, derived from “maximising”, can stand alone or be attached to other words to describe doing something to the fullest extent possible.
Dictionary.com announced the selection after analysing trends in social media, news reports and search data in the United States.
Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group, said the term reflects society’s growing desire to get the best possible results from everyday activities.
“Maxxing is the linguistic manifestation of a culture increasingly preoccupied with getting the most out of everything,” Johnson said.
Dictionary.com found that digital media references to “maxxing” increased nearly 19-fold in August 2026 compared with the monthly average in 2025.
Other words considered for the annual recognition included “affordability”, “data centre”, “odyssey” and “unc”, a shortened form of uncle.
The expression has gained popularity among Generation Z and younger internet users, particularly those under 30, who frequently share their efforts to improve different areas of their lives.
Fitness and wellness influencers use terms such as “proteinmaxxing” and “fibermaxxing” to describe efforts to increase protein and fibre consumption, while “sleepmaxxing” refers to attempts to improve sleep habits.
Another variation, “looksmaxxing”, focuses on enhancing physical appearance to meet specific beauty standards, particularly those involving facial features, jawlines, eyes and physique.
Influencer Clavicular has attracted thousands of followers by documenting his extreme approach to the trend.
Johnson said the term’s expanding use also reflects different attitudes towards the pressure to achieve more.
“Whatever we’re doing, we want to push it further,” he said. “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.”
Although the word has become increasingly popular online, its use predates the recent social media trend.
In the opening song of the 1990s television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, actor and rapper Will Smith used the expression while describing a relaxed lifestyle.
Teacher Lauren Cella, a content creator known for her viral history lessons aimed at Generation Z, said she and her students had been using “maxxing” as a suffix for some time.
“They’re actually, in their own way, reinventing grammar, which I think is super cool,” she said.
Cella explained that the expression allows young people to pursue personal goals and embrace activities that others might consider embarrassing or unfashionable.
“It’s a fun, harmless way that kids are expressing themselves and sharing different goals that they have,” she said.
Meanwhile, English teacher and linguist Vanessa Croft noted that the internet and digital media have accelerated the spread of new expressions, allowing language to evolve faster than it did during the eras dominated by radio, film and television.
She said the popularity of certain expressions can fade quickly, sometimes before older generations begin using them widely.
“By the time millennials and Gen X or Gen Y start using the terms, Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t using those terms anymore,” she said.
Croft added that she and her secondary-school students still use “maxxing”, although they increasingly employ it in an ironic way.
