Collins Dictionary announced on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, that "mogging" is its word of the year. The slang term, which refers to outshining or outperforming someone or something, saw a 210% increase in usage over the course of 2026.
The term is believed to have originated around 2016 within bodybuilding culture as a shortening of "Amog," an acronym for "alpha male of the group." Dictionary experts noted that while the word initially described making others look inferior in appearance or status, it has since entered mainstream language and is frequently used by younger generations in a playful or ironic manner.
Alex Beecroft, the managing director of Collins, stated that the selection highlights how Generation Z and Generation Alpha influence the English language by turning specific terms into humorous slang. To determine the annual list, experts monitor a 27-billion-word database that incorporates sources ranging from social media to traditional publications.
Other notable entries on the 2026 shortlist included "P(doom)," a mathematical shorthand for the probability that artificial intelligence will cause a collapse of civilization, and "firewaves," which describes a series of urban wildfires occurring in a short timeframe. The list also featured "ghost jobs," referring to positions advertised by employers who do not intend to hire anyone, and "carspreading," a term for the trend of manufacturers building increasingly larger and heavier vehicles.
The scale of these linguistic shifts is tied to broad economic and environmental trends affecting millions. In the automotive sector, "carspreading" reflects a market where sport utility vehicles (SUVs) accounted for more than half of all new car sales in 2025. For drivers, this results in a day-to-day loss of space in parking bays and on narrow roads as vehicles become longer and wider. Environmentally, the term "firewave" highlights a new reality for residents in fire-prone areas, where researchers at Imperial College London identified multiple wildfires now breaking out simultaneously during dry spells.
The inclusion of these terms sets a precedent for how dictionary publishers track social and political evolution. In the United Kingdom, the term "Manchesterism" entered the lexicon to describe the regional devolution policies of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office in July 2026. Looking ahead, these definitions will be formally integrated into the Collins database, influencing how these terms are used in legal, academic, and journalistic contexts. The next major update for word trends is expected in late 2027.