Collins Dictionary Names 'Mogging' Word of the Year for 2026
Collins Dictionary has named mogging its Word of the Year for 2026, The Guardian reported on 3 November. Collins copywriter Rachel Quin announced the choice in an article for Collins. The word means to outperform or outshine someone or something.
Collins describes mogging as a fast-growing slang word. Its blog says the term can involve making someone look inferior in appearance, confidence or status. It began as a noun for the most physically dominant man in the gym before becoming a verb, and it first appeared in bodybuilding culture around 2016. From there it spread through online communities, including the manosphere, a loose term for online spaces focused on masculinity. The Guardian reports that the word is believed to be a shortening of Amog, a term meaning "alpha male of the group."
Collins also shortlisted several other words. Carspreading, modelled on manspreading, refers to motor manufacturers producing longer, wider and heavier vehicles. Collins notes that SUVs made up well over half of new car sales in 2025. Friendslop, a gamer term, describes low-budget multiplayer indie titles focused on social fun rather than high-end graphics.
Manchesterism was shortlisted as the philosophy associated with prime minister Andy Burnham, which focuses on devolving power to the regions and combining economic growth with social progress. Burnham revived the word in a newspaper article in January, and by July he had replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister. Firewave, a term coined by Imperial College London researchers in 2025, describes multiple wildfires breaking out over a short period after long dry spells.
Other shortlisted entries included ghost job, a position advertised by an employer with no intention of hiring; fricy, a blend of "fruity" and "spicy" for products such as pineapple and mango hot sauces; bixie, a hairstyle mixing a bob and a pixie cut; and P(doom), shorthand for the percentage likelihood that artificial intelligence will cause the collapse of human civilisation.
Collins has picked a Word of the Year since 2013. It chose permacrisis for 2022, defining it as an extended period of instability and insecurity, and fake news for 2017.
