NEW YORK — Dictionary.com has named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year, pointing to a culture obsessed with optimizing everything, CBS News reported.
Short for “maximizing,” the term can stand alone or attach to almost any word to describe pushing something as far as it can go. Examples include “gymmaxxing,” “sleepmaxxing,” “proteinmaxxing” and, at work, “tokenmaxxing,” meaning leaning harder on AI.
The site said it chose the word after analyzing search data, social media and news coverage. It spread quickly among Gen Z and Gen Alpha and now works as a noun, verb, adjective and adverb.
“Maxxing really stood out this year because not only was it everywhere, in all types of articles, but it crossed a lot of different domains,” said Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for Dictionary Media Group.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
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