Language keeps changing with every generation, and social media has only made that process faster. Words that begin as internet jokes often find their way into everyday conversations. Now, it has earned a place in the dictionary world, with Collins naming ‘mogging’ its Word of the Year for 2026.

To advertise here,

The term saw a 210 percent rise in usage this year, according to the dictionary. While it was once associated with specific online communities, it has gradually entered mainstream conversations, particularly among Gen Z and Gen Alpha users. Today, it is often used playfully or ironically to describe someone or something that makes another look less impressive by comparison.

What does ‘Mogging’ mean?

In simple terms, ‘mogging’ means outshining, outperforming or upstaging someone. The comparison can be about almost anything. Someone might ‘mog’ another person with a better outfit, a more impressive achievement or even a particularly good photograph.

For instance, if a friend's homemade cake looks considerably better than yours, you could say that their baking has mogged yours. Similarly, a new film might mog an older favourite, or someone's red-carpet appearance might steal the spotlight from everyone else.

The word is believed to have originated from the acronym AMOG, which stands for ‘Alpha Male Of The Group’. It began circulating around 2016 in bodybuilding circles, where it was used to describe the most physically dominant man in a group. Over time, it developed into a verb and spread through online spaces, including the manosphere, before finding a wider audience.

Although its roots are connected to online discussions around physical appearance and male dominance, its present-day use is often more light-hearted. Collins says younger users have adopted it as humorous slang to describe situations in which someone or something steals the show.

Why has ‘mogging’ become so popular?

Social media has played a major role in taking the word beyond its original online circles. Platforms built around photographs, short videos, celebrity culture and viral trends make comparisons almost unavoidable. Whether it is fashion, fitness, lifestyle or entertainment, users are constantly discussing who looks better, performs better or has managed to stand out.

‘Mogging’ offers a short, catchy way to describe that comparison. It can be used as a joke among friends or as a comment on a viral post. Its flexibility has also helped it travel beyond conversations about physical appearance.

Collins managing director Alex Beecroft said the choice reflects how each generation leaves its mark on language. He described the word as an example of Gen Z and Gen Alpha adopting slang, giving it a humorous twist and making it their own.

The dictionary's experts monitor a database containing 27 billion words, drawing on sources that include social media, to identify changes in language and compile its annual list.

Other words that made the 2026 list

The 2026 list also features words that reflect changing lifestyles, technology, work culture and everyday conversations.

Firewave: A series of urban wildfires occurring within a short period.

P(doom): An estimate of the probability that artificial intelligence could lead to the collapse of human civilisation.

Carspreading: The tendency of car manufacturers to produce vehicles that are increasingly longer, wider and heavier.

Fricy: A term describing food or drinks that combine fruity and spicy flavours.

Ghost jobs: Job advertisements for positions that employers have no actual intention of filling.

Friendslop: A type of low-budget, independently produced video game designed to be played among friends.

What was Collins Dictionary's Word Of The Year in 2025?

Last year's choice was rather different. Collins Dictionary named ‘vibe coding’ its Word of the Year for 2025, reflecting the growing influence of artificial intelligence on software development.

The term describes the use of natural-language prompts to get AI tools to write computer code. Instead of manually writing lines of code, a user can describe the application or website they want to create and let an AI tool help build it.

The expression was popularised by Andrej Karpathy, a former director of AI at Tesla and a founding engineer at OpenAI. It captured a shift in how people were beginning to use AI, making software creation more accessible to those without traditional programming skills.