Dictionary.com has named "maxxing" its Word of the Year for 2026, reflecting how widely the term has spread among Americans online.
The word is short for maximising. According to a statement from the site, it "can be used on its own or added to the end of any word to convey you're doing something to the fullest or optimizing it as much as possible."
The pick marks a change from recent years. Two years ago, after reviewing US social media trends, news stories and search data, the site chose "demure". Last year's choice was "67".
Dictionary.com found that digital media used "maxxing" nearly 19 times more often in August 2026 than in an average month of 2025. Other words that were considered this year included affordability, data centre, odyssey and "unc", a shortened form of uncle.
Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group, described the term as reflecting the wider culture. "Maxxing is the linguistic manifestation of a culture increasingly preoccupied with getting the most out of everything," he said.
On social media, many members of Generation Z and younger people, meaning those under 30, post at length about their efforts to reach some form of perfection. Fitness and wellness influencers talk about "proteinmaxxing" and "fibermaxxing", while people focused on improving their sleep habits describe themselves as "sleepmaxxing".
The influencer Clavicular has gained thousands of followers by documenting his extreme "looksmaxxing". That pursuit involves working to meet a set of prescribed criteria for attractiveness, with particular weight placed on jawlines, eyes and physique.
Johnson said the word's spread points to a broader impulse. "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."
The idea is not new. People were playing with the term for decades before Clavicular began posting videos. In the opening song of the 1990s television show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, for example, Will Smith raps: "Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool."
