Collins English Dictionary has named "mogging" as its word of the year for 2026. The term, used by Generations Z and Alpha to mean playfully outshining or upstaging someone or something, saw usage increase by 210% in 2026.
The word is most often used to describe outshining someone in looks, though it can serve as either a playful put-down or a compliment depending on context. Collins' managing director Alex Beecroft said the selection "shows how each generation leaves its mark on language."
Mogging traces back to the acronym AMOG, standing for Alpha Male of the Group, and has associations with bodybuilding forums in the mid-2010s and online communities focused on maximizing physical attractiveness. It has since entered mainstream usage.
Collins selects its word of the year by analyzing how often words are used and studying usage patterns across sources including social media. The dictionary's 2025 word of the year was "vibe coding," referring to creating apps or websites by describing them to artificial intelligence rather than writing code manually.