Collins Dictionary announce 2026 word of the year: 'mogging'

Collins English Dictionary have announced their Word of the Year for 2026: mogging. The Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang term is used to mean outshining or upstaging someone, especially by looking more attractive.

According to BBC, the word had its breakthrough this year with a 210% increase in usage, both online and in in-person conversations.

The etymology is thought to be from the phrase 'alpha male of the group', which became the acronym AMOG and then the verb 'to mog (someone)'.

Collins have also published their shortlisted words.

'Carspreading' refers to the auto industry trend of manufacturing increasingly large cars. 'Fricy' means both fruity and spicy. 'Friendslop' is a term for low-budget video games played with friends. Meanwhile, 'p(doom)' is a pretend calculation on the likelihood, or 'p' for probability, of AI collapsing society.

A 'ghost job' is one that is advertised but never reponds to applications. 'Bixie' is a haircut in between a bob and a pixie cut. A 'firewave' is a series of fires in the same area within a short time, and 'hydration breaks' were introduced this year for the World Cup.

Finally, Collins defines Manchesterism as "a political philosophy, associated with British politician Andy Burnham, which involves devolution of power to the regions and seeks to combine economic growth with social progress".