“Mogging” Is Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year
Friday, November 6, 2026212 words3 minutes408 reads
Collins Dictionary named "mogging" its Word of the Year for 2026 on November 3, highlighting how online communities reshape everyday English. Meaning to outshine or outperform someone or something, the slang term frames comparison as a situation in which one participant makes another seem less impressive. Collins reports a 210% rise in its use in 2026.
The expression probably derives from "AMOG", an abbreviation of "alpha male of the group". It appeared in bodybuilding communities around 2016, then circulated through online spaces concerned with masculinity, appearance and status. Its subsequent spread among younger generations broadened the meaning: a product or idea can now "mog" a rival, often with playful irony.
That flexibility does not remove its potential to wound. A joking comparison between friends may feel affectionate, while a similar remark directed at a stranger may seem humiliating. Tone and context matter, particularly when appearance is already a source of anxiety. Playfulness and unkindness are therefore not mutually exclusive possibilities.
Collins monitors a collection of approximately 27 billion words, including internet material, to track linguistic change. Its shortlist also included "ghost job", an advertisement for a role an employer does not intend to fill. Selecting "mogging" records a cultural shift in usage; it does not endorse every comparison made with the word.
