What does mogging mean: Collins word of the year 2026
Mogging is slang meaning to outshine or outperform someone or something. Collins English Dictionary named it its word of the year for 2026, and the term is used mainly by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the younger generations.
Why it's in the news
Collins English Dictionary announced "mogging" as its 2026 word of the year, after the word's usage rose 210% during 2026. The announcement came in a press release issued on a Tuesday.
- Mogging — Collins English Dictionary names "mogging" its 2026 word of the year
Background
Collins said usage of the word rose 210% during 2026. Its lexicographers monitor about 27 billion words a year, and the dictionary's managing director, Alex Beecroft, said the choice shows how each generation leaves its mark on language.
The word is believed to come from "AMOG," short for "alpha male of the group." Its first use was as a noun in bodybuilding circles, where it named the most physically dominant man in a gym. It later became a verb and was briefly taken up by the manosphere. Collins's writer Rachel Quin dates its first appearance in bodybuilding to about 2016.
Other shortlisted entries included "hydration break," "Manchesterism," "ghost job," "carspreading," "firewave," "friendslop," "fricy," "bixie" and "P(doom)." Quin described the list as "one big mogging contest," since many of the terms compare one thing against another.
What people are asking
What is an example of mogging?
Collins gives the example of a homemade cupcake being outdone by a friend's three-tier cake. The person with the cupcakes has been mogged. Quin's example is a friend's sourdough making a loaf someone spent all weekend proving look poor by comparison.
Where did mogging start?
Collins traces the word to bodybuilding culture, where it is believed to come from "alpha male of the group." It was first used around 2016 before spreading through online communities.