What does mogging mean, the Collins word of the year for 2026?

Collins defines mogging as outshining or outperforming someone, especially in looks, confidence or status, in a way that can make them seem inferior. BBC reporter Stephanie Prentice said it comes from the acronym AMOG, alpha male of the group, began in bodybuilding culture with links to the manosphere, and saw a 210% rise in use in 2026 as Gen Z and Gen Alpha adopted it playfully.

Dictionary.com had already picked maxing, short for maximising, as its 2026 word.
Previous years' picks included rage bait, parasocial and slop.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

▸More from this episode

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