Collins Dictionary chooses ‘mogging’ as its 2026 phrase of the 12 months – NBC Boston
Collins Dictionary has named “mogging” — a slang phrase which means to outshine somebody or one thing — as its phrase of the 12 months.
Dictionary consultants mentioned Tuesday that the phrase, most frequently utilized by younger individuals “in a playful and ironic means when somebody is upstaged,” has entered mainstream language and noticed a 210% improve in utilization in 2026.
Different new and notable entries embrace “firewaves,” outlined as a collection of city wildfires in a brief house of time, and “P(doom),” an estimation of the chance that synthetic intelligence will deliver concerning the collapse of human civilization.
Alex Beecroft, Collins managing director, mentioned that selecting “mogging” reveals how “every technology leaves its mark on language.”
“It’s an ideal instance of how Gen Z and Gen Alpha have adopted a phrase and turned it into humorous slang, making the language their very own and ‘mogging’ the remainder of us,” he mentioned.
The dictionary mentioned that its consultants monitor the 27-billion-word database, which attracts from sources together with social media, to create its annual checklist of phrases that replicate the ever-evolving English language.
The 2026 checklist consists of “carspreading,” which refers back to the tendency of producers to construct automobiles which might be longer, wider and heavier, and “fricy,” describing fashionable meals or drinks which might be each fruity and spicy.
Different new entries have been “ghost jobs” — jobs which might be marketed with none intention to nominate anybody — and “friendslop,” a sort of low-budget, independently produced online game performed amongst mates.
