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‘Maxxing’ is the 2026 word of the year

by Caroline Jaime - 11/02/26 2:37 PM ET

by Caroline Jaime - 11/02/26 2:37 PM ET

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(NewsNation) — Looksmaxxing, cozymaxxing — it seems everyone is adding “maxxing” onto different words across the country, making it the 2026 word of the year, Dictionary.com announced.

Dictionary.com defines maxxing as: “a word that refers to the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life.”

The word can stand alone, but it is commonly combined with other words like looksmaxxing. Maxxing, when combined with another word, takes on a new meaning. Looksmaxxing means a person is trying their hardest to look their best. The first word tells us what is being optimized.

The word is seen in various online communities spanning health, AI and beauty. The most notable of the initial version was looksmaxing.…