London: Collins Dictionary has named “mogging” – a slang word meaning to outshine someone or something – as its word of the year 2026. Dictionary experts said Tuesday that the word, most often used by young people “in a playful and ironic way when someone is upstaged”, has entered mainstream language and saw a 210% increase in usage in 2026.
Other new and notable entries include “firewaves”, defined as a series of urban wildfires in a short space of time, and “P(doom)”, an estimation of the probability that artificial intelligence will bring about the collapse of human civilisation. Alex Beecroft, Collins MD, said choosing “mugging” shows how “each generation leaves its mark on language”. “It’s a great example of how Gen Z and Gen Alpha have adopted a word and turned it into humorous slang, making the language their own and ‘mogging’ the rest of us,” he said.
The dictionary said that its experts monitor the 27-billion-word database, which draws from sources including social media, to create its annual list of words that reflect the ever-evolving English language. The 2026 list includes “carspreading”, which refers to the tendency of manufacturers to build cars that are longer, wider and heavier, and “fricy”, describing trendy food or drinks that are both fruity and spicy. Other new entries were “ghost jobs” – jobs that are advertised without any intention to appoint anyone – and “friendslop”, a type of low-budget, independently produced video game played among friends.
