Collins Dictionary Names 'Mogging' 2026 Word of the Year

Collins English Dictionary has named "mogging" its word of the year, citing a surge in usage that pushed the term out of niche online forums and into celebrity coverage and everyday speech, according to BBC News.

What does "mogging" mean, and why did Collins pick it?

Collins defines the word as being used "playfully to mean the act of outshining or outperforming someone or something," per BBC News. The dictionary's selection reflects measured growth in usage data over the past year, with the term appearing across celebrity journalism and online discourse rather than staying confined to its original internet subculture.

Where did the term originate?

Tony Thorne, a language consultant at King's College London, traces "mogging" back to the acronym AMOG — Alpha Male of the Group — used on bodybuilding and incel message boards in the 2010s, BBC News reports. Thorne describes the term's early use as rooted in "extreme competitiveness, the urge to dominate," tied to what the BBC calls the manosphere, an online community built around hyper-masculine and often misogynistic content.

How did it move from fringe forums to mainstream use?

Thorne says younger users began applying the word ironically rather than literally. "They started to diffuse it," he told the BBC. "People then started to use it ironically and teasingly." The BBC reports the shift accelerated through an influencer known as Clavicular, who posts clips attempting to "mog" people in public and who has pleaded not guilty to charges including rape. A separate clip describing a streamer as having been "brutally frame mogged" also spread widely, according to the BBC.

Who is using the word now?

BBC News cites several mainstream examples: Arnold Schwarzenegger posted bodybuilding footage with the caption "someone just tried to explain this new trend 'frame mogging' to me," British Vogue captioned a Golden Globes photo of actor Hudson Williams as him "mogging," and figure skater Alysa Liu said her goal at a competition "was to mog."

Is "mogging" still considered toxic?

Thorne tells the BBC the term has been "largely been detoxified," retaining "that tinge of mockery or irony" rather than hostility. He compares the trajectory to drag-scene slang such as "she slays" and "he's a king," which crossed into mainstream celebrity banter. Thorne adds he cannot vouch for every use of the word but says among young people he knows, "there is not anything unhealthy about it anymore."

How did the term evolve, step by step?

• 2010s: "Mogging," from the acronym AMOG, circulates on bodybuilding and incel message boards, per Thorne.
• Early diffusion: Younger, broader online audiences adopt the word ironically rather than literally, per the BBC.
• This year: Influencer Clavicular's public "mogging" clips and a viral "frame mogged" post expand the term's reach, per BBC News.
• Mainstream crossover: Celebrities and outlets including Schwarzenegger, British Vogue, and figure skater Alysa Liu use the word playfully, per the BBC.
• 2026: Collins English Dictionary names "mogging" its word of the year, the BBC reports.