‘Mogging’ crowned Collins word of the year

Bodybuilding slang referring to making someone else look inferior was among entries concerning AI and climate crisis

Mogging – meaning to outperform or outshine someone or something – has been named Collins’s word of the year 2026.

Announcing the winner in an article for Collins, the copywriter Rachel Quin said the term describes making someone or something look inferior in terms of appearance, confidence or status.

Believed to originate as a shortening of “Amog” (alpha male of the group), the word first appeared in bodybuilding culture around 2016 before spreading through online communities, Quin said.

By 2026, the expression had entered everyday slang. “Teenagers mog elite athletes, a new video game mogs an old favourite, and your friend’s sourdough mogs the loaf you spent all weekend proving,” Quin said.