Collins Dictionary has selected “mogging”, a slang term meaning to outshine or overshadow someone or something, as its word of the year for 2026.

The dictionary said Tuesday that the term, widely used by younger generations in a playful and ironic way to describe someone being outperformed or upstaged, has gained mainstream popularity, with its usage rising 210 percent this year.

Collins Managing Director Alex Beecroft said the choice reflected how each generation influences and reshapes language.

He described “mogging” as an example of how Generation Z and Generation Alpha have adopted a word and transformed it into humorous slang.

Among other notable additions to the dictionary's 2026 list are “firewaves”, referring to a series of urban wildfires occurring within a short period, and “P(doom)”, an estimate of the likelihood that artificial intelligence could lead to the collapse of human civilisation.

The list also features “carspreading”, describing the trend of carmakers producing increasingly longer, wider and heavier vehicles, and “fricy”, used to describe fashionable food or drinks combining fruity and spicy flavours.

Other new entries include “ghost jobs”, referring to job advertisements posted without any intention of hiring, and “friendslop”, a term for low-budget, independently produced video games designed to be played among friends.

Collins said its dictionary experts monitor a 27-billion-word database, drawing on sources including social media, to identify emerging language trends and compile the annual list.