In 2026, the word 'maxxing' was chosen as Word of the Year by Dictionary.com. It comes from 'maximizing,' meaning to do something as much as possible. After looking at trends, Dictionary.com noticed it was popular, especially with young people and social media influencers. Last year, other words were chosen but were less impactful.
Influencers often talk about their 'maxxing' journeys, like 'proteinmaxxing' or 'looksmaxxing.' This idea is about improving parts of life, such as workouts or personal goals. It shows a growing interest in getting the most out of everything. People like using this language to share their self-improvement efforts.
Some use 'maxxing' in a funny or ironic way, but it shows how language changes. Steve Johnson from Dictionary.com talked about how people want to do more. Although 'maxxing' has been used for a while, its rise shows a cultural trend. It highlights our desire to push ourselves and try new things.
Original news source: Maxxing selected as Dictionary.com word of the year – BBC News (BBC)
🎧 Listen:
📖 Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
1. What is a word you learned recently, and what does it mean?
2. Can you think of a word that a friend or family uses a lot?
3. Let's list some words that start with 'm.'
4. What do you think makes a word popular?
5. Name a few words that describe how you feel today.
🤔 Comprehension Questions:
'Maxxing' was chosen as the Word of the Year in
The word 'maxxing' comes from 'maximizing.'
Young people and social media influencers are mentioned as using 'maxxing.'
Examples include 'proteinmaxxing' and 'looksmaxxing.'
It is sometimes used humorously or ironically.
Steve Johnson from Dictionary.com commented on it.
The term 'maxxing' has been around for years.
🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
In 2026, the 'maxxing' was chosen as Word of the Year by Dictionary.com. It comes from 'maximizing,' meaning to do something as much as possible. After looking at , Dictionary.com it was popular, especially with young people and social media influencers. Last year, other words were chosen but were less impactful. Influencers talk about their 'maxxing' , like 'proteinmaxxing' or 'looksmaxxing.' This idea is about improving parts of life, such as or personal . It shows a growing interest in getting the most out of everything. People like this language to share their self-improvement efforts. Some use 'maxxing' in a funny or ironic way, but it shows how language changes. from Dictionary.com talked about how people want to do more. Although 'maxxing' has been used for a while, its rise shows a cultural trend. It highlights our desire to ourselves and try new things.
💬 Discussion Questions:
1. Do you think 'maxxing' is a good word to describe self-improvement?
2. How do you feel about new words becoming popular?
3. Can you think of another trend that is common in your age group?
4. Why do you think people enjoy creating new words?
5. Would you use 'maxxing' in your conversations? Why or why not?
6. How does social media influence the way people talk?
7. What is a word you think should become popular?
8. Do you think adults use words like 'maxxing' in the same way kids do?
9. Why might people use words humorously or ironically?
10. What are some ways you try to improve yourself every day?
11. Are there any activities you feel you 'maxx' out on?
12. Have you ever heard a word that you didn't know its meaning? How did you find out?
Individual Activities
📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
