“Maxxing” is the Dictionary.com word of the year, but what does it mean?

A new word the youth are using has made its way into Dictionary.com.

The website announced that the word of the year is “Maxxing,” meaning “pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life.

“Maxxing” can mean doing things to the fullest, like sleep, beauty routines, diet, and everything in between.

Eg: I’m looking fresh because of my “sleep-maxxing.”

While the word might seem new, it's actually been floating around since 2015, mostly among young guys in certain online circles. Interest exploded this year, and spinoffs kept showing up.

Every year, Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year and short-listed nominees capture the trends in language and culture. Other words on this year's short list includes…

Affordability

Affordability isn’t just about finding a good deal on the shoes you’ve been eyeing. It’s about whether the things and services you need and want are actually within your financial reach. But individual circumstances aren’t the only factor — economic conditions like inflation and interest rates also play their part in how affordable life feels. Whether people were discussing the cost of housing, healthcare, gas, or groceries, affordability became a common dinner-table discussion in 2026 and an important issue in the midterm elections.

Data center 

Data centers have been part of modern computing infrastructure for decades, but they’ve mostly operated in the background until the rise of AI made us more familiar with them. A traditional data center is a facility used for processing, storing, or transmitting large amounts of computer data. AI data centers, on the other hand, require significant acreage, not to mention complex cooling and voracious electrical systems. As companies create more data centers, they’ve become a common subject of debate in the communities where they’re built and beyond.

Odyssey

The word odyssey — as in, a long series of wanderings or adventures — got a new turn in the spotlight with the release of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which brought Homer’s ancient epic to the big screen. The summer of 2026 turned out to be the highest-grossing domestic summer box office of all time, with The Odyssey and several other non-franchise entries smashing records. Notably, Gen Z flocked to cinemas in unprecedented numbers, showing that people will still pack theaters if you give them what they want. Sure, motion-picture workhorses like Spider-Man and the Minions did their part too, but 2026 will be remembered for films like The Odyssey, Backrooms, and Obsession.

Unc

If you’re unc, you’re out of touch or uncool. Unc is a clipping of uncle that comes from African American Vernacular English (AAVE), where it was originally used affectionately or respectfully for older male family members and mentors. But in 2026, members of Gens Z and Alpha are more likely to use it as an insult for someone who’s considered corny or just doesn’t get it. Think of it like the new “OK Boomer,” signifying that Gen Z is now the driving force of culture, and Millennials are no longer the young and cool ones.