Internet divided as Dictionary.com reveals its 2026 word of the year is 'maxxing'

The internet has been left divided after Dictionary.com revealed its 2026 word of the year is 'maxxing.'The website shared the news on Sunday, and it sparked a fierce reaction from people across the web.Maxxing 'is a word that refers to the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life,' per the website, and it's a trend that became immensely popular throughout 2026.Maxxing can be used on its own or it can be combined with other words to create new terms. Arguably most known is looksmaxxing, a growing online culture comprised mostly of young men who use various techniques to maximize their physical attractiveness and facial structure. It's led, in part, by controversial influencer Clavicular.Some people were furious over Dictionary.com's choice to make maxxing the 2026 word of the year, and they took to X to slam the organization for it.'Normalizing incel lingo and for why?' one user wrote.'[This is] a sign of the coming apocalypse,' another joked. The internet has been left divided after Dictionary.com revealed its 2026 word of the year is 'maxxing' (stock photo) Maxxing can be used on its own or it can be combined with other words to create new terms. Arguably most known is looksmaxxing, a growing online culture led, in part, by controversial influencer Clavicular (seen) and comprised mostly of young men who use various techniques to maximize their physical attractiveness and facial structure'We are in hell,' someone else simply penned, while a fourth user agreed: 'We are doomed.''Cringe,' read a fifth post. A sixth said: 'Nuke the whole generation.'Others, however, praised the decision and said it was the perfect choice.'Maxxing being named word of the year is so on brand for the internet this year,' one person wrote.'We really made maxxing a whole dictionary entry,' someone else proudly posted.'Good on Dictionary.com for acknowledging what's happening,' praised a different user.'Word of the Year being maxxing is the most 2026 thing ever,' read another post.The list of words that were considered but weren't chosen included 'affordability,' 'data center,' 'odyssey' and 'unc.' Dictionary.com explained that while looksmaxxing was initially 'associated with a particular corner of the internet,' the term maxxing has 'become a recognizable template that people everywhere have started using.' Clavicular is picturedIn a press release about it, Dictionary.com explained that it tries to 'capture the trends in language and culture' while choosing a word. 'The winner is one that feels especially relevant to our collective journey through the year, and that’s why Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year is maxxing,' it said.'Maxxing and its associated concepts like looksmaxxing first arose on Reddit and other forums before spreading to social media. 'In a year dominated by discussions of technology’s role in society, it’s only natural that we selected a word that was forged online. 'Once established there, looksmaxxing in particular became the subject of think pieces about the state of the world in 2026 as well as articles about the state of the English language (like the one you’re currently reading, for example).'It explained that while looksmaxxing was initially 'associated with a particular corner of the internet,' the term maxxing has 'become a recognizable template that people everywhere have started using.''As the concept of maxxing expands into new realms and spreads across mainstream social media, more people begin to understand and use the term,' it said. Some people were furious over Dictionary.com's choice to make maxxing the 2026 word of the year, and they took to X to slam the organization for it (stock image) 'Early looksmaxxing communities were largely made up of young men, including participants in the manosphere. 'Now maxxing has reached a broad audience of people with different interests and very different reasons for using it. 'Today, the maxxing family of words turns up in beauty and fitness content, workplace discussions about AI, wellness advice, and many other arenas in everyday life.'Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, celebrated the news on X.'I should also be the New York Times person of the year, not just this year but every year moving forward,' he wrote while reposting Dictionary.com's announcement.Clavicular was charged last month with allegations of rape, drugging a person for sex and providing alcohol to a minor in Cape Cod. The accusations are linked to a May 23, 2025 incident, according to legal documents previously reviewed by the Daily Mail. He appeared in court earlier this month in Massachusetts and pleaded not guilty in a rape case.Last year, Dictionary.com similarly sparked a divide after it chose '67' as its word of the year, a term that made waves with Gen-Alpha kids in school and frustrated teachers around the country.The Daily Mail previously reported that the term originates from a song called 'Doot Doot (6,7)' by rapper Skrilla, and gained traction last summer. According to the organization, the definition of '67' remains complicated. It explained that some people see it as a word that means, 'so-so,' while other kids view it as a way to simply annoy their parents. The term comes with a matching hand gesture, where 'both palms face up and move alternately up and down,' Dictionary.com explained. The term has become so irritating to some teachers that they've had to ban it in their classrooms.