'Maxxing' Was Declared the 2026 Word of the Year...Now Can We Finally Put It to Bed?

Yesterday, Dictionary.com announced that the word of 2026 is "maxxing." As in, looksmaxxing, protein-maxxing, friction-maxxing, eyebrow maxxing, whimsy-maxxing and the plethora of other optimization trends that have run rampant across the internet over the past several years. We've quite clearly out-maxxed ourselves, and so I ask, can we finally put this to bed?

In announcing the word of the year, Dictionary.com also provided a definition: “'Maxxing' refers to the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest, or optimizing a certain aspect of your life. It’s used as a suffix as well as a standalone word, embodying our modern obsession with doing everything to the max."

"Maxxing" reflects the culture in which we live: Everything must be overly productive. Now, it's no longer sufficient to eat well, exercise with some modicum of regularity, enjoy an evening of needlepoint, perfect a sourdough bread recipe or read for pleasure. Each one of those things has been engineered for maximum productivity, whether that means turning one's kitchen into a cottage bakery, launching an Etsy shop or building a massive online following highly invested in before-and-after transformation photos.

However, research shows that moderation, not full-throttle, is the key to happiness and health. Going all-in is great until it becomes too much to maintain. Falling off the wagon usually leads to the "what-the-hell" effect, where, instead of reprising the "maxxing" routine, it is abandoned entirely. A 20-step skincare routine, eating 50 grams of protein at every meal or hitting the gym seven days a week is a tall order. I'm intimidated, personally. Whatever happened to doing things for fun? Can we allow ourselves to peacefully exist without worrying if we're maximizing every single opportunity? I hope that next year we kick "being the most" to the curb, and instead find the joy and contentment in just being.