“Maxxing” Is the Word of the Year. Here’s What Your Family Can Maxx Instead

If you have heard a teenager say they are “sleepmaxxing” or “gymmaxxing” lately and wondered what on earth that means, you are not alone. This week, the word itself made headlines. On Monday, October 26, Dictionary.com named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year.

It is a funny-looking word with two x’s. But behind it is a real question every family can talk about: what are we trying to make the most of, and is it worth it?

What “maxxing” means

According to ABC News, Dictionary.com defines maxxing as “a word that refers to the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life.” It comes from “maximum” and “max,” and it is usually stuck onto the end of another word.

CBS News reported that Dictionary.com chose it after looking at search data, social media trends, and news stories. Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for Dictionary Media Group, said the word stood out because it “crossed a lot of different domains.” Other finalists included “affordability,” “data center,” “unc,” and “Odyssey.”

The idea is older than social media. CBS explained that in the 1940s, game theory used “mini-max” for a strategy of keeping losses as small as possible, and later “min-maxing” became a gaming term for building up one strength of a character. The extra “x” came from “looksmaxxing,” a trend about maximizing physical appearance that, according to ABC News, mostly male creators began discussing on TikTok in the early 2020s. Johnson said use of “looksmaxxing” rose more than 1,000% since the start of the year in the media Dictionary.com studied.

Today you can find almost anything with “-maxxing” on the end. CBS listed examples such as gymmaxxing (upgrading workouts), healthmaxxing, sleepmaxxing, cozymaxxing, and even “tokenmaxxing,” which means leaning harder on AI at work.

The quiet pushback

Here is the part we found most hopeful. CBS also noted two newer words, “normalmaxxing” and “nothingmaxxing,” which push back against the whole idea of optimizing every corner of life. In other words, some people are already tired of the pressure to be the best version of everything, all the time.

That tiredness makes sense. Trying to improve can be good. Wanting to sleep better, move more, or eat well is a healthy desire. But when every hour becomes a project and every mirror becomes a scorecard, joy can slip away. Children and teens, who are still learning who they are, can feel that pressure most of all.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
1 Timothy 6:6 (KJV)

Scripture offers a different kind of gain. Contentment is not laziness, and it is not giving up. It is a settled heart that knows its worth does not depend on a perfect face, a perfect body, or a perfect schedule.

Five ways to “maxx” what matters at home

Since the word is everywhere, why not borrow it for something good? Here are a few gentle ideas for your family this week.

1. Ask before you assume. At dinner, ask your kids which “maxxing” words they hear at school or online. Listen first. You may learn a lot about the pressures they are carrying.
2. Talk honestly about looks. If “looksmaxxing” comes up, take it calmly. Remind your children that they are loved for who they are, not for how they appear in a photo. Praise their kindness, effort, and courage more often than their appearance.
3. Try a little “restmaxxing.” Pick one evening this week with no goals at all. No tracking apps, no lists. Just a slow meal, a walk, or a board game.
4. Make a “kindnessmaxxing” challenge. Have each family member do one quiet good deed a day for a week and share them on Sunday. It turns the idea of “maximizing” outward, toward other people.
5. Count blessings, not metrics. Instead of counting steps or calories at the end of the day, have everyone name one thing they are thankful for. With Thanksgiving coming in the U.S., it is a good time to start.

Why this word matters

Words of the year are like snapshots. They tell us what people were thinking about, searching for, and worrying over. Last year’s pick, “67,” puzzled many adults. Johnson told CBS that “maxxing” has had the opposite effect, because “people do understand it.”

Maybe people understand it because so many of us feel the push to do more, be more, and look better. The good news is that we do not have to carry that weight alone. God’s love is not earned by optimizing. It is given freely, and it meets us right where we are, on our best days and our ordinary ones.

So go ahead and grow. Get some sleep, take a walk, learn something new. Just remember that the fullest life is not the most optimized one. It is the one lived with love, gratitude, and a heart at rest.

Through every storm, we rise together.

If your family could “maxx” just one thing this month, what would you choose, and why?

Sources: CBS News, “‘Maxxing’ is Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year” (Oct 26, 2026); ABC News, “‘Maxxing’ named 2026 Word of the Year by Dictionary.com” (Oct 26, 2026); KJV 1 Timothy 6:6