Maxxing

Maxxing

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

A suffix added to almost any noun to mean pursuing it to the fullest or optimising it.

What it is

It traces back through minimax in game theory and the min-maxing of tabletop role-players, and a major online dictionary named it a 2026 Word of the Year. Read through Will Storr's The Status Game, the suffix fixes a measurable target so a habit can enter a success game.

In effect

The article on maxxing as the term whose spread is explained by status play draws on it, the effect of measurement on enjoyment and the cost of chasing the best option.

What it does not say

It is a piece of online usage and not a research term, so there is no study of the word itself. The research used in the article concerns measurement, status and the search for the best option.

Sources

  1. Storr, W. The Status Game.
  2. Gulf News (2026). Report on the 2026 Word of the Year announcement of 26 October 2026.