Collins Dictionary just named ‘mogging’ word of the year

Someone looked better in the group photo? Your barkada might say “Ikaw na!”

You liked the group photo until you zoomed in. There’s your friend, looking effortlessly good, while you’re still deciding whether your smile looks natural. You might jokingly reply, “Ikaw na!” and “You mogged me” works, too.

Collins Dictionary has named “mogging” its 2026 Word of the Year, following a 210% increase in usage this year, according to the Associated Press. Here’s what it means:

What does ‘mogging’ mean?

Mogging means outshining or outperforming someone or something. People often use it when talking about looks, but it can also refer to confidence, status, or ability. Collins explains the meaning here.

Say you arrive at dinner feeling good about your outfit. Then your friend walks in, and you immediately want to know where they shop. Or you finish a decent karaoke performance, only for your cousin to sing like there’s a recording contract at stake.

You could say they mogged you. You did fine. They just happened to be very good.

So, is it like being ‘bida-bida’?

“Bida-bida” might come to mind when someone steals the spotlight. In some barkadas, someone might even joke, “Jollibee ka?” as a play on “bida ang saya.”

But there’s a difference. When you call someone bida-bida, you usually mean they’re making an effort to get attention. Someone who mogs you might not be trying at all.

Your photogenic friend could show up in a plain shirt, barely pose, and still look great in every shot. You can tease them with “Ikaw na!” but they probably just wanted a photo with you.

Where did the word come from?

According to Collins, the term likely comes from AMOG, short for “alpha male of the group.” It appeared in bodybuilding culture around 2016, then spread through the manosphere before reaching a wider audience.

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People now often use it as a joke or a compliment. “You mogged everyone in that photo” could simply be a friend’s way of saying you looked amazing.

Of course, it depends on who’s saying it and how. Teasing a friend who’s enjoying the joke is one thing. Leaving comments about how someone’s face or body compares with another person’s can get hurtful.

There’s always that one person at videoke

You finish your song at the family reunion, and everyone claps. Then your friend/cousin or whoever, takes the mic and sings a Celine Dion song so well that even the titas stop talking.

You’ve just been mogged. You thought you were doing pretty well until someone casually delivered a performance worthy of a singing contest.

So the next time someone in the group steals the spotlight, you’ll know what to call it. You got mogged. And if your friends say you mogged them? Say thanks. You probably looked good that day.