This week, Dictionary.com named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year, “unc” made its shortlist, and TikTok spent Halloween week saying “booooo” and pulling on black skull caps. Below are the eight terms I saw most this week, with what each one means, where it came from, an example of how people use it, and whether it’s worth learning.
How I picked this week’s words
I only included a term if a credible source showed it being used, searched or written about during the last few weeks. Then I graded each source the way I’d grade a tip from a stranger.
- Official: Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year announcement, which came out on Monday, October 26. This is a dictionary publisher’s own data and lexicographers.
- Trend research: YPulse, a youth research firm that publishes a regular viral-trends newsletter. Reliable for what’s spreading, less so for exact origins.
- Community documentation: Know Your Meme, which logs meme histories with dated example posts. Good for timelines. Its origin claims are only as strong as the posts it can find.
- Creators and anonymous accounts: teacher-creators on TikTok and trend-spotting accounts on X. These are useful early signals, but I don’t treat them as proof alone.
I left out slurs, sexual terms and anything that started as a put-down of a group of people. There’s a short section near the end explaining what I skipped and why.
What you need before you start
You don’t need to be on TikTok to follow this guide. A few things do help, though:
- A rough idea of the two generations involved. Gen Alpha, to be clear, is the generation that was born between 2010 and 2024. Gen Z is the group just older than that, roughly today’s late teens to late twenties.
- Patience with absurdity. A lot of 2025 and 2026 slang is meant to be a bit meaningless. Last year’s winner proved that: Dictionary.com called 6-7 “classic brainrot slang” that is “purposefully nonsensical and all about being in on the absurdity.”
- A reliable reference. When a word shows up in the news, check the dictionary’s own explanation before you trust a comment section.
- Five minutes of real listening. Notice the tone a word is said in before you look it up. Slang means whatever its tone says.
1. Maxxing
Meaning: Doing something as fully as you can, or tuning one part of your life as far as it’ll go.
This was the big one this week. Dictionary.com has named “maxxing” its 2026 Word of the Year. Short for “maximizing,” maxxing is a slang term that can stand alone or attach to almost any other word to describe doing something as fully and intensely as possible, according to Dictionary.com. Its formal definition calls it “the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life,”
The numbers behind the pick are real. Digital media used the term nearly 19 times more in August 2026 than in the average month of 2025, according to Dictionary.com’s report. The variation “looksmaxxing” alone rose more than 1,000% in media coverage since the start of the year, while “tokenmaxxing” grew alongside the AI boom.
How people use it
Most of the time it’s a suffix glued onto a noun:
- “I’m sleepmaxxing this week. Phone goes in the kitchen at ten.”
- “Saturday is cozymaxxing only. Blanket, soup, zero plans.”
- “Our manager keeps pushing us to tokenmaxx, so now every email gets run through an AI tool.”
It’s increasingly showing up on its own, too. Dictionary.com notes that in standalone use, “‘Maxxing’ functions as a verb, with something as its object, rather than as part of a longer word.” I’d write that as “I’m maxxing my last week of summer break.”
Where it came from
The term’s origins can be drawn back to the expression “maxing out a credit card” (exceeding assigned credit limit) and video game culture. Gamers already “maxed” stats and characters long before the double-x spelling appeared.
The double-x version has a darker history. In the 2010s, it spread throughout manosphere and incel subcultures via the term “looksmaxxing”, which means to maximise phycial attractiveness through fitness routines and physical grooming. Dictionary.com’s archived internet data traces examples of “looksmaxxing” to 2015, with terms such as “moneymaxxing” and “statusmaxxing” appearing by 2021. Dictionary.com gives credit to Reddit and other online forums for helping maxxing, and specifically looksmaxxing, grow into the popular social media lingo it is today.
It got lighter as it spread. By late 2025, The New York Times observed that quasi-serious slang terms (“booksmaxxing,” “proteinmaxxing”) as well as intentionally ridiculous ones (“cozymaxxing,” “salmonmaxxing”) were being tossed around.
Often confused with
Maxing (one x) is the older, everyday verb: “I maxed out my card.” Maxxing (two x’s) is the slang suffix. If you mean the internet sense, use both x’s.
Usage tip
Sleepmaxxing, cozymaxxing and proteinmaxxing are safe and playful. Looksmaxxing still carries its forum baggage. If a teen is deep into looksmaxxing content, ask what they’re watching rather than laughing it off.
Related words: mog (to outshine someone), looksmaxxing, tokenmaxxing, cozymaxxing.
2. Unc
Meaning: A teasing name for an older person, or anyone who seems out of touch with what’s current.
Unc was the runner-up you might not know. Maxxing edged out several terms you may be more familiar with (affordability, data center, and odyssey) and another you may not recognize in “unc.” Short for “uncle,” it’s the younger generations who use the term to describe someone they view as “corny or just doesn’t get it.” Dictionary.com compares it to the “OK Boomer” phrase of yore.
How people use it
- “You still put two spaces after a period? Okay, unc.”
- “I said ‘that’s sick’ out loud and my niece just whispered ‘unc status.’”
- “Unc is explaining Vine to us again.”
You don’t have to be old to get called unc. A 22-year-old who doesn’t know this month’s meme can earn it from a 13-year-old. It also gets used on yourself, as in “Unc needs a nap.”
Where it came from
“Unc” as a short, affectionate way to address an older man has a long history in Black American speech. The mocking “you’re old and don’t get it” sense is the newer, internet-driven layer. I couldn’t find a dated first use for that newer sense, so I won’t guess one.
Usage tip
Tone decides everything here. Among friends, unc is light ribbing. Said with a sigh to an actual relative, it can sting a little more than the speaker intends.
Related words: OK boomer, cringe, “back in my day” (used ironically).
3. Boo (the Boo trend)
Meaning: A stretched-out, deliberately goofy “booooo” said with crossed eyes, used as a joke, a prank and, this week, a Halloween greeting.
If your kids keep saying “booooo” at you with a strange face, this is why. Know Your Meme, a community-run meme encyclopedia with dated documentation, describes the Boo Trend as a TikTok trend in which users say “boo” while crossing their eyes in mocking reference to the original video, typically making a funny face and moving toward the camera. The trend emerged online sometime around mid-to-late September 2026, spreading from TikTok to other social media platforms like Instagram.
It grew into a prank format. The trend is commonly used as a prank by tricking people, especially boyfriends or family members, into performing the embarrassing trend alongside them and then only recording and posting their participation. The view counts got big fast. One post from October 6th, 2026 received over 2.6 million views and 641,300 likes in roughly one week.
Teacher-creator Mr. Lindsay, whose weekly Gen Alpha slang videos are a well-followed community signal, covered “Booooooo” in a TikTok as recently as this week. A small trend-spotting account on X, @early404, went further on October 24, claiming the face had become the unofficial Halloween 2026 greeting, with the TikTok trend racking up millions of views since early October. The post itself drew only 424 views. That fits what I’m seeing, but treat the “official greeting” label as one account’s opinion.
How people use it
- “My little brother said we’d both do the boo thing, then posted only my half.”
- “Teacher walked in and the whole back row went ‘booooo.’”
- “Trick-or-treaters this year don’t say ‘trick or treat.’ They just boo you.”
Often confused with
“Boo” as a pet name (my boo, you do you, boo) is a completely separate, much older word. The Boo trend is a sound and a face, not a term of affection.
4. Skull cap (the Skull Cap trend)
Meaning: A plain black beanie that, in this TikTok joke, instantly turns an awkward person into a brooding, overconfident one.
This is a meme format more than a new word, but “skull cap” has picked up a new meaning online. Know Your Meme defines it as a TikTok trend in which users depict a comedic transformation from an exaggerated awkward appearance to a confident persona after putting on a black skull cap. Clips use a before-and-after setup, timed to the beat drop in Bryson Tiller’s verse from DJ Khaled’s song “Wild Thoughts” featuring Rihanna.
The Skull Cap meme trend gained popularity on TikTok in mid-October 2026. There is no one identifiable originator of the trend, and appears to have developed organically in accordance with similar memes featuring dramatic glow ups. An early documented clip from October 16 received 7.4 million views and 286,400 likes in 11 days. Another from October 18 received 12.8 million views and 2.3 million likes in 9 days.
The caption that people now repeat as a phrase is “How dudes act 0.01 seconds after putting on a skull cap.” The joke lies in the over-the-top nature of the transformation, which treats the hat as if it can instantly change someone’s entire demeanor and attractiveness. While some creators play the format straight, others use it ironically to mock the trend itself.
How people use it
- “He put the beanie on and his whole personality changed. Classic skull cap moment.”
- “Do the skull cap one with the dog.”
- “Mom bought me a skull cap for winter and now I can’t wear it without my sister humming the song.”
Usage tip
In the trend, “skull cap” just means a close-fitting black knit beanie. No skulls, filters or face effects are involved. If a parent searches “skull cap filter,” they’re probably looking for the hard cut on the beat drop.
5. 🍟✌️ (the fries emoji)
Meaning: A reply that tells someone they’re being corny, embarrassing or going on too long.
Emoji count as slang when they carry a meaning the dictionary doesn’t give them. Yahoo reported this one in mid-October: The French fries emoji (🍟), sometimes accompanied by a peace sign (✌️), has become a way for Gen Alpha to tell someone they’re being corny, embarrassing, or simply talking too much. Think of it as the emoji equivalent of telling someone to wrap it up.
The same report says the joke isn’t entirely new. It’s the latest evolution of a meme that’s been circulating online for years. I couldn’t confirm the exact chain from older meme to emoji, so I’m leaving the deeper origin as unconfirmed.
How people use it
- Friend sends a three-paragraph rant about a video game patch. Reply: “🍟✌️”
- “Bro sent me 🍟✌️ after my birthday speech. Rude.”
- In comments under an overlong storytime video: “🍟🍟🍟”
Often confused with
A plain 🍟 under a food video usually just means fries. The insult reading needs context: a reply to something long or cringey, often paired with the peace sign.
6. Fridge cigarette
Meaning: A cold can of soda, especially Diet Coke, treated as a small daily ritual you can’t quite give up.
This one isn’t new, but it was back in the news this week. Yahoo reported that Coca-Cola’s CEO dislikes the nickname. Merriam-Webster defines “fridge cigarette” as “a cold, refreshing, and addictive soft drink,” noting that it’s especially used to refer to Diet Coke.
The phrase first gained traction with Gen Z through a viral TikTok video in 2025, which has nearly 4 million views. Using the image of a cigarette break, it describes the ritual: the crack of the can, a short pause in the workday, the “I need this” feeling.
How people use it
- “Two-minute break. Going out back for a fridge cigarette.”
- “Nothing hits like a fridge cigarette after a long shift.”
- “She has a fridge cigarette at 3 p.m. like clockwork.”
Usage tip
It’s office and college slang more than kid slang, and it’s affectionate. It doesn’t mean anyone is smoking. It’s a joke about how habit-forming the soda ritual feels.
7. Polyester
Meaning: Cheap, mass-produced, fake or unoriginal, usually aimed at a lifestyle or a piece of content.
YPulse flagged this in August and recapped it in its newsletter this week. The latest slang making the rounds on socials is “polyester,” which Gen Z is using to describe something that feels cheap, mass-produced, or just plain inauthentic. In one example the firm cites, a creator posted about using an AI agent to build their “dream adult lifestyle,” and the top comment simply read: “polyester lifestyle” (49.5K likes).
The metaphor is easy to follow. Polyester is the synthetic fabric that imitates natural fibers, so calling something “polyester” means it’s an imitation. YPulse places it alongside similar insults: The term joins a growing list of internet insults for things that feel generic, from larping and performative to NPC.
How people use it
- “That whole 5 a.m. morning routine video felt so polyester.”
- “Polyester apology. Clearly written by a PR team.”
- “Her feed went polyester the moment she started taking sponsorships.”
Often confused with
Polyester as a fabric is neutral. As slang it’s always a mild insult. “Polyester vibes” is a dig, never a compliment.
8. Quiet on the creek
Meaning: Keep it low-key, say nothing, don’t draw attention.
This phrase has staying power. It’s been in kids’ vocabulary since summer and was still showing up in school-hallway slang this autumn. The viral phrase comes from a clip of rapper Saucy Santana during a TikTok Live, where he recalled fishing as a kid and told someone off-camera, “You gotta be real quiet on the creek.” Gen Z, of course, took the line and gave it entirely new meaning. Now, it describes any situation that requires someone to be extra lowkey.
The usual full form is “you gotta be real quiet on the creek.” Credit goes to Saucy Santana and to the TikTok users who remixed his line into a catchphrase.
How people use it
- “Got the job but I’m staying quiet on the creek till Monday.”
- “Sneaking snacks into the movie? Real quiet on the creek.”
- “We’re planning her surprise party, so everybody be quiet on the creek.”
Usage tip
It works best for small secrets and sneaky moments. Using it for something serious makes it sound oddly flippant.
Still in rotation: the holdovers you’ll keep hearing
None of these are new this week, but they keep coming up, and the guides that rank for this topic all cover them. Here’s the short version of each.
Chud
Searches for this one spiked across 2026. It comes from the 1984 movie “C.H.U.D.,” which stands for cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers, explains content creator Mr. Lindsay. Now, kids use it as another way to say “loser.” Example: “Only a chud skips the group project meeting.” Adults online sometimes use it with a more political edge, so the tone can change depending on the platform.
Aura farming
Aura is your perceived coolness, and farming it means collecting it on purpose. Aura farming, meanwhile, is the act of trying to intentionally cultivate a “cool” persona by performing specific actions. It was on Dictionary.com’s shortlist for 2025 word of the year. The term borrows “farming” from gaming, where you repeat an action to grind resources. Example: “He wore sunglasses indoors for the class photo. Pure aura farming.” The flip side is “minus aura,” for losing cool points in public.
Crash out
To crash out is to lose emotional control in spectacular, often public fashion. It comes from Black American slang and rap, and the noun form “crashout” describes the person doing it. Example: “Lost one ranked match and had a full crash out on stream.”
Based
“Based” means being unapologetically yourself, especially when you say an opinion out loud. One guide defines it as being confidently authentic, especially when sharing an honest opinion without worrying whether everyone agrees. Its modern positive sense is widely credited to rapper Lil B, who reclaimed what had been an insult. Example: “You admitted you like pineapple on pizza in front of everyone? Based.”
Pop off
As praise, pop off means to do brilliantly. When someone pops off, they do really well. They might perform well, post something that gets lots of attention, or simply have a great moment that deserves praise. Older speakers also use “pop off” to mean mouthing off angrily, so check the tone. Example: “She popped off in the second half: 22 points.”
6-7
Last year’s Word of the Year refuses to fade. It came from rap and basketball culture. Some trace the term to Skrilla’s 2024 drill song “Doot Doot (6 7).” It has no fixed meaning, and that’s the joke. If a kid shouts “six-seven” and does the palms-up weighing gesture, the right response is usually to sigh.
Words I left out on purpose
Some of 2026’s most-searched terms don’t belong in a family-friendly roundup. “Gooning” tops several lists, but most of its meanings are sexual, so I’m not defining it here. “Foid” is a misogynistic insult that came from incel forums. “Huzz” has derogatory roots, even though younger kids now use it for a crush.
If you hear any of these from a child, the meaning they intend is often milder than the word’s origin. The origin is still worth a calm conversation. Parenting writers have flagged the pattern too: some newer Gen Alpha slang also originated in the toxic online manosphere. That includes “mog” and the looksmaxxing branch of maxxing.
How to decode a new slang word in 5 steps
Next week there’ll be new words. This is the routine I use to figure out a term I’ve never seen before.
- Write down the exact spelling and the context. “Maxxing” and “maxing” are different words. “Boo” as a sound and “boo” as a nickname are too. The surrounding sentence usually narrows down the meaning before you search.
- Check whether it’s a word or a meme format. Skull cap and Boo are formats with a sound and a visual. Polyester and unc are actual vocabulary. Formats fade faster.
- Find the source community. Ask whether it came from gaming, AAVE, a rapper’s clip, fandom, or a forum. That tells you the tone and whether there’s baggage. If you like tracing the etymology of a word, this is the fun part.
- Grade what you find. A dictionary announcement beats a meme encyclopedia, and a meme encyclopedia with dated posts beats a random explainer site. An anonymous account’s claim is a lead, not a fact.
- Listen once more before using it. Hear the word in two or three real conversations or comment threads. If the tone matches your reading, you’ve got it.
Common mistakes I see adults make
- Using the word to sound young. Using slang awkwardly is how you earn “unc.” Understanding a word is plenty. You don’t have to adopt it.
- Taking absurd words literally. 6-7 and Boo aren’t codes. Searching for a hidden meaning in brainrot words usually ends up somewhere strange and wrong.
- Treating every list as current. Many “2026 slang” pages recycle 2023 words like bussin and gyat. Look for dates and fresh examples.
- Ignoring the origin. A word can sound playful and still come from somewhere ugly. Looksmaxxing is the clearest example this year.
- Panicking over the emoji. 🍟✌️ is rude but harmless. Save the worry for words with real red flags.
- Forgetting regional and platform differences. “Chud” means one thing in a middle-school hallway and something sharper on political X.
What you should come away with
After this roundup, you should be able to hear any of these eight terms and know three things:
- what the speaker means
- roughly where the term came from
- whether it’s a passing meme or a word with staying power
My bet: maxxing and unc will last well into 2027, helped along by the Word of the Year coverage. Polyester and quiet on the creek have already outlived a normal meme cycle. The Boo trend and the skull cap trend are tied to this season and will probably fade by mid-November.
FAQ
What is the newest slang word this week?
The biggest news is “maxxing.” Dictionary.com on Monday revealed its annual top word, giving it to the beloved Gen Z term, “maxxing.” The newest meme-driven terms are the Boo trend and the skull cap trend, both of which took off in the past six weeks.
What were the other Dictionary.com 2026 finalists?
“Maxxing” beat four other contenders for Dictionary.com’s word of the year: “affordability”, “data centre”, “odyssey”, and “unc”. Odyssey’s place on the list was linked to Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of Homer’s epic.
Is maxxing a bad word?
No. Most uses, like sleepmaxxing or cozymaxxing, are harmless. The word does have roots in incel and manosphere forums through looksmaxxing, so be careful with that branch.
Why are kids saying “booooo” with crossed eyes?
It’s a TikTok trend that started in September 2026. People copy a viral face-and-sound clip, often to prank family members, and this year it doubled as a Halloween greeting.
What does 🍟✌️ mean in a text?
It means “wrap it up.” Gen Alpha uses it to tell someone they’re being corny or talking too much.
Should adults use these words?
Use them if they come naturally and the tone fits. Otherwise, understanding them is enough. The fastest way to get called unc is to force a word that isn’t yours yet.
About this article
- Fact-checked by Maureen Talbot against the sources listed below before publication.
- Published
Sources (8)
- The Top 24 Gen Alpha Slang Terms of 2026 (mentalfloss.com)
- '6-7' named word of the year by Dictionary.com, and people are confused (cbc.ca)
- Dictionary.com reveals its 2026 Word of the Year (kvue.com)
- Dictionary.com reveals its 2026 Word of the Year (kgw.com)
- Dictionary website picks 'maxxing' as new word of the year (philstar.com)
- Dictionary.com Just Announced its 2026 Word of the Year: 'Feels Especially Relevant' (sheknows.com)
- Dictionary.com reveals 2026 Word of the Year – and it's a depressing one – AOL (aol.co.uk)
- Dictionary.com announces Word of the Year (thepinknews.com)