Around the Bluhmin’ Town

By

Judy Bluhm

Are we done votemaxxing? I just made up that word, because evidently, you can stick anything in front of the word “maxxing” and it will make sense. Well, the election is over, so here we are. Collectively maxxed out on all the television and online ads, street signs, texts and pundits with their endless analysis.

 Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year is – drumroll - maxxing.  And while my spellcheck is going bonkers, I am spelling it correctly with a double-x. A cultural phenomenon, suggesting that we must optimize, expand, improve, enhance and exhaust ourselves with always “doing more.” It’s a slang suffix that means pushing things to the limit. Life is filled with plenty of challenges. Now we must “maxx-out” on everything.

The linguistic manifestation of a culture that places great value on peak performance is how the word “maxxing” was born. Some “expert” wrote that to help those of us who might wonder, how the heck this term became the “most popular” in 2026. The word has exploded into mainstream culture due to the mix of internet memes and a current obsession with self-improvement.   

 The words “super” and “ultra” are so yesterday. Remember those commercials for fast food where the customer says, “supersize” me? Very old-fashioned phrase. Now it’s more like “proteinmaxxing” or “foodmaxxing.” The most noteworthy of the “maxxing” creation is “looksmaxxing.” This one word has skyrocketed from Tik Tok to mainstream status. It has shown up 900 percent more times in online searches this year over last.

Looksmaxxing is mostly a slang term now that describes the incredible efforts people will make to improve their looks, it might include intense workouts, plastic surgery, cosmetic procedures or spa treatments. And the term is used as much by both men and women, working on “maximizing” their appearance.

With the major rainstorms last week, I heard one of the television meteorologists say that certain areas of Arizona were “floodmaxxing.” Okay, so she was young and this is the new term, but for some reason, it sounded ridiculous. Perhaps I have old ears? My grandson implied this because he said he was “sleepmaxxing” after working long hours. I laughed and said, “Please tell me what that means.” Which he answered, “Grandma, get with it.”

The whole “maxxing” trend seems almost nonsensical. It’s hard enough to live just regular, healthy lives. Now we are supposed to maximize everything? Physicians have warned that it is beginning to create “optimization fatigue.” People are sick of trying to improve every single aspect of daily life.  

Some psychologists claim that the word “maxxing” encapsulates the modern hustle of the wellness culture. Look your best, defy age, lose weight, gain muscle, get rid of wrinkles, eat organic, stay emotionally grounded, be resilient and strive for excellence. At all times.

Let’s try our own spin on this new term. I am looking at my sofa and considering “lazymaxxing.” We can buck the trend and discover that sometimes, doing less is more.

Judy Bluhm is a writer. Contact Judy at [email protected] or visit www.aroundthebluhmintown.com.