中文导读 早餐多吃点蛋白质，网上的年轻人可能会说自己在 “proteinmaxxing”。10 月 26 日，美国在线词典 Dictionary.com 宣布，2026 年度词汇是 maxxing。它是 maximizing（最大化）的缩写，可以单独使用，但更常接在别的词后面，表示把某方面做到极致，例如改善外貌的 looksmaxxing、在工作中尽量多用 AI 的 tokenmaxxing。文章先解释词义，再回顾它如何从 “maxing out” 和游戏术语 “min-maxing” 演变而来；接着说明词典依据新闻、社交媒体和搜索数据评选，2026 年 8 月数字媒体对该词的使用量接近 2025 年月均水平的 19 倍。词典负责人 Steve Johnson 指出，人们有的认真用它谈自我提升，有的拿它开玩笑，还有人用它形容从“越多越好”的压力中退后一步。阅读时可留意文章如何用 But、Others、Some even 区分几种用法，并在结尾用 too early to know 交代不确定性。
正文 If you eat extra protein for breakfast , you might simply say you are eating more protein . Many young people online would call it “proteinmaxxing ” instead . On 26 October , Dictionary .com named “maxxing ” its Word of the Year for 2026, saying the word describes a culture that wants to get the most out of everything .
本段译文 如果你早餐多吃了一些蛋白质，你也许只会说自己在多吃蛋白质。但许多网上的年轻人会把它叫作 “proteinmaxxing”。10 月 26 日，Dictionary.com 将 “maxxing” 评为 2026 年度词汇，称这个词描述了一种想从一切事物中获得最大收益的文化。
Maxxing is short for “maximizing ”. It can stand alone , but it is most often added to the end of another word . Looksmaxxing means trying to improve your appearance . Tokenmaxxing means using AI tools at work as much as possible . Nonnamaxxing means improving your life by copying the habits of an Italian grandmother . There are also sleepmaxxing , fibermaxxing and many more .
本段译文 Maxxing 是 “maximizing”（最大化）的缩写。它可以单独使用，但最常见的是加在另一个词的末尾。Looksmaxxing 指努力改善自己的外貌；tokenmaxxing 指在工作中尽可能多地使用 AI 工具；nonnamaxxing 指通过模仿意大利祖母的生活习惯来改善自己的生活。此外还有 sleepmaxxing、fibermaxxing 等许多说法。
The idea is not completely new . For years , people have talked about “maxing out ” a credit card or pushing a car to its top speed . Game players used “min-maxing ” to describe making a character very strong in one area while accepting weaknesses in others . Later , the word broke away from games , gained an extra “x ” and began to attach itself to almost anything . Archived internet data shows that looksmaxxing was used on online forums as early as 2015.
本段译文 这个想法并不完全是新的。多年来，人们一直在说把信用卡“刷爆”（maxing out），或者把汽车开到最高速度。游戏玩家用 “min-maxing” 来描述让一个角色在某一方面变得非常强、同时接受其他方面的弱点。后来，这个词脱离了游戏，多了一个 “x”，开始几乎可以和任何词搭配。互联网存档数据显示，looksmaxxing 早在 2015 年就已出现在网络论坛上。
Dictionary .com does not choose its word by taste alone . Its experts study how often a word appears in news stories , on social media and in online searches , and then they consider its cultural meaning . According to the company digital media used “maxxing ” nearly 19 times more in August 2026 than in an average month of 2025. Looksmaxxing , still the most popular form appeared nine times as often .
本段译文 Dictionary.com 并不只凭喜好选词。它的专家会研究一个词在新闻报道、社交媒体和网络搜索中出现的频率，然后再考虑它的文化含义。据该公司称，2026 年 8 月数字媒体使用 “maxxing” 的次数，接近 2025 年平均每月的 19 倍。仍是最流行形式的 looksmaxxing，出现频率是原来的 9 倍。
Steve Johnson , who leads the dictionary team , said the word shows a common feeling : “ Whatever we’re doing , we want to push it further .” But he also pointed out that people use it in different ways . Some use it seriously to talk about self improvement . Others use it as a joke , giving an ordinary activity a grand name , such as “cozymaxxing ” for a quiet night at home . Some even use it to describe stepping back from the pressure to always do more .
本段译文 负责该词典团队的 Steve Johnson 说，这个词反映了一种普遍的感受：“无论我们在做什么，都想再推进一步。”但他也指出，人们使用它的方式各不相同。有些人认真地用它谈论自我提升；另一些人则把它当作玩笑，给普通的活动起一个宏大的名字，比如把在家安静度过的一晚称为 “cozymaxxing”。有些人甚至用它来形容从“总要做得更多”的压力中退后一步。
Johnson also compared it with last year’s winner , “67”, which left many people confused . Maxxing , he said , is easy to understand because almost everyone knows the feeling behind it . Other words on this year’s shortlist included “affordability ”, “ data center ”, “odyssey ” and “unc ”.
本段译文 Johnson 还把它与去年的年度词汇 “67” 作了比较——那个词让许多人摸不着头脑。他说，maxxing 很容易理解，因为几乎每个人都懂它背后的那种感受。今年入围名单上的其他词还包括 “affordability”（可负担性）、“data center”（数据中心）、“odyssey”（漫长的历程）和 “unc”（大叔）。
It is too early to know whether the word will last . Still , the choice shows how quickly an online word can enter everyday talk , and how people can use language to laugh at their own habits .
本段译文 现在判断这个词能否长久流行还为时过早。不过，这次评选表明，一个网络词语可以多快进入日常交流，以及人们如何用语言来自嘲自己的习惯。
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