Linguist Traces '-maxxing' Slang From Incel Subculture to TikTok and Pentagon Use in 2026
Updated
Updated · NPR · May 27
Linguist Traces '-maxxing' Slang From Incel Subculture to TikTok and Pentagon Use in 2026
6 articles · Updated · NPR · May 27
Adam Aleksic says “-maxxing” has moved from the eugenicist “looksmaxxing” world into mainstream online speech, including TikTok trends and a Pentagon post about “lethality maxxing.”
His account argues recommendation algorithms helped spread the term, accelerating how niche internet language jumps into broad public use.
Aleksic adds that much so-called Gen-Z slang is often borrowed from Black communities or incel spaces, blurring the origins users may not recognize.
The discussion centers on what is lost when widely used slang carries histories of racism, misogyny or extremism that disappear as the words go mainstream.
How is the 'looksmaxxing' trend creating a hidden mental health crisis for young men?
Are we losing control of our language to algorithms that reward extremism?
Can viral slang with toxic origins ever be truly harmless?