Ragebait, Peak and Crashout vie for 2026 youth word title
Friday 28th August 2026 on 19:15 in
Austria
Ragebait, Peak and Crashout are the three finalists for Germany’s 2026 Youth Word of the Year, ORF Steiermark reported. Public voting will run for four weeks to decide which term wins the competition organised by Langenscheidt publishing house.
The selection process began with submitted suggestions being collected and assessed by a jury. The top 10 candidates were announced in the previous round, followed by the three finalists now in contention.
The winning term will be announced on October 10, 2026, during the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The competition has been held since 2008. Previous winners have included YOLO, cringe and goofy. The organisers say the vote is intended to highlight pop-cultural influences and reflect the current language used by young people.