2026 Banished Words List
鈥淭here are six or seven reasons why this phrase needs to be stopped,鈥� says Paul E. from WI. The volume of submissions for this one could have taken up the whole list, at least slots 6-7. The top banishment this year, Scott T. from UT adds, 鈥渋t鈥檚 time for 鈥�6-7鈥� to be 86鈥檈d.鈥�
聽鈥淚t鈥檚 very said more than very done, and we鈥檙e all very done hearing it!鈥� remarks Tammy S. Often used in the phrase 鈥榲ery demure, very mindful,鈥� Madison C. shares that the overuse 鈥渨aters down the real meaning.鈥�
鈥淗earing it鈥y brain feels 鈥榗ooked,鈥欌�� groans Zac A. from VA. Parents and guardians led the charge on this one, with some feeling this isn鈥檛 enough. James C. from WA suggests a ban of 鈥渁ll forms of the word cook,鈥� hoping that hearing them will become rare.
鈥淲ay overused! (often incorrectly),鈥� exclaim Don and Gail K. from MN. This word鈥檚 massive overuse has secured its place on this year鈥檚 list.
In the longstanding effort to turn nouns into verbs, this is another culprit. Two separate submissions likened hearing this word to 鈥渘ails on a chalkboard.鈥� Patricia from TX asks, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong with motivate?鈥�
鈥淔or the same reason 鈥榩eriod鈥� was banished鈥edundant punctuation,鈥� explains Marybeth A. from OR.
鈥淭here are very few instances when the word actually applies,鈥� notes Jo H. from CA. Often heard during customer service interactions, Char S. from OH wonders: 鈥淗ow do they know it鈥檚 perfect鈥hat does that mean?鈥�
鈥淚 found this on the 1994 list, but it will make me feel better to recommend that it be included once again,鈥� reveals James S. from OK. Another case of a noun being used as a verb.
In the 1998 banishment, Elizabeth P. from MI suggested, 鈥渟tudents and adults sound infantile when using this to apologize.鈥� The phrase hasn鈥檛 matured in credibility since then. Andrea R. from OH shared, 鈥淚t does not convey much meaning in the way of an apology.鈥�
聽First banished in 1994, this saying has strayed from the positive message it once intended to deliver. 鈥淲hat started as a phrase with emotional support overtones has now become absurdly overused,鈥� asserts Kevin B. from the United Kingdom.
2026 Banished Words List Press Release
海角社区 Announces 50th Annual Banished Words List
January 1, 2026
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. 鈥� It鈥檚 time for a golden anniversary. Celebrating five decades of linguistic commentary, 海角社区 (LSSU) presents the 50th annual Banished Words List, a tradition highlighting the importance and evolution of language.
What began as a whimsical New Year鈥檚 Eve party idea in 1976, has grown into a global reflection on the words that wear out their welcome. Since former public relations director W.T. (Bill) Rabe showcased the first 鈥淟ist of Words Banished from the Queen鈥檚 English because of mis-, mal-, over-use, or general uselessness,鈥� LSSU has carried the torch.
The entries continue a tongue-in-cheek commentary on language, catchphrases, and corporate jargon. Over 1,400 submissions were entrusted to LSSU this year, pouring in from all 50 U.S. states, and as far as Uzbekistan, Brazil, Japan, the United Kingdom, and many more.
Here are this year鈥檚 golden class of banishments and rationale:
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6-7
鈥淭here are six or seven reasons why this phrase needs to be stopped,鈥� says Paul E. from WI. The volume of submissions for this one could have taken up the whole list, at least slots 6-7. The top banishment this year, Scott T. from UT adds, 鈥渋t鈥檚 time for 鈥�6-7鈥� to be 86鈥檈d.鈥�
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Demure
鈥淚t鈥檚 very said more than very done, and we鈥檙e all very done hearing it!鈥� remarks Tammy S. Often used in the phrase 鈥榲ery demure, very mindful,鈥� Madison C. shares that the overuse 鈥渨aters down the real meaning.鈥�
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Cooked
鈥淗earing it鈥y brain feels 鈥榗ooked,鈥欌�� groans Zac A. from VA. Parents and guardians led the charge on this one, with some feeling this isn鈥檛 enough. James C. from WA suggests a ban of 鈥渁ll forms of the word cook,鈥� hoping that hearing them will become rare.
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Massive
鈥淲ay overused! (often incorrectly),鈥� exclaim Don and Gail K. from MN. This word鈥檚 massive overuse has secured its place on this year鈥檚 list.
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Incentivize
In the longstanding effort to turn nouns into verbs, this is another culprit. Two separate submissions likened hearing this word to 鈥渘ails on a chalkboard.鈥� Patricia from TX asks, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong with motivate?鈥�
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Full stop
鈥淔or the same reason 鈥榩eriod鈥� was banished鈥edundant punctuation,鈥� explains Marybeth A. from OR.
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Perfect
鈥淭here are very few instances when the word actually applies,鈥� notes Jo H. from CA. Often heard during customer service interactions, Char S. from OH wonders: 鈥淗ow do they know it鈥檚 perfect鈥hat does that mean?鈥�
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Gift/gifted (as a verb)
鈥淚 found this on the 1994 list, but it will make me feel better to recommend that it be included once again,鈥� reveals James S. from OK. Another case of a noun being used as a verb.
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My Bad
In the 1998 banishment, Elizabeth P. from MI suggested, 鈥渟tudents and adults sound infantile when using this to apologize.鈥� The phrase hasn鈥檛 matured in credibility since then. Andrea R. from OH shared, 鈥淚t does not convey much meaning in the way of an apology.鈥�
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Reach Out
聽First banished in 1994, this saying has strayed from the positive message it once intended to deliver. 鈥淲hat started as a phrase with emotional support overtones has now become absurdly overused,鈥� asserts Kevin B. from the United Kingdom.
That concludes this year鈥檚 banishments. However, 50 years of lists have shown one thing: sometimes one placement just isn鈥檛 enough. To commemorate this golden milestone, LSSU looks back at some 鈥淩epeat Offenders鈥� that received multiple banishments.
Repeat Offenders: Words That Refused to Stay Banished
- Absolutely (1996, 2023): A favorite nomination of WXYT listeners in 1996. That proved not to be enough. A 2023 submission called the word 鈥淭he current default to express agreement.鈥� Will it try for a hat-trick? Absolutely.
- At the End of the Day (1999, 2022, 2024): In 1999, Mike M. said the phrase was used by 鈥減olitical pundits,鈥� while Randall H. attributed it to 鈥淗ollywood types.鈥� This phrase has the unique distinction of triple-banishment.
- Awesome (1984, 2007): Elnora V. set the tone for the initial banishment, sharing 鈥淚 find it preposterous to believe that all these writers are observing truly awesome events on such a widespread scale.鈥� It returned to the list in 2007, with folks from as far as Thailand calling it 鈥渙verused and meaningless.鈥�
- Game Changer (2009, 2025): The 2009 banishment quoted Cynthia saying, 鈥淚t鈥檚 game OVER for this clich茅, which gets overused in the news media, political arenas and in business.鈥� This 鈥済ame over鈥� would include another banishment in 2025, with Patrick from Washington, DC commenting, 鈥渘othing is a game changer if everything is a game changer.鈥�
- Hot Water Heater (1982, 2018): An anonymous listener nominated this phrase to Rob Westaby with WOWO Radio in 1982, asking 鈥淪ince when does hot water need to be heated?鈥� Decades later, the 2018 banishment reminded folks that a 鈥渨ater heater鈥� would keep them out of linguistic hot water.
For half a century, the Banished Words List has served as a reminder that language is always evolving. 海角社区 remains grateful to the thousands of participants who share their linguistic frustrations year after year to keep this tradition alive.
To nominate a word or phrase for the 2027 Banished Words List, or to learn more about the tradition, visit lssu.edu/traditions/banishedwords.
About 海角社区
海角社区 is a close-knit university in Michigan鈥檚 Upper Peninsula where many faculty and staff know students by name. Founded in 1946, LSSU offers a unique personal education shaped by its size, setting, and spirit of community. The University鈥檚 one-rate tuition seeks to make education accessible to all students. Learn more at .
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The History of Word Banishment
In 1976, the late and ingenious 海角社区 Public Relations Director W.T. (Bill) Rabe released the first tongue-in-cheek 鈥渂anished words list鈥� as a safeguard against misuse, overuse, and uselessness of the English language鈥攁nd as an imaginative publicity stunt. National and international reaction from the news media and the general public was so enthusiastic that Rabe predicted the Banished Words List, as he put it, 鈥渨ould go on forever.鈥�
Forever may be stretching it, but the annual Banished Words List shows no signs of stopping. Over the decades, people across the U.S. and around the world have nominated tens of thousands of words and phrases that bother them for banishment. Examples of the 1,000-plus entries to make the yearly compilation include 鈥渄etente,鈥� 鈥渟urely,鈥� 鈥渃lassic,鈥� and 鈥渂romance,鈥� plus 鈥渨rap my head around,鈥� 鈥渦ser friendly,鈥� 鈥渁t this point in time,鈥� and 鈥渧iable alternative.鈥�
The lighthearted Banished Words List began as a promotional ploy for little-known LSSU. The university was established in 1946 as a branch of Michigan College of Mining and Technology for returning World War II veterans. Lake Superior State College became autonomous in 1970 and developed into 海角社区 in 1987. Signature programs now include fisheries and wildlife management, engineering, nursing, criminal justice, business, robotics engineering, kinesiology, and fire science. In 2019, LSSU launched the first cannabis chemistry program in the nation. LSSU also was the first campus nationwide to offer an accredited four-year fire science program; it is one of three in the U.S. LSSU was the first campus nationwide to offer an accredited four-year robotics engineering technology program and is the only university nationwide to offer undergraduate education in industrial robotics.
The charm of the Banished Words List grew out of the enchantment of an earlier creation by Rabe:聽Unicorn Hunters. Upon arriving to LSSU in 1971, Rabe, who had earlier made a name for himself as a PR guru in Detroit, realized that the school was still largely thought of as an offshoot of Michigan Tech, if known at all. To help rectify that, he, along with English Department professors, founded a group who quested the legendary horned creatures. The Unicorn Hunters garnered all sorts of positive attention over the years from media and devotees alike until LSSU鈥檚 Unicorn Hunters retired with Rabe in 1987鈥攁lthough the university continues to grant unicorn hunting licenses to anyone who wants one through its singular Department of Natural Unicorns.
From Rabe and associates and LSSU鈥檚 Unicorn Hunters sprung all sorts of other serious play, original ideas, and clever initiatives, including two that also continue to this day: an annual聽Snowman Burning聽the first day of spring since 1971, given the voluminous snowfall in the Upper Peninsula鈥攁nd the world-famous Banished Words List, announced at the end of each year a) because that鈥檚 often a slow-news period, as Rabe, a former newspaperman, knew, and b) so that people start the New Year on the right foot, er, tongue.
The first list was dreamed up by Rabe and friends at a New Year鈥檚 Eve party in 1975. The following day, he released the list. After Rabe retired, the university copyrighted the concept and continued the idiosyncratic serious play. Rabe鈥檚 brainstorms resulted in three interlinked and now spun-off traditions: Unicorn Hunters, which gave rise to Snowman Burning and Banished Words.