MI College Releases 2026 Banished Words List

Lake Superior State University added ten words and phrases to its Banished Words List for 2026.

The tradition began as a whimsical New Year’s Eve party idea in 1976 when former Lake Superior State University Public Relations Director Bill Rabe and his colleagues created the first "List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English because of mis-, mal-, over-use or general uselessness."

It has since evolved into a worldwide discussion on language, with them receiving over 1,400 submissions this year from every U.S. state and countries such as Brazil, Japan and England.

This year’s top banished words include:

6-7

The phrase could have taken up the first 6-7 slots on the list, as officials call for "6-7" to be "86’ed."

Demure

Often heard in phrases such as "very demure, very mindful," the word has lost its meaning.

Cooked

Hearing it makes some listeners brain's feel cooked, some calling for all forms of the word to be banned.

Massive

Overused and often incorrectly, some officials said.

Incentivize

A bad attempt to turn a noun into a verb, like hearing "nails on a chalkboard." Some prefer motivate.

Full stop

Redundant punctuation, similar to "period."

Perfect

Few instances when the word actually applies and rarely accurate, especially in customer service contexts.

Gift/gifted (as a verb)

Another case of a noun being used as a verb. Has been on the list before.

My Bad

It does not convey much meaning in the way of an apology.

Reach Out

It started as a phrase of emotional support, but now is overused to the point of absurdity. Has been on the list before.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary in publishing the list, Lake Superior State University also looked at "Repeat Offender," words and phrases that have made multiple appearances on the banished list over the years. These include:

1. Absolutely (1996, 2023) - A 2023 submission called the word "The current default to express agreement." Will it try for a hat-trick? Absolutely.
2. At the End of the Day (1999, 2022, 2024): In 1999, Mike M. said the phrase was used by "political pundits," while Randall H. attributed it to "Hollywood types." This phrase has the unique distinction of triple-banishment.
3. Awesome (1984, 2007): Elnora V. set the tone for the initial banishment, sharing "I find it preposterous to believe that all these writers are observing truly awesome events on such a widespread scale." It returned to the list in 2007, with folks from as far as Thailand calling it "overused and meaningless."
4. Game Changer (2009, 2025): The 2009 banishment quoted Cynthia saying, "It’s game OVER for this cliché, which gets overused in the news media, political arenas and in business." This "game over" would include another banishment in 2025, with Patrick from Washington, DC commenting, "nothing is a game changer if everything is a game changer."
5. Hot Water Heater (1982, 2018): An anonymous listener nominated this phrase to Rob Westaby with WOWO Radio in 1982, asking "Since when does hot water need to be heated?" Decades later, the 2018 banishment reminded folks that a "water heater" would keep them out of linguistic hot water.

To nominate a word or phrase for the 2027 Banished Words List, or to learn more about the tradition, visit lssu.edu/traditions/banishedwords.