Lake Superior State University Drops 2026’s Banished Words List

Lake Superior State University in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has released its fiftieth annual Banished Words List.

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Started in 1976 by the university's (then a college) public relations director, W.T. Rabe, the "List of Words Banned from the Queen's English because of mis-, mal-, over-use, or general uselessness" has been released on New Year's Day every year.

Lake Superior State University's Banished Words List 2026

This year's list is likely "perfect" for many, while some others may have a "massive" problem with it. Let's dig into 2026's banished words.

6-7 (six seven) - A word/phrase loved by kids, tweens, and teens and despised by parents and teachers, 6-7 became widely used by the younger generation in 2025. According to a release from the university, this was easily the top-nominated word for the year. One nominator, Paul E., said, "There are six or seven reasons why this phrase needs to be stopped."

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Demure - Yes, we know, we were all trying to be "very demure, very mindful" in 2025, but in 2026, we need to yeet (a word banished in 2019) the word demure right out of our collective vocabulary. One person who nominated the word, Tammy S. said, "It's very said more than very done, and we're all very done hearing it."

Cooked - This is another one that was highly submitted by parents and teachers. One person, James C., suggested that they ban "all forms of the word cook," which seems like overkill, but might be necessary.

Massive - Not everything is "massive"; some things are just "big". Don and Gail K. said when submitting this one, "Way overused! (Often incorrectly.)"

Incentivize - If we offer people an incentive, do you think they'll stop saying this word? It plays into our tendency, as Americans, to turn random nouns into verbs. Patricia, who submitted this word, wondered, "What's wrong with motivate?"

Full Stop - It seems quite a few people want to put a full stop to the phrase "full stop". Marybeth A. simply said it should be banished, "For the same reason 'period' was banished... redundant punctuation." ('Period' was banished in 2025.)

Perfect - I personally don't see the issue with this word, but it seems many believe that it's overused. Jo H. said, "There are very few instances when the word actually applies."

Gift/Gifted (as a verb) - LSSU isn't bannishing the word altogether. Why would they? Gifts are great! But, it is being banished when being used as a verb. And this isn't the first time. In his submission, James S. said, "I found this on the 1994 list, but it will make me feel better to recommend that it be included once again." When it was originally banished back in 1994, J. Gregory W. said, "What happened to 'giving'?"

My Bad - This is another repeat banishment, having previously been banished back in 1998. This time around, Andrea R. says that it's a poor excuse for an apology. "It does not convey much meaning in the way of an apology."

Reach Out - I have to admit that I use this one pretty often. And this isn't the first time that it's been banished. Originally banished back in 1994, this one resurfaced again this year, with Kevin B. saying, "What started as a phrase with emotional support overtones has now become absurdly overused."

If there's a word or phrase that you think they missed this year, you can always nominate it for banishment next year.