Wayne State Picked 10 Words Michigan Should Bring Back in 2026

With cancel culture, we have seen a lot of words get banned over the years. Here in Michigan, we love a good word list, and Wayne State is helping us out a little bit. They want us to rescue a handful of great and underused words and actually put them back into circulation in 2026.

The school's Word Warrior project is in it's 17th year, and the whole vibe is basically: slow down, stop settling for shortcuts, and enjoy the weirdly satisfying precision you get when the right words land.

Here are the ten that they're cheering for this year, with plain-English reminders so you can try them out, without sounding like you swallowed a dictionary.

• Abnegate: to renounce something you want (good for New Year’s habits and toxic group chats).
• Abscond: to slip away quickly and secretly (also known as “Irish goodbye,” but classier).
• Coterie: a small, tight-knit group with shared interests (your fantasy football, book club, or gamer crew).
• Fluckadrift: frantic speed or urgency (the energy of “company’s coming” cleaning).
• Gudgeon: an easily fooled person (we all know one, and sometimes it’s us).
• Inchoate: just beginning, not fully formed (perfect for those half-baked plans).
• Psithurism: the whispery rustle of leaves (the sound your brain needs after too many podcasts).
• Quanked: completely wiped out (the post-holiday, post-workweek collapse).
• Snoutfair: having an attractive face (a compliment with old-soul flavor).
• Swullocking: oppressively hot and humid (Midwest August in one word).

If you're looking for a 2026 resolution that doesn't involve a gym membership, maybe pick up one of these words and work it into a text today. Your vocabulary will thank you and your friends might too... after they're done being confused.