These overused words have officially worn out their welcome
Some words are better left unsaid
Every year, dictionaries welcome hundreds of new words into the English language. But just as some expressions rise, others go out of fashion. So why is that, exactly? Has the word lost its relevance? Does it now seem offensive or insensitive? Has it just become cliché—one of those totally overused words?
“It’s a combination of all those things,” says Michael Adams, PhD, a professor of English and linguistics at Indiana University. With slang words in particular, he says, “we can’t overlook the fact that we just get tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.” In other words, some words just overstay their welcome.
To that end, each year Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, releases a list of words and phrases that deserve a long vacation—perhaps even early retirement. Dubbed the Banished Words List, this tradition began in 1976 as a lighthearted way to clean up our collective vocabulary of words deemed overused, misused or simply unnecessary.
“Old habits can be hard to break, and we’re happy to serve as a resource for the court of public opinion on what should continue to be part of the English language and what needs to be put to rest,” says David Travis, president of LSSU. The university received nominations from across the globe, and the words that made the 2025 cut list range from tired slang to try-hard buzzwords. Read on for 10 overused words we should all stop saying (like, now).
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Cringe
Once a perfectly good way to describe secondhand embarrassment, cringe has now become … well, cringe. This overused word has been applied to everything from dancing dads to decade-old tweets. At this point, calling something “so cringe” says more about the speaker’s vocabulary than the situation.
2/10
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Game changer
If everything is a game changer, is anything really changing the game? LSSU voters are calling timeout on this term, arguing that it’s used so casually it no longer signals anything truly significant. It was a game changer—until marketers started slapping it on everything from salad dressing to software updates. Now it’s a buzzword without buzz.
3/10
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Era
From “my hot girl era” to “her banana bread era,” we are officially in our overuse era. Not every phase of life needs its own branding. Unless you’re Taylor Swift, it might be time to quietly exit your era era.
4/10
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Dropped
Albums drop. Merch drops. Podcasts, videos, hot takes—everything drops. And we’re all supposed to act like it’s dramatic and sudden. But unless it fell from the sky, can we just say it was released or introduced? Not everything needs to sound like a sneaker launch.
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IYKYK
Originally a sly nod to a shared experience, IYKYK (if you know, you know) now reads more like a gatekeeping eye-roll. It’s one of those social media and text abbreviations that feels exclusionary and smug. If we’re all supposed to get the reference, then spell it out. And if we don’t know? Well, we’re starting to be OK with that.
6/10
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Sorry not sorry
This sass-meets-snark non-apology wants to sound bold but lands more in the category of passive-aggressive. As one LSSU judge put it: “It is really tiring to hear, and it is giving people another reason to be jerks to one another.” Kindness is cool. Try it.
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Skibidi
This internet fever dream may have amused the younger crowd, but most people still don’t know what this bizarre and overused word means—and they’re fine keeping it that way. For many, this TikTok-fueled slang is just noise. Time to flush skibidi back down the algorithm toilet.
8/10
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100%
What once felt like a strong, confident agreement now sounds like filler. The problem is, 100% is used so often it’s practically background noise. Also, as one LSSU judge asked: “Since when should a percentage be used to describe your agreement in a conversation?” We get it—you agree. Just say that.
9/10
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Utilize
This is a textbook case of trying too hard. Utilize is what people say when they think use isn’t fancy enough. As one LSSU judge noted: “Write like you talk.” Use is shorter, clearer and doesn’t sound like you’re drafting a letter to the board.
10/10
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Period
Once a punchy mic-drop moment, this is just another overused word that screams “I want this to sound definitive.” But if your statement needs period to feel strong, it might not be that strong after all. Let your point stand on its own.
Whether or not the words on this list bug you, they’re a reminder to be intentional with language. As Travis notes, “Words matter!” So maybe less is more—period.
About the experts
Michael Adams, PhD, is a professor of English and linguistics at Indiana University Bloomington, where he served as chair of the department of English for four years. He specializes in the history, theory and practice of lexicography and has contributed to dictionaries and several books, including Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon.
David Travis, PhD, is president of Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
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