Michigan university’s banished words list is perfect, full stop

Lake Superior State University has the perfect way to celebrate 2026, by banishing the word “perfect” and nine other terms from the English language.

The school in Sault Ste. Marie, MI has collected submissions from around the world since publishing its first “banished words” list in 1976. 

What started as a fun New Year’s Eve party suggestion has become an annual tradition.

University President David Travis says faculty members sifted through 1,400 submissions to curate its 50th list.

“What they look for are classic examples of overuse, misuse, and simply words that are useless,” he says. “And they come up with the top ten.”

The judges don’t limit their choices to words. They also consider choice phrases, such as “6-7,” which caught on in 2025.

Dr. Travis says “6-7” has no clear definition.

“It’s simply a fun word that people get excited about when they see the two numbers together,” he says.

Let’s get cooking

Here’s the complete list for 2025, with comments from people who nominated them:

1. 6-7 (six seven): “There are six or seven reasons why this phrase needs to be stopped,” says Paul E. from Wisconsin. The volume of submissions for this one could have taken up the whole list, at least slots 6-7. Scott T. from Utah adds, “it’s time for “6-7” to be 86’ed.”
2. Demure: “It’s very said more than very done, and we’re all very done hearing it!” remarks Tammy S. Often used in the phrase ‘very demure, very mindful,’ Madison C. shares that the overuse “waters down the real meaning.”
3. Cooked: “Hearing it…my brain feels ‘cooked,’” groans Zac A. from Virginia. Parents and guardians led the charge on this one, with some feeling this isn’t enough.
4. Massive: “Way overused! (often incorrectly),” exclaim Don and Gail K. from Minnesota. This word’s massive overuse has secured its place on this year’s list.
5. Incentivize: In the longstanding effort to turn nouns into verbs, this is another culprit. Two separate submissions likened hearing this word to “nails on a chalkboard.”
6. Full stop: “For the same reason ‘period’ was banished…redundant punctuation,” explains Marybeth A. from Oregon.
7. Perfect: “There are very few instances when the word actually applies,” notes Jo H. from California.
8. Gift/gifted (as a verb): “I found this on the 1994 list, but it will make me feel better to recommend that it be included once again,” reveals James S. from Oklahoma. Another case of a noun being used as a verb.
9. My bad: In the 1998 banishment, Elizabeth P. from Michigan suggested, “students and adults sound infantile when using this to apologize.”
10. Reach out: First banished in 1994, this saying has strayed from the positive message it once intended to deliver. “What started as a phrase with emotional support overtones has now become absurdly overused,” asserts Kevin B. from the United Kingdom.

It’s all in fun

The good news is no one’s going to arrest you if you use any of these words or phrases. Dr. Travis says it’s supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. But he admits not everyone takes it that way.

“We sometimes get a nasty letter from someone saying, ‘I refuse to stop saying that word,'” he says. “And we just kind of smile and chuckle because they thought we were being really serious.”