List: The 'overused' words banished for 2025 by a Michigan university

SAULT ST. MARIE, Mich. (WGN) — Every January, a small university in Michigan's Upper Peninsula identifies a slew of words that have been overused and "worn out," designating them for banishment.

Continuing the tradition, Lake Superior State University recently released its 2025 list of "Banished Words," and, like others before it, this one is no disappointment.

The words aren't necessarily selected by the upper echelon of the Sault St. Marie, Michigan, university. Instead, people from across the globe are invited to submit the words that make them 100% cringe, period.

"Hack," "impact," "slay," "iconic," and "rizz" dominated Lake Superior State University's 2024 list of banished words. This year, similarly overused words have been selected for banishment.

Lake Superior State dropped its 2025 list, which you can see below, earlier this year.

Maybe you've heard your Gen Z kid utilize "skibidi" seemingly out of nowhere. And maybe, if you've told them not to, you've heard the phrase "sorry not sorry."

If any of those words and phrases make you cringe, you can understand why they've been considered the opposite of game changers. These words and phrases, Lake Superior State, are now in their overused era (IYKYK), period.

Without further ado, here are the 10 words that Lake Superior State has banished for 2025:

• Cringe
• Game changer
• Era
• Dropped
• IYKYK (If you know, you know)
• Skibidi
• 100%
• Utilize
• Sorry not sorry
• Period

Of these, only one has been banished before: game changer in 2009. At the time, the chief complaint was that it was "overused in the news media, political arenas and in business."

“Words matter!" Lake Superior State President, Dr. David Travis, said in a press release. "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."

Already have a word (or words) you'd like to see banished in 2026? Lake Superior State is already accepting new suggestions.