Need a resolution for 2017? Quit saying these words and phrases

No offense, but we can't even with this list.
 By 
Nicole Gallucci
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

We'd hate to break it to you, but there's a very good chance you're being super annoying without even realizing it.

A survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion earlier this month asked 1,005 U.S. adults to confess their most despised phrases, and lets just say the results are...enlightening.

Though it may be hard for some people to hear that the commonly used, "whatever," has ranked most annoying word for the eighth year in a row, this survey has come at a perfect time.

If you're looking for a last-minute New Year's resolution, you now have six obnoxious phrases to try to cut out of your daily conversations. Hooray!

When a sample of American adults 18 years of age and older were asked "Which one of the following words or phrases do you find most annoying in conversation," a whopping 38 percent said "Whatever."

The annoying runners-up included:

  • "No offense, but" -- 20 percent

  • "Ya know, right" -- 14 percent

  • "I can't even" -- 14 percent

  • "Huge" -- 8 percent

  • "Unsure" -- 5 percent

Though "whatever" may have earned the top spot amongst the group as a whole, polled Millennials ages 18 to 34 feel "I can't even" is the actual worst.

Though Millennials essentially created the lazy sounding, "I can't even," 28 percent of them declared it the worst, as opposed to the 24 percent who voted for "whatever."

Last year, MIPO released the same poll results, which showed "Ya know, right" and "I can't even" replaced by "like" and "no worries."

It's also worth nothing that since 2015, the percentage of adults annoyed by the word, "huge" has risen by five percent. Thanks, Trump.

Mashable Image
Nicole Gallucci

Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Quit subscriptions and pay $74.97 just once to access all your AI tools
Lit up laptop

Apple’s 2017 MacBook Air is now 80% off
Hands on MacBook


Economic strike effort: Quit these tech services
Composite image of an Amazon, OpenAI, and X logo being put in the trash.

The new Antigravity 8K drone just got its first big price drop for the Amazon Spring Sale
antigravity a1 drone in snowy field

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!