5 of the Most Hated English Words

We all have that one word that really gets under our skin – a word that just sounds weird or makes us think of something unpleasant when we hear it. There are so many words in the English language that you’re bound to have a few that you just really don’t like. But did you realize that some words are collectively more hated than others? There are certain English terms that pretty much everyone hates, 

whether that is because they're associated with something gross or they just sounds a bit unusual when you hear them. We asked Kaplan staff what their most hated English words are.

So which words are the most universally hated?

We got our team together and had them take a look at some of the most hated words in the English language, seeing how they might react. Take a look at their response below. How many of these words make your list of the worst words ever?

Most hated English words featured in the video:

Phlegm: a thick, sticky substance secreted by the mucous membranes, especially when you have a cold
Hurl: to throw with great force
Squelch: to make a soft, sucking sound
Slobber: saliva drooled from one’s mouth
Moist: to be slightly wet

Some other most hated English words that didn’t quite make our list:

Chunky: something that is thick and bulky
Bulbous: bulging, fat, or round
Fester: to become rotten; to become worse over time
Slurp: to drink or eat something with a loud sucking noise
Slacks: casual trousers

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Sometimes the most hated English words are because of how they sound. In other instances it is more the association with what the word means or remind people of. It might be worth avoiding some of these words if you want to stay on people's good sides!