America’s word of the year for 2026 may be “stressful,” according to a survey done by Talker Research.
Talker Research conducted a survey of 2,000 Americans and found that the top word people used to describe how 2026 has been so far was “stressful,” at 35 percent, followed by “challenging,” at 32 percent.
The survey revealed that a third of participants say the year has gone better than expected, and most are planning a mid‑year reset to regain control of their lives.