The Most Searched-For Words in 2026

Every day, millions of people turn to Google not for news, sports results, or directions, but simply to ask, “What does this word mean?” And according to research from Word Unscrambler, which analyzed 2026 Google search data, the words people look up the most aren’t necessarily obscure or particularly technical. Instead, they’re often words tied to emotions, relationships, and the state of the world around them, skewing toward abstract concepts rather than concrete objects. Together, they offer a window into what people are actually trying to understand right now. Here are the top 10 words that people have been looking up in 2026, ranked from most searched to least.

The most-searched definition of 2026 so far also ranks among the newer entries in the dictionary. “Gaslighting” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts.” It’s basically an insidious way of warping someone’s perception of reality or memories, often with the intent of making them more easily manipulated by, or dependent on, the perpetrator. It’s become somewhat of a buzzword in social media discussions of toxic relationships, but the term comes from Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play Gas Light and later film adaptations, in which a man tries to convince his wife that she’s going insane. 

What is love? That’s an age-old question and one that remains just as popular in our modern era. It’s a classic example of a word that feels obvious until you try to define it. Dictionaries tend to have multiple definitions of “love,” none of which fully encapsulates the essence of something we all feel but struggle to put into words. The steady search volume attests to love’s capriciousness — and maybe shows that attempts to define the concept are best left to poets and songwriters. 

A heavily political term, “fascism” is defined as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual.” It tends to go hand in hand with the forced suppression of political opponents and dissenting voices — in other words, it’s not a good thing. Its appearance among top searches is perhaps not surprising given how often the term is invoked and just as often disputed.

Empathy is the ability to understand, recognize, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person — akin to the expression “walking in someone else’s shoes.” While sympathy is simply feeling for someone, empathy is more like feeling with them. As Maya Angelou once told The New York Times, “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”

“Integrity” is defined as “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.” If a person has genuine integrity, they tend to be incorruptible and unwavering in their ethical beliefs or code of honor. It’s something ideally possessed by people in positions of power; Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “The supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity.” The concept of integrity can also apply to things — a well-constructed building has structural integrity, while the integrity of a novel or other work of art can come from its wholeness or sense of completeness. 

“Metaphor” is one of those linguistic terms we all learn in school, but the precise meaning might sometimes escape us. A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another (not to be confused with a simile, which describes something by comparing it to something else using “like” or “as”). Shakespeare was a big fan of metaphors — for example, his famous line “All the world’s a stage,” from As You Like It, states that the whole world is a stage, implying that we’re all moving through life as if we are actors.

Like “gaslighting,” “narcissist” is a word that’s tossed around quite a bit in relation to toxic relationships. There is a clinical usage of the word, but more casually, Merriam-Webster defines it as “an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance.” The word comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, an uncommonly beautiful man who falls in love with his own reflection in the waters of a pool.

Culture, a bit like love, is something we all understand but might have difficulty defining. Merriam-Webster has multiple definitions, ranging from “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular social group, place, or time” to “the act or process of cultivating living material (such as bacteria or viruses).” Its broad, flexible definition likely explains why so many people search for it, as it gets used in wildly different contexts, from national identity to office dynamics to icky things grown in petri dishes. 

“Democracy” is most succinctly defined as “government by the people.” It involves majority rule, being at the opposite end of the spectrum to a dictatorship. As it’s a heavily debated societal term, its search volume tends to spike alongside election cycles and political news coverage. It’s also a popular word among stressed-out parents, who like to remind their unruly and demanding children that “this family is not a democracy.”

Rounding out the list, “bias” means  “an inclination of temperament or outlook” that often involves “a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment.” When we become biased toward something or someone, we are being partial — perhaps unduly or unfairly — or even prejudiced. In some cases, a bias can be trivial, such as supporting a certain sports team, while in others it can involve a genuinely harmful prejudgment. The word’s broad range of use likely explains its place as one of the most searched-for definitions.