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Slideshow · Lifestyle

Words That Secretly Make You Less Likeable

From passive-aggressive disclaimers to conversation-killing dismissals, here are 10 everyday phrases that immediately alienate people.

17 Sept 2026

4 Min Read11 Slides
  1. Two colleagues in a thoughtful conversation in a bright contemporary workplace.
▼ Visual Countdown

Linguistic psychologists and researchers at Harvard and the Gottman Institute have identified specific verbal habits that quietly destroy rapport. Here are 10 research-backed phrases to drop.

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©Illustration: MVT / AI · Some images in this slideshow may have been enhanced or generated using AI.

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