- Word Unscrambler figured out which words Americans are trying to define.
- The online tool analyzed data from Google so far in 2026.
- The most searched-for definition has something to do with psychology, but not in a good way.
If you’ve ever tried to figure out what “gaslighting” means, you’re not alone. It’s the most-search-for definition so far this year on Google.
Gaslighting, by the way, is “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator,” according to Merriam-Webster.
It’s a genuinely not-nice thing to do to someone.
Word Unscrambler analyzed Google search data to figure out which words people are trying to define using that search engine. Then they broke it down by state.
In a news release, Randoh Sallihall, spokesperson for Word Unscrambler, said, ”One of the most striking findings is that Americans’ top searched definitions in 2026 are dominated by abstract concepts rather than objects. From love and justice to democracy and integrity, people are searching for words that help them understand ideas, values and human behavior.“
Sallihall added, “Our research shows that emotions, society and education are the categories that stand out the most. Emotional words: gaslighting, love, empathy, narcissist, anxiety, stress and apathy. Societal words: fascism, democracy, justice, equity, culture, socialism, republic, bias, propaganda and inflation. Educational words: metaphor, hyperbole, adjective, science, philosophy and fiction. People are searching for definitions to better understand personal experiences and public conversations.”
The most-searched definitions in America are:
1. Gaslighting — 286,900 searches
2. Love — 274,900 searches
3. Fascism — 264,700 searches
4. Empathy — 265,600 searches
5. Integrity — 262,100 searches
6. Metaphor — 242,200 searches
7. Narcissist — 186,500 searches
8. Culture — 186,300 searches
9. Democracy — 183,100 searches
10. Bias — 174,200 searches
It’s pretty clear which topics are most questioned. Here’s the list and the states where the definition search dominates:
Adjective — Colorado, Idaho
Bias — Connecticut, Illinois, Vermont
Church — North Carolina
Community — Virginia
Culture — Oklahoma
Democracy — Georgia, New Mexico
Economics — Arkansas
Empathy — Kentucky
Equity — New York, Tennessee
Evidence — Michigan
Fascism — Alaska, Oregon
Fiction — Ohio
Gaslighting — Indiana, Wyoming
Gouache — Montana
Government — Missouri
Inflation — Arizona
Integrity — West Virginia
Love — Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
Metaphor — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
Philosophy — Florida, Nevada
Population — South Carolina
Providence — Rhode Island
Proxy — Maryland
Psychology — Nebraska
Purpose — South Dakota
Republic — Texas
Revenue — Hawaii, New Hampshire, Washington
Science — Massachusetts
Sepsis — Delaware
Sociology — Iowa
Stress — Utah
Tone — California
Ursine — Maine
Weather — Minnesota, North Dakota
Utah stood out for the number seeking to understand what “stress” is. Oddly, “gaslighting” only made the top spot in Indiana and Wyoming, while pondering the question ”What is love?” was very big in Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
I expected something tricky like “onomatopoeia,” which means a word that sounds like the sound is describes: Moo, bang, pitter-pat, hiss. It didn’t make any state’s list.
Or narcissist. Fun fact: Dictionary.com said it comes from the Greek word nárkissos, a plant name linked to narcotics. That seems kind of odd, too, since the definition in Dictionary.com is “a person who is overly self-involved and often vain and selfish.”