Gen Z and millennial employees reveal top 10 most annoying office jargon

'Circle back' topped the list of most annoying corporate jargon. (Representational image)

If you're someone who uses “take this offline” and “touch base” at work, chances are that your Gen Z and millennial colleagues are rolling their eyes at you, according to a new study revealing the most-hated corporate jargon.

The study was conducted by the AI transcription tool Notta.ai's research team. They analysed over 5,000 Reddit comments from almost 100 different subreddits to rank the commonly used phrases at work that employees find most annoying. “Circle back” topped the list.

While the top five office buzzwords account for more than 40 percent of all complaints, there are a few pretty unique entries such as “boil the ocean” (to attempt something impossible) and “blue-sky thinking” (to brainstorm without limitations), Fortune reported.

Here's the list of the top 10 most annoying corporate jargon:

1.) Circle back

2.) Synergy

3.) Lean

4.) Touch base

5.) Agile

6.) Bandwidth

7.) Leverage

8.) Reach out

9.) Low-hanging fruit

10.) Take this offline

Commenting on the study, spokesperson and COO of Notta, Kiyoto Tamura, told Fortune: “This study exposes a disconnect between corporate language and effective communication."

“We’ve also noticed that while some jargon terms persist, new ones are being introduced, especially from the tech industry. Terms like ‘bandwidth’ and ‘agile’ are now misused outside their original contexts. Meanwhile, traditional business terms like ‘synergy’ and ‘leverage’ continue to be among the most annoying jargon used in corporate settings.”

The study also revealed its top picks for the most unique office jargon:

1.) Boil the ocean: To attempt something impossible

2.) Blue-sky thinking: To brainstorm without limitations

3.) Open the kimono: To reveal information

4.) Swim lane: A person’s or department’s area of responsibility

5.) Peel back the onion: To examine a problem in detail