I am of the opinion that words are neutral. Just like the saying, sticks and stones may break my bones, and you can just fill in the rest. Some words may sound daunting, other words less so. Words can convey positive or negative meanings. But, words per se cannot swing the pendulum either way.
The way that we use words, our intentions, and the meanings that we want to convey with them, are what gives words their weight. How we say certain words despite how neutral they are can evoke certain emotions from people. So even the most benign, innocuous words can be taken as offensive or hurtful depending on how the speaker says them and how the listener receives them.
There are some words that we don't ever want to hear, because we have attached certain meanings to those words that bring out perhaps negative memories, emotions, or past experiences. Different people may consider different words annoying to them. But there are some words which, by consensus, people have found quite annoying.
The Marist Institute for Public Opinion has conducted yearly polls that asked Americans which words they found the most annoying. And for more than ten years, one word has consistently been elected as the most annoying word in the English language.
That word is "whatever". Now, this is what I mean when I say I believe words are neutral. Because the word "whatever" in and of itself, should not elicit such negative responses from people. However, when we look at the usage of the word and in which context it is being used, you can imagine why a lot of people find it loathsome.
According to the poll in 2019, 34% of Americans said they hated the word "whatever" and found it really annoying. We can try to dissect why that is, but I think anyone who has ever heard that word being said in conversation knows why, and you can imagine who it is that's saying it as well.
In my mind, I see a bratty, teenage girl using that word as a snide remark, or as a means of responding to someone with a sarcastic tone or a condescending attitude. Basically, it's used as a disrespectful comment when somebody doesn't agree with what you are telling them. Just imagine the film Mean Girls.
So yes. Depending on the way certain words are used, they can be very annoying. The second most annoying word or phrase voted on by 20% of respondents was the phrase "no offense but," which is odd because usually the statement that comes after that is quite offensive.
The other words or phrases on the list of 2019's most annoying English words or phrases were "dude" garnering 16% of the votes, "literally" getting 14%, and "please wait, I'll be right with you" with 9%. One particular thing to note about the survey was that, despite the age range, it appeared that "whatever" placed at the top for Americans 45 years and older, as well as those under 30.
So, which words in the English language do you find annoying?
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Also, it bugs me when a writer, and usually this is a fellow old person, leaves out the word /I/ at the beginning of a paragraph. As in, "Went to the store for milk," or "Took a stroll past the eyesore in question," or "Never heard of such a thing!" or "Will check it out." Not "We'll check it out," which would be fine, even the royal /we/. But "Will check it out." Ugh.