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Be 'Really' Careful With 'Very' Empty Words

Words like 'really' or 'very' are frequently overused in the English language. Many writers use these intensifiers to try to add power to their writing. However, you can easily find alternative words that will make your writing much stronger.

Drawing: A big fish gapes over a smaller fish that gapes over a smaller fish. The sea and the fish are brightly coloured.
A very big fish? Image: John Holcroft / CC BY-NC 4.0

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be".

American author Mark Twain


Intensifiers like ‘really’ and ‘very’ are both a natural part of the English language and are used in many different contexts. However, if we use them too often, they lose their power, and they become boring and lazy words. There is not enough information in the words to tell your reader anything new; they are both weak words that diminish the meaning of your texts if you use them too often. The best strategy for making your writing more powerful is to find a stronger alternative.

Compare these two sentences:

I had a very bad day at work, and I was really angry when I came home.

I had a horrendous day at work, and I was livid when I came home.

You will probably see that the words 'horrendous' and 'livid' describe the situation much better than ‘very bad’ and ‘really angry’. They make the sentence stronger and more descriptive.

Are you able to improve these sentences and find stronger words that can replace 'really' and 'very'?

I was really tired after all the cleaning, but when I left, the house was very clean.

John felt very happy about the pay rise and was really excited to tell his family about it.

The meal was very good and we had a really nice time.

Possible solutions

I was exhausted after all the cleaning, but when I left the, house was spotless.

John felt overjoyed about the pay rise and was eager to tell his family about it.

The meal was superb and we had a delightful time.

Remember:

You don't want to stop using the words 'really' and 'very'; in many situations they are appropriate and useful. However, make sure you don't overuse them and that you vary your language. Whenever you're tempted to use either of the words, try dropping them to see if any meaning is lost. There's a good chance your sentence will actually sound better if you remove them. And if you can find a more precise word, use it! To accomplish this task, the thesaurus is your best friend.



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