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Very

Stop using “very” and improve your vocabulary

Posted on December 31, 2021August 11, 2022 By The Lingwist

The Irritating question that comes to your mind is “why do I have to avoid the word very when it is widely used in books and daily conversation and why does it sound useless?”

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The answer is you have all the right to use “very”. It adds emphasis. But wait, the problem is not about using it but rather about “overusing” it when there are alternative words that will make you look smarter, creative, more precise, and professional.

Here at the Lingwist, we share other adjectives to avoid using “very”, be interesting, and finally express yourself easily in English.

Very + AdjectiveUse insteadExample of adjectives in a sentence
afraidterrifiedShe was terrified by the thought of him leaving her
angryfuriousThere seemed to be no way to escape the anger of this furious man
beautifulexquisiteShe has an exquisite face
bigimmenseWith immense relief I stopped running  
badatrociousThe troops suffered atrocious conditions in bitterly cold winters, with temperatures down to minus 30C.
 brightdazzlingHe shielded his eyes against the dazzling declining sun
capableaccomplishedHe was also an accomplished pianist  
cleanspotlessEach morning cleaners make sure everything is spotless
cleverbrilliantHer brilliant performance had earned her two awards  
coldfreezingShe stood trembling in the freezing air, hugging the shadows of the Berlin night.  
conventionalconservativeIt is essentially a narrow and conservative approach to child care.  
dirtysqualidHe followed her up a rickety staircase to a squalid bedsit  
dryparchedThe clouds gathered and showers poured down upon the parched earth.
eagerkeenHe’s a very keen student and works very hard.
fastquickYou’ll have to be quick. The flight leaves in about three hours.
fierceferociousThe police had had to deal with some of the most ferocious violence ever seen on the streets of London
goodsuperbThe waters are crystal clear and offer a superb opportunity for swimming. 
happyjubilantFerdinand was jubilant after making an impressive comeback from a month on the injured list. 
hotscalding tried to sip the tea but it was scalding. 
hungryravenousShe realized that she had eaten nothing since leaving home, and she was ravenous. 
largecolossalThere has been a colossal waste of public money.  
livelyvivaciousShe’s beautiful, vivacious, and charming
neatimmaculateHer front room was kept immaculate
oldancientThey believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning.
poordestituteA woman answered the knock at her door and found a destitute man.
riskyperilousThe road grew even steeper and more perilous.
roomyspaciousThe house has a spacious kitchen and dining area. 
rudevulgarHe was a vulgar old man, but he never swore in front of a woman.
serioussolemnHis solemn little face broke into smiles. 
smalltinyThe living room is tiny.
strongunyieldingThe authorities proved unyielding on one crucial opposition demand.
stupididioticIt was an idiotic thing to do, not wear a seat belt.  
thingauntLooking gaunt and tired, he denied there was anything to worry about.  
tireddrainedI was emotionally drained, hemmed in by my divorce lawyers.
TiringgruelingHe had complained of exhaustion after his grueling schedule over the past week.
uglyhideousShe saw a hideous face at the window and screamed. 
valuablepreciousA family break allows you to spend precious time together. 
weakfeebleHe told them he was old and feeble and was not able to walk so far.
wetsoakedI have to check my tent–it got soaked last night in the storm.
wickedvillainousShe had a villainous friend.  
wisesagaciousStep by step, with sagacious and patient accuracy, he advanced to the great discovery which has immortalized his name.  
worriedanxiousThe miners were anxious to avoid a strike.  

if you find the article informative and interesting, please share.

These are the consulted websites:

1. https://www.writerswrite.co.za/45-ways-to-avoid-using-the-word-very/

2. https://www.collinsdictionary.com ( for sentence examples)

3. https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/how-to-avoid-using-very/

English Tags:adjectives, English, English vocabulary, improve your vocabulary, learn english vocabulary, lexicon, linguistic, Stop using "very", very+adjectives

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