Word that are overused

If you want to be a skilled English writer, you must learn to avoid commonly overused words. This list will help.

Strong English writing requires unique verbiage. Unfortunately, some words are overused in English, and they make writing weaker. Good writers know to grab a Thesaurus and find synonyms for overused words that pop up in their writing.

If you are working on your English writing, there are some overused phrases and words that are best left alone. Here is a list that will help keep you on track.

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Contents

• Top 10 Overused Words In The English Language
• A Final Word on Overused Words
• FAQs on Overused Words
• Author

Top 10 Overused Words In The English Language

If you’re going to write, you’ll want to scour your writing to make sure you are not guilty of overuse. Here are some overused words that may show up a few too many times. Replace them with new words to strengthen your writing.

1. Other

The word “other” is very versatile, but it is also very over-used. Because it applies to almost any situation, writers are tempted to use it often. However, there are alternatives that work just as well, for instance:

• Do you have any other suggestions? 
• Do you have any further suggestions?
• We were looking for other opinions on the topic.
• We would love to hear some different opinions on the topic.

2. More

Like “other” the word “more” is a catch-all word. It can refer to many different things, but it is also one of the most boring words in the English language. Instead, look for more interesting words, as in:

• Please give me more context about the problem.
• Please give me greater context about the problem.
• Do you have more room for the furniture?
• Do you have additional room for the furniture?

3. Good

Good means very little in the English language. It is used so much, it becomes filler. Here are some examples of more descriptive words to use:

• They had a good afternoon at the beach.
• They had a relaxing afternoon at the beach.
• The town got a good amount of snow.
• The town got a sufficient amount of snow.

4. Best

Like “good,” the word “best” has lost much of its meaning among English words because it is so over-used. Here are some examples that use a better word in place of this superlative.

• These are the best matching socks for the outfit.
• These are the perfectly matched socks for the outfit.
• They felt he was the best expert to interview.
• They felt he was the leading expert to interview.

5. Important

The word important no longer carries a strong meaning because of how often people are overusing it. Instead, find a more colorful and descriptive word, like these examples:

• The school board had an important decision to make.
• The school board had a crucial decision to make.
• Getting licensed was an important step in starting his career.
• Getting licensed was an essential step in starting his career.

6. Great/Amazing

Both great and amazing have the same meaning, and these words get used too often. Replace them with something more specific to your meaning, as in these examples:

• The office had a great amount of debt to consider.
• The office had a staggering amount of debt to consider.
• She found an amazing deal on her new dress.
• She found a remarkable deal on her new dress.

7. Actually

Actually, like many adverbs, gets used far too often, and in places where it is not necessary. In most instances, you can leave off this word, saving it for a competitive game of scrabble, not your writing, and the sentence will make sense. Here are some examples:

• I actually liked the olives on the pizza.
• I liked the olives on the pizza
• I, surprisingly, liked the olives on the pizza.

8. Lots/Lots of

If you want to irritate an editor, use this word repeatedly. It is so over-used that you will get a red pen mark quickly when you do. Instead, find a heftier word, as in these examples:

• The boy delivered lots of newspapers Saturday morning.
• The boy delivered a hundred newspapers Saturday morning.
• She received lots of compliments on her performance.
• She received many compliments on her performance.

9. Like

The world like is usually a filler. It can be used to mean “enjoy” or “appreciate,” but those are better words to choose. Here are some examples:

• I like listening to classical music before going to bed.
• I enjoy listening to classical music before going to bed.
• They were like sisters, more than friends. 
• They seemed to be sisters, more than friends.

10. Innovative

In the tech industry, innovative is over-used. Instead, use a word that indicates just why the idea is innovative, such as:

• The innovative design caught the eye of the tech giant.
• The state-of-the-art design caught the eye of the tech giant.
• The Apple Watch gained notoriety because it was an innovative concept.
• The Apple Watch gained notoriety because it was a ground-breaking concept.

A Final Word on Overused Words

Many overused words creep into American writing. As you consider your own writing, you will want to avoid some of these. You might also find our 20 common synonyms for experience helpful.

By replacing overused words with synonyms, your writing can have more meaning and depth. Keep this list handy as you write, and remove as many of these words as you can to make it stronger.

FAQs on Overused Words

What are overused words or phrases?

Overused words and phrases are words that people use too often in their writing or speech. They often lose their meaning because of this overuse. Writers can replace these with stronger words or synonyms to make their words more interesting. 

How to avoid overused words?

The best way to avoid overused words is to identify them and keep a thesaurus handy to find alternatives. If you know the words you tend to overuse in your writing, you can carefully edit to avoid them. 

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  Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today’s online marketing world.

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It happened to all of us before. You’re writing a follow-up email, creating a presentation or preparing for a job interview. You want it to sound right, current, eloquent. You add a pinch of slang and spice it up with that idiom you love so much.Then you throw in a buzzword and leave everything to simmer. The result? A mash-up of overused words, terms and phrases. Yes, you followed the instructions. But so did everyone else.

You need to search for an alternative. Try harder—and make it simple at the same time. Confused? The following guide lists some of today’s most overused words, terms and phrases, and suggests a few alternatives (and deletions) instead.

Words that lost their impact

01. Important

In this day and age, everything is important. Watching the news, eating your greens, taking some time off, and the email you just sent to the entire company. But when describing your weekly team meeting, an item in your hand-luggage or this blog post, try an alternative.

What to use instead: Essential, Educational, Meaningful, Serious, Influential, Decisive.

02. Like

Whether it’s used in its simple present form, to indicate something that you are fond of (“I like this Asian restaurant”), or as a preposition (“they were like siblings, always hanging out together”), like is overused, over-gestured and over-counted on your social media feed. What’s the alternative? If you loved a piece of art, try describing it. If you notice the similarity between two items, state what they have in common. Not sure?

What to use instead: Alike, Related, Close, Equal, Identical, Much the same.

Misused words

03. Random

Even if you go by the widest definition of random: “a haphazard course; […] without definite aim, direction, rule, or method” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary), you’re likely to either misuse or overuse it. If you haven’t paid for a premium subscription on a music streaming app, the songs in your favorite album will play randomly. But when you go on a road trip and stop by the first cafe you saw, it’s not a random cafe, it’s the one you found.

What to use instead: Accidental, Arbitrary, Incidental, Irregular, Unplanned, Odd.

A better alternative? Delete random altogether.

04. Literally

Literally just sounds great, doesn’t it? You’re literally going to march up to your manager, you literally drank the entire bar, you’re literally dying there. Here’s the deal: You’ve been using literally the wrong way all along. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, literally means “in a way that uses the ordinary or primary meaning of a term or expression”. So unless you just finished all the alcohol in the bar the other night, or were in a near-death situation, try avoiding this word altogether.

The over-excited superlatives

05. Great

As an adjective, great means something that is above normal or average. For example, the Great Wall of China, or Catherine the Great, the fearless 18th century empress of Russia. As an overused word, it describes bags, vacations, people, meetings, and forgotten rock bands from the 1990’s. Want to describe the fun evening you spent with your mates? A beautiful item you just purchased?

What to use instead: Beautiful, Wonderful, Talented, Entertaining, Clever—and the list goes on.

06. Perfect

It happens time and time again. You want to compliment your peers on a job well done, or a friend on a cleverly chosen venue. But overusing perfect makes things sound a little bit less sincere. Can everything be so peachy all the time? Probably not.

What to use instead: Excellent, Ideal, Impeccable, Superb, Accomplished, Faultless, Immaculate

07. Amazing

When you watch a trapeze artist, a Beluga whale coming up for air or your baby walking for the very first time—that’s amazing. But if you’re looking for a general descriptor or superlative, why not go for more subtle-yet-reliable words?

What to use instead: Cool, Awesome, Wonderful, Pretty, Fun, Unusual.

08. Unique

There’s nothing special about using the same word over and over again. In fact, it might even sound like you have nothing better to say, or worse, think that your best friend’s newborn baby is ugly. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, unique means “being the only one [….] ; distinctively characteristic”. So if you’re describing something that really stands out, use unique, or rare, unusual, different, exclusive. And if that isn’t the case, say what it really is: beautiful, colorful, tasteless, or, in the case of your friend’s baby, takes after their dad.

The industry lingo

09. Innovative/innovation

If you want to succeed in this world, your new product, program, project or creation has got to be innovative. But is it? Instead of overusing innovative, try to pitch your product or program in a more persuasive way. It might be new, clever, different. It might suggest a different approach. And if there is an innovation at the heart of what you just presented?

What to use instead: Ground-breaking, Original, Cutting-edge, New.

10. Ecosystem

In the Encyclopædia Britannica, an ecosystem is “the complex of living organisms, their physical environment and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space”. Not too long ago, this term referred to reefs, beehives or the Savannah. Then it was hijacked by the tech industry and today it is used to describe business partnerships, co-working spaces or financial networks.

What to use instead: Industry, Community, Network, System, Co-dependence, Inter-relations.

11. ASAP

We’re in the ASAP era, where everything should happen as soon as possible. We’re in such a hurry, that we only have time for the abbreviation: Ey-Sup. But what does it really mean, and is your possible also my possible? If you want something done today, say it. If it’s urgent, state it. And if you want to give the person on the other side of your outbox a bit of space, use alternative phrases.

What to use instead: At your convenience, When you’re ready, What would be a reasonable deadline?

Overused phrases

12. At the end of the day

According to Grammarphobia, at the end of the day has been used for decades, and first citings can even be traced to as early as the 1880’s. It’s used to preface the speaker’s point or to highlight the “most important aspect of the situation” (Collins Dictionary). But no matter how long we’ve been using this phrase, we certainly have been using it too often. Yes, it might sound sophisticated, or literary (No, that book and wonderful adaptation are called The Remains of the Day), but why not go for a simpler option?

What to use instead: All things considered, Eventually, All said and done.

13. Hit the ground running

There’s an exciting debate going on regarding the origin of hit the ground running. Is it paratrooper lingo, marine slang or cartoon-inspired? But no matter whether you see yourself landing on the beach somewhere, or as an animated character being thrown off a speeding car —you can say you’re ready without using this expression.

What to use instead: Be prepared, Make the necessary arrangements, Prepare in advance.

14. State-of-the-art

According to Wikipedia, the earliest use of State of the art was in the beginning of the 20th century in an engineering manual that described a very modern engine (with art referring to technics). These days, there’s nothing modern or innovative about using this phrase over and over again.

What to use instead: Modern, Fresh, Creative, Updated, Sophisticated, Current.

15. On the same page

If you sing in a choir, it’s a good idea to be on the same page with the rest of the singers. After all, you don’t want to miss your big mezzo moment. The same goes for reading the Haggadah, where one should always know how far they are from finally devouring Matzo Balls. But when it comes to agreeing with your peers or syncing before a meeting, try the following:

What to use instead: In agreement, Think alike, Agreed, Like-minded.

16. Get the ball rolling

Get the ball rolling is such a beautiful, graphic phrase. You’re about to roll the ball (preferably a croquet ball, where this expression originated) all the way to a victorious game or a successful project. But in the writing game, you’re definitely losing points over originality. When it comes to your work environment, wouldn’t it be better to simply use the following phrases?

What to use instead: Start, Kick off, Get started, Roll-out.

17. Game changer

Yet another great idiom, originally from the world of sports, this phrase now describes every new product, business decision or political statement. But can the game change that often? Probably not.

What to use instead: Original, Sophisticated, Smart, Promising.

Words you can simply delete

18. Basically

When you don’t know where to begin, basically comes in handy. “Basically, this meeting is about moving forward to the next phase of our project”. But is it really basic, essential or elementary? Try removing it—and if the meaning has not changed, simply delete it.

19. Actually

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, actually means “in fact or really”. Just like basically and honestly, one should question the need for using this word. Does it add anything to the meaning, the tone or the accuracy of your sentence? If it doesn’t, remove it.

20. Honestly

If you want to sound credible, avoid using honestly. “I honestly think you should go for the red sneakers” sounds like you’re telling the truth, but your listener might wonder about all the other things you said that weren’t prefaced by honestly. The same goes for to be honest and its amplified version, to be brutally honest. If you’re telling the truth, no need to highlight it. Say it like you mean it, and you’ll be the trusted speaker you want to be.

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Writing in a fluent, current and original way isn’t an easy task. But if you’ll avoid some of the trends, buzzwords or simply redundant words on this list—your writing will probably be one step ahead of the game. (Woops!)

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Loves words, sentences, paragraphs and everything in between. As a journalist, would get excited about current affairs and chasing politicians. As a content specialist, gets equally excited about content, product, platforms and putting it all together.

 Do you ever get tired of hearing the same old words and phrases wherever you go? If so, you’re not alone. A group of academics at Lake Superior State University (LSSU) has been releasing a top 10 list of words and phrases they believe should be banished from our collective vocabulary due to overuse or misuse. 

This fun list has been around for decades. According to the official LSSU website, this slightly mischievous tradition started in 1976, and has the aim to “uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging avoidance of words and terms that are overworked, redundant, oxymoronic, clichéd, illogical, nonsensical—and otherwise ineffective, baffling, or irritating.”

Curious to find out what these baffling and irritating words were in 2022? Read on…

“Wait, what?”

“At the end of the day”

“No worries”

“You’re on mute”

“Circle back”

“That being said”

“Asking for a friend”

“Deep dive”

“Supply chain”

“New normal”

Content warning: This article references racial slurs and offensive language.

Have you ever asked for a “ballpark figure” when negotiating the price of something? Or maybe you’ve felt “down in the dumps” because you’re spending too much time and effort “weeding out” the overuse of clichés in your content?

The funny thing about clichés, is that they didn’t start as clichés. Once upon a time, they were colorful, inventive phrases that framed ideas in a new and interesting way. But over the years they’ve been overused to the point where they’ve become stale, unoriginal, and more likely to detract from a piece of writing than add to it. And some, as we’ll discover, are counterproductive to greater inclusion in the workplace. 

Not Just Outdated: Non-inclusive Clichés are Disrespectful

Clichés, overused words and phrases, and jargon can often annoy readers. But it goes deeper than that. Many clichés have a history of being non-inclusive to certain individuals or groups of people, and can be interpreted as demeaning, or downright discriminatory. Some examples include:

Example	Meaning	Origin
Sold down the river	If you say that someone “sells you down the river” you’re trying to say you’ve been betrayed or feel cheated.	The original saying is deeply connected to a history of slavery in the US where disatisfied slave owners would sell slaves down the Mississippi river to much harsher conditions.
Spirit animal	Saying something or someone is your “spiritual animal” is intended to mean you identify strongly with that object or person.	Some Native American tribes believe in “spirit animals” or “totems,” which serve to guide and protect them. When people who are not Native American use this word, it’s a form of cultural appropriation that disrespects the significance of cultural practices, rituals, or emblems.
Wearing the pants	Feeling/being in control, or powerful.	If you inquire or state who’s “wearing the pants,” know that this saying can be traced back to a time when pants were considered an article of clothing only for men. This saying perpetuates that it’s “manly” to be in a dominant or powerful position. Not to mention, it also wrongly assumes that all relationships have a male and female counterpart.
“No can do” and “long time no see”	You can’t do something or you haven’t seen someone in a while.	Both phrases are forms of mockery of poorly spoken English, often by those of Chinese origin.
Being “woke”	Being aware of issues of racial or social injustice or an activist for social justice.	Woke began as African American slang for racial justice, later expanding to social justice. For example, it was used unironically by the Black Lives Matter movement. When used as a slur or a self-appointed label by white people, it can feel uncomfortable — privilege affords them the irony. This article is a great read on how non-Black people misuse African American Vernacular English (AAVE or BVE) for social capital.

Clichés = A Poor Customer Content Experience 

Readers are more likely to disengage when they come across tiresome and unoriginal means of expression. And as a content creator, that’s the last thing you want to happen.

In content marketing, every word is important, so you need to make sure you choose the ones that have the most impact. That means ditching overused expressions! Usually, saying something in clear, plain language, in a conversational tone, is the best way to make yourself understood. 

*Yawn* — 16 Clichés to Avoid in Your Content

The good news is that there are lots of ways to convey what you’re trying to say, without having to rely on clichés. Here are some of the most overused words in content writing and some alternatives you can use instead.

1. Giving 110%

Not only is this mathematically impossible, it’s an arbitrary figure. Giving it your all or going over and above is what is really meant here.

2. Out of left field

Unexpected, surprising, erratic, and peculiar are just a few of the many adjectives that are infinitely more thought-provoking than this old baseball term.

3. At the end of the day

Are you actually talking about the real end of the day? If it’s not taking place at 6 pm, then what you really mean is finally or ultimately.

4. Get your ducks in a row

The sight of a mother duck leading her ducklings into a lake might be a nice one, but it doesn’t really convey the need to get organized, prepare, and get every element in place, does it?

5. Content is king

Let’s be honest, we’ve all used this one, haven’t we? Content is an integral part of marketing, not a sovereign in and of itself. Think about what you’re actually trying to say about content, like how powerful messaging impacts customer behavior and use that instead.

6. Get granular

If you’re not engaged in some kind of science experiment, what you mean to say is that a person needs to focus in on the fine details.

7. Think outside the box

This is quite possibly one of the most irritating phrases used in business. It dates back to the 1970s and originally had nothing to do with a box. Use “expand your thinking,” “stretch your imagination,” or “examine from a different perspective” instead.

8. Synergize

One of the most overused buzzwords to come out of business, synergize is also one of the most stigmatized. If you mean work together, collaborate effectively, or cooperate, then go for one those options instead.

9. A no-brainer

It’s a no-brainer to change this tired word to “easy” or “simple” to avoid coming off as patronizing.

10. Hit the ground running

It sounds like someone’s being chased, rather than being encouraged to seize an opportunity and start a project prepared, and at full speed.

11. Get the ball rolling

Here’s another ball metaphor. It’s also a waste of a lot of words when you could simply say “get started” or better yet “begin.”

12. Keep your eye on the ball

Tired of this old sporting analogy? If you mean someone should focus or pay complete attention to a thing, then that’s what you should say.

13. On the same page

In an age of eBooks and online newspapers, people aren’t on the same page. Avoid this phrase by saying “working in harmony,” “having a shared understanding,” or “coming from the same perspective.”

14. Bandwidth

You should only use bandwidth if you’re referring to internet usage, otherwise “capacity” is perfectly acceptable.

15. Leverage

You’re using something to its maximum advantage, not exerting force using a lever. Overusing this one is a big pet peeve in business, so it’s definitely one to avoid.

16. Bang for your buck

This is the kind of cliché you’d expect to hear from a used car salesman. Stick to describing how you want to achieve a better result for the effort you’ve put in.

How to Avoid Using Clichés and Overused Phrases

• Consider the cultural differences of your target audience. For example, not everyone will understand sporting clichés, and linguistically diverse audiences may miss key information among idioms, metaphors, and jargon.
• Think about what the phrase or expression actually means and work your way back from there. Oxford Dictionaries has some helpful advice if you’re struggling to define the meaning. Look up the cliché in a dictionary and use the definition as a starting point to look up synonyms in a thesaurus.
• Often, a cliché or over-used phrase can be directly replaced with one or two simple words. Plain language makes content cognitively accessible to a wider audience! For more information on how plain language works, download the Acrolinx Inclusive Language Guide. 
• While you’re at it, also make sure you’re not reinforcing negative gender stereotypes. If you’d like more help on inclusive language for all genders, check out our blog on gender neutral language. 

Interested in developing or refining a brand tone of voice that avoids clichés? Download our second edition Tone of Voice eBook today!

There are many words that when writing we tend to overuse.  Sometimes, when we are in the middle of expressing a thought on paper, we just cannot think of a better term other than “very” or “said” to get our thought down, so we simply write the word and move one.

Why does word choice matter?

As a result of using overused words, we end up using words that many other essay writers will use, making our paper or piece look just like the others.  Furthermore, we might end up using the same word repeatedly.  Lastly, what does the word “very” mean anyway?  It is not very descriptive; and is not a word to use to accurately explain our intended message.  This is just one example of an overused word that does little to make our paper unique.  Check out our list of words that we recommend you replace in your writing, and lists of replacement words you can use to make your essay stand out.

1. Bad

25 Words to Use Instead of “Bad”

abominable, appalling, atrocious, awful, beastly, careless, cheap, crummy, defective, dire, dreadful, erroneous, faulty, frightening, gross, horrid, inferior,  inadequate, incorrect,  lousy, poor, raunchy, rough, shocking, unacceptable

2. Big

25 Words to Use Instead of “Big”

bulky, burly, colossal, considerable, enormous, fat, gigantic, gross, heavyweight, hefty, huge, humungous, husky, immense, jumbo, mammoth, massive, monster, oversize, sizable, thundering, titan, tremendous, vast, voluminous, whopping

3. Funny

21 Words to Use Instead of “Funny”

amusing, capricious, comical, clever, droll, engaging, entertaining, hilarious, humorous, hysterical, joking, jolly, laughable, merry, playful, priceless, rich, riot, silly, whimsical,  witty

4. Good

25 Words to Use Instead of “Good”

admirable, agreeable, commendable,  excellent, exceptional, fabulous, fantastic, favorable  great, honorable, marvelous, neat, phenomenal, pleasing, positive, precious, satisfactory, spectacular, splendid, super, superb, valuable, wonderful, wondrous, worthy

5. Happy 

25 Words to Use Instead of “Happy”

beaming, blissful, cheerful, chipper, delightful, ecstatic, elated, excited, glad, gleeful, intoxicated, joyful, jubilant, lively, merry, mirthful, overjoyed, peppy, perky, playful,  pleased, sparkling, thrilled, tickled , upbeat

6. Know

17 Words to Use Instead of “Know”

appreciate, apprehend, catch, comprehend, conceive, discern, envision, estimate, experience, fathom, gauge, grasp, imagine, learn, measure, notice, perceive, realize, recognize, see, think , understand

7. Laugh

18 Words to Use Instead of “Know”

burst, cackle, chuckle, crow, exult, giggle, grin, guffaw, howl, rejoice, roar, shriek, snicker, snort, teehee, titter, whoop, yuck

8. Like

22 Words to Use Instead of “Like”

admire, adore, appreciate, care, cherish, commend, devoted, embrace, esteem, exalt, fancy, fond, glorify, honor, idolize, love, prize, respect, revere, treasure, value, worship

9. Little

21 Words to Use Instead of “Little”

bitsy, dainty, delicate, diminutive, infant, microscopic, mini, minor, minute, modest, petite, puny, short, slight, slim, slender,  small, teensy,  teeny, tiny, undersized

10. Look

22 Words to Use Instead of “Look”

behold, bore, eye, fix, flash, focus, gander, gawk, gaze, glance, glare, inspect, leer, notice, observe, peel, regard, squint, stare, survey, view

11. Mad

21 Words to Use Instead of “Mad”

angry, annoyed, enraged, furious, heated, irate, irritable, offended, outraged, exasperated, incensed, boiling, upset, riled, livid, aggravated, fuming, steamed, cross, indignant

12. Nice

25 Words to Use Instead of “Nice”

amiable, charming, cordial, courteous, delightful, favorable, friendly, genial, gentle, gracious, helpful, inviting, kind, lovely, obliging, peaceful, peachy, pleasant, polite, swell, sympathetic, tender, welcoming, well-mannered, winning

13. Pretty

20 Words to Use Instead of “Pretty”

attractive, beautiful, cute, appealing, sweet, gorgeous, striking, eye-catching, alluring, charming, pleasing, pleasant, lovely, delightful, fascinating, desirable, stunning, graceful, fair, elegant

14. Sad

21 Words to Use Instead of “Sad”

depressing, gloomy, miserable, cheerless, distressed, heartbroken, discouraged, bitter, melancholy, pessimistic, somber, sorrowful, sorry, wistful, blue, dejected, despondent, downcast, forlorn, grieved, troubled

15. Said

36 Words to Use Instead of “Said”

alleged, argued, asked, asserted, babbled, bellowed, bragged, commented, complained, cried, declined, demanded, denied, encouraged, expressed, giggled, growled, hissed, inquired, lied, moaned, nagged, rebuked, rebutted, replied, rejected, retorted, roared, scolded, shrieked, shrugged, stated, taunted, vowed, warned, whined, whispered, yelled

16. Ugly

20 Words to Use Instead of “Ugly”

awful, beastly, deformed, disfigured, foul, frightful, grotesque, grisly, gross, gruesome, hideous, homely, plain, repelling, repugnant, revolting, unattractive, uninviting, unseemly, unsightly

17. Very

33 Words to Use Instead of “Very”

awfully, chiefly, clearly, completely, deeply , dreadfully, enormously, especially, , exceedingly, exceptionally, extraordinarily, extremely, evidently, fantastically, greatly infinitely, immeasurably, immensely, incredibly, intensely, mainly, notably, obviously, outstandingly, particularly, remarkably, seriously, significantly, tremendously, uniquely, unusually, vastly, wholly

18. Went

35 Words to Use Instead of “Went”

avoid, bolt, bound, depart, exit, escape, flee, fly, hike, hop, jaunt, jolt, journey, jump, leap, leave, lurch, march, mosey, move, pace, parade, pass, progress, retreat, saunter, scoot,  skip, split, step, stride, stroll, tour, travel, vanish

What do you think of our list?  Are there any others you would add?  Tell us and we will make a chart for you of replacement words.

Thanks for reading!

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