Are you saying ‘very’ too often?
This is an interesting article. Well, I hope it is an interesting article. But if I let myself dream, I would hope that it was a very interesting article, or maybe even very very interesting? What about if it was really, really, very interesting? Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Do you ever feel disappointed by your vocabulary? You have a rich vocabulary in your native language, but your expression in English always seems ‘flat’. Here is an easy way to add ‘life’ to your language. There is a class of adjectives that are extra, emphatic, and extreme. They basically include ‘very’ in their meaning. So instead of saying that this article is ‘very interesting’, you can say that it is ‘fascinating’. Instead of saying that you are very hungry, you can say that you are ‘starving’. Have a look at the chart below.
| Regular Adjective (very, really) | Extreme Adjective (really, absolutely, completely) |
| angry | furious |
| bad | awful, terrible, horrible, dreadful. |
| big | huge, gigantic, giant, enormous |
| clean | spotless, pristine |
| cold | freezing |
| crowded | packed |
| dirty | filthy, disgusting |
| funny | hilarious |
| good | wonderful, fantastic, excellent, awesome, great, outstanding, impressive, striking, remarkable |
| happy | delighted, ecstatic |
| hot | boiling, scorching, roasting |
| hungry | starving, famished |
| interesting | fascinating |
| old | ancient |
| pretty, beautiful | gorgeous, stunning |
| sad | miserable, depressed |
| scary | terrifying, frightening |
| small | tiny, minuscule |
| surprising | astounding |
| tired | exhausted |
| ugly | hideous |
