Stop saying "very": Creative writing synonyms that made my work stronger

[Franky]

I was guilty of overusing "very." Very tired. Very important. Very big. Then a writing coach told me to cut every "very" and find a stronger word instead. Life-changing advice.

Instead of "very tired," use "exhausted." Instead of "very important," use "critical" or "essential." Instead of "very big," use "enormous" or "massive." One word does the work of two, and it's almost always stronger.

This habit made me more intentional about word choice. Now when I edit, I search for "very" and challenge myself to find a better synonym . My writing is tighter and more powerful.

If you're a chronic "very" user like I was, try this exercise. You'll be amazed at the difference.

 

[Paperrito]

Hey Franky, this is such a simple but powerful tip! I'm definitely guilty of the "very" overuse—it's like a verbal crutch I lean on without even realizing it.

I just tried this exercise on my last discussion post and caught five "very"s in two paragraphs. Yikes. Replacing them with stronger words made everything feel so much more intentional.

Question for you: do you have a favorite resource for finding those stronger synonyms? Sometimes I draw a blank and end up googling "word for very tired" like a rookie. Would love to know what you use when you're stuck!