Are You Very Very Sure of This? #3

Over these few weeks, I’m looking at the very frequent use of ‘very’, which is very bad, as you know so very well.

Okay; overkill, but you know we all do it: use ‘very’ to modify a verb or an adjective rather than search for a stronger one that will say the same thing, only better. So, here are a few examples to make it easier for you to reject that easy option. Choose with care; synonyms are not always exact matches and you need to consider context.

Very pretty – beautiful, pulchritudinous (though, why anyone would use such an ugly word to describe beauty is beyond me!), radiant, comely, gorgeous, adorable, exquisite

Very big – immense, enormous, huge, gigantic, colossal, towering, monumental, gargantuan

Very hungry – ravenous, famished, starving, could eat a scabby ‘orse between two bread vans, (colloquial, but you get the idea.)           

Very wicked – villainous, evil, heinous, villainous, depraved, contemptible, sinful, irremediable    

Very bright – dazzling, resplendent, radiant, sparkling, glowing, brilliant. Or intelligent, forward, brilliant, scintillating, brainy, gifted, talented

Very risky – perilous, dangerous, treacherous, hazardous, frightening, scary, dicey, dodgy, alarming

This is the third lot; there’ll be a few more next week.