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| English: Kaley Cuoco (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
For these few weeks, I’m looking at how writers very often use
‘very’, which is very bad, as you know very well.
Okay; very silly, but you
know we all do it: use ‘very’ to modify a verb or an adjective rather than
search for something stronger that will say the same thing, but better. So,
here are a few examples to make it easier for you to reject the easy option.
Choose with care; synonyms aren’t always exact matches, so consider context.
And bear in mind that, like you, I have my prejudices.
Very capable – skilled, accomplished,
dexterous, efficient, masterful, competent, smart, resourceful, Jeeves.
Very roomy – commodious, spacious,
expansive, capacious, cavernous, voluminous, vast, Baggy Trousers.
Very hot – fiery, scalding,
fervent, white-hot, smouldering, blazing, incandescent, ardent, molten, Kaley
Cuoco.
Very wet – dripping, soaked,
drenched, saturated, deluged, sopping, waterlogged, swamped, drowned, David
Cameron.
Very conventional – conforming,
conservative, orthodox, ingrained, unoriginal, traditional, customary, Republican.
Very strong – vigorous, unyielding,
lusty, irresistible, omnipotent, powerful, overwhelming, overpowering, Popeye.
Very dirty – filthy, squalid,
grimy, befouled, polluted, slovenly, unwashed, mucky, sleazy, soiled,
Professional Footballer.
Very stupid – asinine, idiotic,
senseless, fatuous, inane, foolish, risible, ludicrous, simple, apish,
Religious Extremist.
This is the fourth lot; there’ll be a few more next week.
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