Series 4, Post 4: Tired Words and Synonyms to Consider

By Sara E Thompto

When I was in grade school, I use to overuse a thesaurus when writing my papers. I was a classic case of what Urban Dictionary would call a “thesaurasizer;” someone who turns to the thesaurus too often. Half of my papers probably didn’t make sense because I was using the wrong synonym.

Although I’m not perfect at choosing the right wording all the time, I think I’ve improved a bit since grade school.

However by becoming more aware of how I present my own writing, I’ve also become more aware of how others write as well. And lately I’ve noticed instead of over thesaurasizing (we’ll pretend that’s a word), it appears people are content repeating the same bland words over and over again. Blogs, news stories, novels, and even quips on social media seem to be repeating the same words endlessly, making everything blend together, so much so, I want to start handing out thesauruses.

So, in honor of my new found annoyance, here are 5 words that need to be put to death… or at least set on the sidelines for a bit.

Amazing: astounding, bewildering, breathtaking, extraordinary, impressive, marvelous, miraculous, spectacular, staggering, startling, striking, stunning, stupefying, stupendous, wondrous, hair-raising, thrilling, spine-tingling, fantastic, remarkable... the list could really go on forever.

Actually: genuinely, veritably, decidedly, right on, certainly, positively, clearly, indeed, plainly, completely. The only thing “actually” is better than is "really" which I wont even get into because it's way past overused.

Literally: completely, plainly, precisely, simply, explicitly, no mistake, on the dot, truly. Please, please, please do not use “literally” when you do not genuinely mean something is literal.

Interesting: alluring, amusing, attractive, compelling, curious, delightful, intriguing, lovely, pleasing, refreshing, stimulating, engaging, fascinating, impressive, thought-provoking, enthralling, entrancing… this list could go on as well. There are so many more direct ways of clearly stating you find something appealing, than simply saying “interesting.”

Delicious: appetizing, delectable, delightful, enjoyable, enticing, exquisite, temping, yummy, spicy, sweet, tasty, savory, rich, pleasant, divine, mouthwatering, tasteful, gratifying. What in particular made it “delicious?”

I’m not saying you should never use these words. If you recently visited an interesting restaurant and the food was literally so delicious you actually have no other way to express how amazing your experience was - fair enough, use those words. But if you find yourself choosing these same words on a regular basis, try switching it up. After all, each experience you have is unique, so why choose to describe it the same way?

Do you have certain words you keep seeing lately and believe they are tired? Leave your comments below!