15 OVERUSED ENGLISH WORDS you should try to AVOID
15 OVERUSED ENGLISH WORDS you should try to AVOID
Today, I am going to tell you what are some overused words in English and what are the alternatives that you can use to sound more like a native speaker.
1.ANGRY
The word “angry” is far too general to effectively convey the idea and intention behind it. A wife may be angry at her husband. And victims of crime may be angry at criminals. But aren’t there better ways to more exactly express this strong emotion? Alternatives: annoyed, cross, displeased, furious, offended, etc.
2. OTHER
The word “other” is applicable to basically any situation where you’re trying to figure something out with a person. You can ask for “any other suggestions,” solicit “other opinions,” or ask someone for “other times” that work for them. Alternatives: alternative (times), further (suggestions), different (opinions)
3. ANSWER
This word is both a verb and a noun. When used as a verb (e.g. ‘to answer my research question’) you could also use terms like ‘address’ and ‘resolve’. When used as a noun (e.g. ‘the answer to this dilemma’), good alternatives include ‘solution’ and ‘explanation’.
4. LITERALLY
“Literally” refers to the most basic, straightforward meaning of something—as in, the opposite of “figuratively.” So, if you say “I was literally drowning in paperwork,” that means your body really was submerged in a pile of papers. If that’s not truly what happened, but you feel you must intensify your statement, try “positively” or “absolutely,” which add emphasis without making it seem as if your life was in danger.
5. MORE
MORE. “More” is one of those catchall terms. In some cases, “more” can mean the same thing as “other.” Sometimes, this is just the most accurate word to use, so don’t worry too much about trying to get this one out of rotation. Check out “other” for some alternatives. Alternatives: additional (perspectives), incremental (improvements), greater (context)
6. NICE
Oh, how nice! But overusing this word is not. When describing people, authors may prefer you to translate with more exact words like attractive, charming, cordial, delightful, etc.
7. DESCRIBE
When referring to the work of others you might draw upon their written descriptions. Substitute words for ‘describe’ include ‘portray’, ‘characterize’ and ‘report’.
8. USE
If describing an experiment you’ll need to identify the methods used. As well as ‘use’, terms which can be helpful here include ‘utilize’, ’employ’, ‘apply’ and ‘adopt’.
9. HARD
You could swap “hard” (in the sense of “requiring considerable physical or mental effort”) for “demanding,” “arduous,” “onerous,” “grueling,” “exacting,” “laborious,” “challenging,” or plain old “difficult.”
10.MANY
MANY. “Many” may seem like a go-to option when referring to an indeterminate group of things. But if you have an idea of the volume of what you’re talking about, it’s better to narrow it down. Alternatives: multitude, handful, numerous, thousands, etc.
11.ABLE
Next time you want to ask someone if they’ll “be able” to do something, use another phrase. Alternatives: manage, handle, support
12.BAD
Maybe “bad” doesn’t cut it when you’re trying to express how you feel about the movie you saw last night. Was it subpar, lousy? Take your pick!
13.HAPPY
There’s a word for every shade on the happiness spectrum. If you’re feeling happy, that could mean you’re pleased, cheerful, delighted, thrilled, ecstatic—the list goes on.
14. UNIQUE
To indicate that something differs from the norm, try another word such as “exceptional,” “distinctive,” “idiosyncratic,” “atypical,” “extraordinary,” “anomalous,” or “peculiar.”
15.BEST
“Best” isn’t the only way to provide a superlative. Are you looking for the top-quality pair of socks, or the pair of socks that are perfect for you? Both of these pairs of socks could be the “best.”
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