Words to use instead of "very" in business

A goal that many of my learners have when doing business in English is to not only sound confident, but also convincing and consice. One way to do that is to streamline the words you use- you don't need a lot of words, you just need the right ones!

Try removing "unecessary" words like "very" and replacing them with stronger, more descriptive alternatives. Below is a list of words to use instead of very:

very important = crucial

very accurate = exact

very necessary = essential

very creative = innovative

very rich = wealthy

very good = excellent

very bad = horrible

very interesting = fascinating

very powerful = compelling

When talking about these alternatives with my clients, I often think about this quote from

Dead Poet's Society:

“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.”

Granted, his reason for not using "very" is different from my own, but the sentiment remains the same!

Have an excellent (=very good) day!