Words to Use Instead of “Very” – Improve Your English Vocabulary and Writing Skills

By -VHTC

22 October

The word “very” is one of the most commonly used words in English. While it helps to emphasize meaning (for example, very good, very fast, very clean), using it too often can make your writing sound repetitive, weak, or less expressive.

If you want to make your English writing or speaking sound more natural, advanced, and impressive, learning strong alternatives to “very” is a simple and effective way to improve.

This article explains why you should avoid using “very” too often, and provides a list of powerful replacement words with meanings and examples — perfect for students, exam aspirants, and English learners.

Why You Should Stop Overusing “Very”

Using “very” is not wrong, but it’s overused and vague. For example:

“She is very beautiful.”
“The exam was very difficult.”

Both sentences are correct, but they don’t sound descriptive or advanced. Instead, we can use stronger adjectives:

“She is exquisite.”
“The exam was challenging.”

By replacing “very + adjective” with a single, powerful word, your English becomes more precise and elegant.

Benefits of Replacing “Very”

Reason	Result
Makes writing more expressive	Your sentences sound more natural and mature.
Expands your vocabulary	You learn richer, more advanced words.
Helps in IELTS and academic writing	Boosts lexical range and vocabulary score.
Makes speaking impressive	You sound confident and fluent.

20 Common “Very” Phrases and Their Powerful Alternatives

Here’s a list of words to use instead of “very”, taken from the image above and expanded with meanings and examples.

1. Very Lazy → Indolent

Meaning: Avoiding activity or work; habitually lazy.
Example: He lost his job because he was indolent and unmotivated.

2. Very Fat → Obese

Meaning: Extremely overweight.
Example: Doctors advise obese people to follow a healthy diet.

3. Very Afraid → Terrified

Meaning: Extremely scared or frightened.
Example: The child was terrified of the thunderstorm.

4. Very Crowded → Bustling

Meaning: Full of activity or people.
Example: The market was bustling with shoppers on Sunday.

5. Very Simple → Basic

Meaning: Fundamental or uncomplicated.
Example: She explained the basic principles of algebra clearly.

6. Very Tall → Towering

Meaning: Extremely high or tall.
Example: They stood in front of a towering skyscraper.

7. Very Lively → Animated

Meaning: Full of life, energy, or excitement.
Example: The students had an animated discussion about climate change.

8. Very Eager → Keen

Meaning: Showing enthusiasm or strong interest.
Example: She is keen to join the robotics club this semester.

9. Very Detailed → Meticulous

Meaning: Extremely careful and precise.
Example: The researcher kept meticulous notes during the experiment.

10. Very Angry → Furious

Meaning: Extremely angry.
Example: He was furious when he realized his bike was stolen.

11. Very Beautiful → Exquisite

Meaning: Extremely beautiful or elegant.
Example: The bride wore an exquisite gown at her wedding.

12. Very Fast → Quick

Meaning: Moving or happening with great speed.
Example: She gave a quick response to the teacher’s question.

13. Very Risky → Perilous

Meaning: Dangerous or full of risk.
Example: The mountaineers went on a perilous journey through the icy peaks.

14. Very Short → Brief

Meaning: Lasting for only a short time.
Example: Let’s have a brief meeting before lunch.

15. Very Worried → Distressed

Meaning: Extremely upset or anxious.
Example: The mother was distressed when her child fell ill.

16. Very Good → Excellent

Meaning: Extremely good; outstanding.
Example: Your essay was excellent — clear, organized, and original.

17. Very Accurate → Exact

Meaning: Precise and correct in every detail.
Example: Please give me the exact time of the meeting.

18. Very Clean → Spotless

Meaning: Completely clean or without any dirt.
Example: The hotel room was spotless and well-maintained.

19. Very Dear → Cherished

Meaning: Greatly loved or valued.
Example: The photo of her grandparents is her most cherished possession.

20. Very Eager → Enthusiastic (Alternate for “keen”)

Meaning: Having intense and eager enjoyment or interest.
Example: The team was enthusiastic about the upcoming competition.

More Words to Use Instead of “Very”

Here are additional powerful words that replace “very” + adjective combinations commonly used in speaking and writing.

Phrase with “Very”	Better Word	Example Sentence
Very cold	Freezing	It’s freezing outside today!
Very hot	Scorching	The desert was scorching in the afternoon.
Very tired	Exhausted	After the long journey, they were exhausted.
Very hungry	Starving	I’m starving! Let’s grab lunch.
Very old	Ancient	The ancient temple is over 2,000 years old.
Very big	Enormous	The elephant is an enormous animal.
Very small	Tiny	Look at that tiny kitten!
Very dirty	Filthy	His clothes were filthy after the game.
Very noisy	Deafening	The concert was so loud, it was deafening.
Very smart	Intelligent / Brilliant	She is an intelligent student who loves science.

Grammar Tip: Why Strong Adjectives Don’t Need “Very”

Some adjectives already carry a strong meaning, so adding “very” sounds unnatural.

For example:
❌ Very furious → 🚫 incorrect
✅ Furious already means extremely angry.

Here are more examples:

Incorrect	Correct
Very excellent	Excellent
Very unique	Unique
Very perfect	Perfect
Very freezing	Freezing
Very impossible	Impossible

Using Alternatives to “Very” in IELTS and Essays

Replacing “very” with precise adjectives helps you score higher in the IELTS Writing and Speaking sections under the Lexical Resource criterion.

Example 1 (Weak):

The movie was very good.

Improved Version:

The movie was excellent and emotionally powerful.

Example 2 (Weak):

The room was very clean and very big.

Improved Version:

The room was spotless and spacious.

Result:
The second version sounds more advanced and professional, showing better vocabulary control.

Practice Exercise

Replace “very” with stronger adjectives:

The soup is very hot.
He is very angry.
The test was very easy.
This room is very clean.
I am very tired.

Answers:

The soup is scorching.
He is furious.
The test was simple / basic.
This room is spotless.
I am exhausted.

Quick Reference Table

Very + Word	Replace With	Meaning
Very lazy	Indolent	Unwilling to work
Very fat	Obese	Extremely overweight
Very afraid	Terrified	Extremely scared
Very crowded	Bustling	Full of activity
Very simple	Basic	Easy to understand
Very tall	Towering	Extremely high
Very lively	Animated	Full of life
Very eager	Keen	Enthusiastic
Very detailed	Meticulous	Thorough and precise
Very angry	Furious	Extremely mad
Very beautiful	Exquisite	Perfectly beautiful
Very fast	Quick	Rapid or speedy
Very risky	Perilous	Full of danger
Very short	Brief	Not long-lasting
Very worried	Distressed	Deeply troubled
Very good	Excellent	Outstanding
Very accurate	Exact	Precise
Very clean	Spotless	Completely clean
Very dear	Cherished	Deeply valued or loved

FAQ

Q1. Why should I avoid using “very”?

Because it weakens your writing. Using stronger words shows confidence and helps you sound more advanced.

Q2. Is it wrong to use “very”?

Not at all! It’s okay in informal speech, but avoid overusing it in academic or professional writing.

Q3. What’s the best way to remember these alternatives?

Create flashcards or use new words in your daily sentences. For example, instead of saying very clean room, say spotless room.

Q4. Are these words useful for IELTS and essays?

Yes! Using precise words like meticulous, exquisite, or perilous improves your vocabulary score.

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