A Very Big Problem with Very

Have you ever eaten something so often that eating it becomes boring?

Been to a place so many times that you don’t notice its beauty anymore?

Too much of a good thing is bad, right? But what’s this got to do with the word very? Very is a great word. It’s a useful word. It just doesn’t have much zing.

We use very so often that it loses its strength – its teeth – and fails to pull you in or help you understand the true size or importance of something.

So, what could you replace very with? Below are some common ways we see very and what we could say instead.

Very good

Excellent

Wonderful

Perfect

Very bad

Awful

Terrible

Crummy

Very tasty

Delicious

Scrumptious

Very often

Frequently

Repeatedly

Very boring

Drab

Routine

Sleep-inducing

Very fast/quick

Rapid

Speedy

Very big

Colossal

Sizable

Enormous

Substantial

Vast

Very small

Tiny

Puny

Minuscule

Very fun

Amusing

Enjoyable

Entertaining

Very detailed

Meticulous

Comprehensive

Exhaustive

Very busy

About a place

Hectic

Frenzied

Chaotic

Zoolike

About people who have a lot to do

Swamped

Buried

Slammed

Very interesting

Captivating

Compelling

Engaging

Gripping

Absorbing

Engrossing

Very expensive

Costly

Pricey

Very hot (weather or indoor temperature)

Scorching

Sweltering

Like an oven

Very cold (weather or indoor temperature)

Brisk

Frigid

Wintry

Arctic

Very sick

Infirm

Sick as a dog

Very nervous

Anxious

Jumpy

Troubled

On edge

Very competitive

Cut-throat

Killer

Aggressive

Very creative

Innovative

Visionary

Inventive

Inspired

Before using these replacements, ask an English speaker you trust or check their exact meanings in a dictionary to make sure you’re doing it right.

Phew! That’s a long list of powerful words!

But what if you’re talking and can’t remember any replacements? In those moments, replace very with:

Highly

Exceedingly

Exceptionally

Remarkably

Extremely

Saying that something is remarkably big will better express your idea than saying it’s very big.

Which of the possible replacements is/are your favorite? How do you plan to use them? Let us know in the comments!

We hope this post has been very helpful beneficial to you!