Adjective Stravaganza

Expand Your Lexicon With These Breathtaking Qualifiers

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The English language is vibrant and generous when it comes to describing things. Its adjectives can be precise, poetic, naive, gentle, nasty, humorous, and so much more. Yet, for whatever reason, speakers show a tendency to boil down their lexicon into a very narrow choice of words.

We have assembled a short list of common adjectives and some of the words that can be used to replace them. Depending on the situation, some will be more suitable than others, but all of them will serve to expand your vocabulary in interesting ways!

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One of the most overused adjectives in the English language is "nice". We use it for everything: Maybe you had a nice conversation, you live in a nice neighborhood, or you have a nice puppy.

Of course, a puppy can be nice. But it could also be charming, cute, precious, or even adorable. Your neighborhood could be pretty or lovely. Your conversation, captivating or absorbing. You get the idea.

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A sunset is beautiful, yes. But a sunset can also very well be golden, gorgeous, spectacular, dramatic, red, magnificent, glowing, burning, dazzling, wonderful, fiery, even breathtaking or glorious. An event so exquisite deserves more than the ubiquitous "beautiful," don't you think?

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A very useful little word to describe things that are on the positive side of things, but not much further down the line. Not great, but definitely not bad.

Many things in life are, simply put, just good: A decent cup of coffee, a satisfactory day at work, an adequate microwave meal. These are all things that, if done right, are just good, and that's why we tend to over-utilize this humble adjective. However, many words could serve to replace it. Some we've just used here, but you can certainly think of some more.

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The word "expensive" is thrown around quite a lot, and has been for a while. For this very reason, the English language has more than a few synonyms worth its salt to express the same concept.

A pricey item can also be described as exorbitant, extravagant, fancy, lavish, upscale, posh, or steep. Contrary to what they describe, using any of these adjectives is 100% free.

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Another omnipresent descriptor that deserves a rest. And for good reason: the world is, in fact, a big place with plenty of big things worthy of conversation.

However, besides big, things can be called plenty of other things: huge, enormous, substantial, immense, gigantic, spacious, monumental, or even gargantuan if you are looking for the ultimate in matters of size.

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When talking about scale, it's all about nuance. Almost as ubiquitous as its big brother, "small" is another versatile word that, despite its usefulness, loses meaning without context.

Think of words like little, tiny, minuscule, compact, diminutive, microscopic, undersized, and minute. Every one of them offers some nuance and variation, while still expressing the core idea of smallness.

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A great many things in life are difficult and there is no shame in admitting to it. What is a shame is using the same word over and over again when we have such a rich vocabulary to express every nuance of the human experience.

Things can be difficult, but also challenging, demanding, complex, arduous, complicated, tricky, formidable, onerous, laborious, tough, or just hard.

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As many things in life are difficult, many others are outright easy. Whenever you find a straightforward solution to a problem, life gets a little simpler. Other words in the "easy" ballpark are uncomplicated, painless, smooth, undemanding, and breezy. You should try to incorporate them into your lexicon—it's effortless.

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One of those words that can be used to convey many different meanings, "hot" signifies high temperature, but it is also used to express urgency, high demand, beauty, and intensity.

Many synonyms can also be used to describe the spectrum of expressions that "hot" is used for. From the intense "sizzling" to the extreme "scorching" or "boiling", to "blistering" or even "burning", all these are waiting on the sidelines to replace the overused "hot."

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Another much-used adjective, the direct opposite of the one just mentioned, is "cold". Many things can be cold, from drinks to relationships to places to food and quite a few more. Yet, the word has a few relatives that are seldom used.

"Chilly" suggests a mild and discomforting cold, "frigid" conveys an intense cold, "icy" emphasizes the presence of ice, and "frosty" describes a coldness that is frost-covered. Also, "biting" implies a sharp wind, "freezing" means a temperature at freezing point, and "numb" conveys a lack of sensation.

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In a world of constant rush, running late is inevitable. The term itself signifies a point in time occurring after the expected hour. "You're late" is a much-heard phrase, usually uttered in mild anger.

But for such an ungrateful term, there are plenty of related terms at our disposal: tardy, delayed, belated, behind schedule, overdue, running behind, or behind time can all be used to replace the usual "late".