Where Writers Win (writerswin.com) is one of my favorite web sites. It’s full of helpful writing and marketing advice. A case in point, the “very” helpful — no, invaluable —  infographic created by Luke Palder, founder and CEO of ProofreadingServices.com called “128 Words to Use Instead of “Very,” which we can all agree is pretty shop worn. The list was so much fun I’ve captured a range of examples here:

very angry                  furious
very annoying           exasperating
very beautiful            gorgeous
very busy                    swamped
very calm                    serene
very careful                cautious
very competitive      cutthroat
very creative              innovative
very detailed              meticulous
very different            disparate
very difficult              arduous
very dull                      tedious
very easy                     effortless
very exciting              exhilarating
very frightened         alarmed
very glad                     overjoyed
very happy                 ecstatic
very hungry               starving
very important         crucial
very large                   huge
very lazy                     indolent
very loose                  slack
very messy                slovenly
very noisy                 deafening
very painful             excruciating
very pale                   ashen
very poor                  destitute
very quiet                 hushed
very sad                    sorrowful
very scared              petrified
very serious             grave
very sharp                keen
very shy                    timid
very strong              forceful
very talented           gifted
very tall                    towering
very windy               blustery

What a fun exercise — to banish “verys” as we all write on.