The Most Overused Words — And Synonyms To Replace Them

In the English language alone, there are over a million words, and of those, an estimated 170,000 are in current use in the modern lexicon. Even with an abundance of words at our disposal, though, people tend to latch on to certain words or phrases and recycle their favorites. They may like how a word sounds, or perhaps they read a term and felt it was a perfect descriptor. Or maybe it’s a word that has creeped into popular culture, and now it seems to appear in every conversation.

Instead of repeating yourself (again), let’s look at some synonyms for the most overused words. By using unique and specific words, you’ll keep your vocabulary fresh in every situation.

Amazing

It’s a paradox. If everything is amazing, then nothing is. The actual definition of this word is “causing astonishment, great wonder, or surprise.” Yet “amazing” has been co-opted to describe everything from a much-needed vacation in a tropical locale to an afternoon iced latte — not exactly equals on the wonder scale.

Maybe it helps to think about whether something truly fits the definition of “amazing,” or if it just sparks joy in that moment. In either case, “amazing” has lost its luster, and it’s worth using an alternate adjective, such as “marvelous,” “remarkable,” “exciting,” “fascinating,” “breathtaking,” “astounding,” “inspiring,” “incredible,” “stunning,” “unbelievable,” “magnificent,” or “prodigious.” Pick the appropriate adjective for the scale of your situation.

Literally

The sitcom How I Met Your Mother depicted the misuse and abuse of this word well when Robin shouted to Ted, “I literally want to rip your head off,” and Ted yelled back, “You mean figuratively!” This word crept into the popular lexicon around the mid-aughts as a way to emphasize strong emotions or reactions. It’s easy to rely on in conversation, but “literally” deserves a figurative rest from overuse. Try “precisely,” “actually,” “plainly,” “truly,” or “frankly,” or kick it back to Shakespeare’s English with “verily.”We have no qualms with the figurative use of “literally,” but it’s time to change things up a bit.

Crazy

This is used as a catchall adjective with a range of meanings, from “extremely enthusiastic” to “extremely annoyed” to “downright foolish.” People often use it as an adverb, too, as in, “I’ve been crazy busy,” or the informal “I was laughing like crazy.” But the word also has a stigma attached to it, with a connotation related to mental health. Try to challenge your casual use of this term, especially when describing any behavior that doesn’t seem to fit a standard of “normal.” Pull out a more descriptive synonym. Maybe it’s more appropriate to use “passionate,” “excited,” “absurd,” “foolish,” impractical,” “unbelievable,” or “illogical” — or pull out a silly option like “bananas,” “bonkers,” or “wackadoodle.” With over a million words at your disposal, there are plenty of better options than “crazy.”

Hack

The word “hack” is definitely one of the worker bees of the modern English language. With both verb and noun usages, it can mean “rough cuts to an object,” “a writer who produces unimaginative work,” “how someone is coping,” and “a horse used for noncompetitive riding.”

But none of those is why “hack” is overused. As internet usage became ubiquitous, it took on yet another meaning: “to use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system.” And in more recent years, the word has been applied to any quick, novelty technique that helps people save time and be more efficient — sometimes called a “life hack.” It’s tossed around on social media as if every activity is a hack, but at some point, “hack” became a buzzword that lost meaning. “Tip,” “trick,” “guide,” or “how-to” work well when you’re trying to teach someone a technique or skill.