A Cure for the Common Word

When “good” isn’t good enough, make your vocabulary splendid, stupendous, and electrifying with this guide to words that really say something. Your brain holds an impressive vocabulary of more than twenty-thousand words, but chances are you onl... Read more

When “good” isn’t good enough, make your vocabulary splendid, stupendous, and electrifying with this guide to words that really say something. Your brain holds an impressive vocabulary of more than twenty-thousand words, but chances are you only use a small fraction of them. That fraction is usually filled with worn-out oldies that have lost their impact—and perhaps even their meaning—such as interesting, basic, and nice. If this diagnosis fits your ailing communication skills, here’s your prescription: a unique vocabulary guide offering more than three-thousand impressive, precise, and engaging alternatives to the one-hundred most overused words. Arranged alphabetically, each overused word—from absolutely and awesome to want, weird, and well—is given more than fifteen alternatives that might better communicate your meaning. Along with a list of synonyms, each common word is accompanied by definitions, sample sentences, witty quotes, explanations of why the word fails to communicate, and much more. Less