Limit Excessive Qualifiers
Reduce overused intensifiers like 'very,' 'really,' and 'extremely' that add noise without meaning.
What & why
Overused intensifiers like 'very,' 'really,' and 'extremely' lose their force: when they appear constantly, listeners stop registering them as meaningful and tune them out as verbal static. Stacking them can even backfire, since research on language and credibility suggests 'very, very important' often reads as less confident than simply calling something 'critical.' Listeners may sense that genuinely compelling content wouldn't need so much verbal propping up. Specific details and concrete evidence tend to land harder than accumulated adjectives.
Before & after
“This is really, really important and I'm extremely excited about the incredibly amazing results.”
“This is critical. The results exceeded our targets by 40%.”
When you’ll use it
Stacking intensifiers: 'very, very important'
Using 'really' as verbal filler: 'I really think we should really consider...'
Overusing 'absolutely' and 'definitely' for routine agreement
Relying on 'incredibly' and 'amazingly' instead of specific descriptions
Pro tip
When tempted to say 'very,' find a stronger word. 'Very tired' → 'exhausted.' 'Very important' → 'critical.' Specificity beats intensity.
Questions & answers
Are intensifiers always bad?
How do I add emphasis without intensifiers?
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