Powerful Adjectives and Adverbs

An adjective is a word that names an attribute of a noun. Some are strong and paint clear, specific pictures of the thing they are describing. Some are weak and vague and don’t tell us much.

We use strong adjectives to be more expressive than normal adjectives. Strong adjectives can replace really or very with normal adjectives.

Here's an example:

• Sam is cold.

“Cold” is a weak adjective that doesn’t paint a vivid mental picture in your reader’s mind.

In my mind, I imagine Sam's lips are blue and his teeth are chattering. He feels like an icicle has replaced all of the blood in his veins.

In your mind, however, maybe you think Sam had better just throw a jacket around his shoulders and he’ll be fine.

There is a lot of ambiguity with “cold” and your reader is left to guess what you mean. This ambiguity is why an author might be tempted to add a “very”–to give it that extra punch.

• Sam is very cold.

But instead of adding a very, you should really be replacing your weak adjective with a stronger one.

• Sam is freezing.

Below are some more examples to get a feel for the difference:

Weak: Happy + very = I’m very happy. Strong: I’m ecstatic

Weak: Hot + very = It’s very hot out today. Strong: It’s sweltering out today.

Weak: Sleepy + very = She looks very sleepy Strong: She looks exhausted.

Weak: Glad + very = He’ll be very glad to see you. Strong: He’ll be delighted to see you.

Weak: Funny + very = You’re very funny. Strong: You’re hilarious.

Weak: Dirty + very = That dog is very dirty. Strong: That dog is filthy.

Weak: Big + very = The elephant in the room is very big. Strong: The elephant in the room is enormous.

Tips for Using Strong Adverbs

Take care to avoid overusing adverbs in your writing. When you use adverbs too much, readers may become annoyed and bored rather than enthralled or excited. Apply the tips below to make sure that you are using adverbs just enough.

• Use adverbs when they are most needed.

• If the adverb isn't helping, remove it.

• If the adverb is weak, replace it with a strong adverb.

• If the verb or adjective works great without the adverb, remove it.

• The adverbs "really" and "very" are overused a lot. Make sure they are truly necessary before adding them.

Powerful Adverbs: It's a Balancing Act

When it comes to adverbs, it's all about balance. Best Selling American author Stephen King is known for cautioning aspiring writers to use adverbs sparingly. He once compared using adverbs to having dandelions in your yard. One on your lawn looks pretty and unique, but the weeds can easily overtake the lawn if they're not rooted out. To reinforce what you've learned, take a look at some examples of adverbs in sentences. Now that you've got a handle on adverbs to improve your writing, shift your focus to action verbs.

What Is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Adverbs are like the seasoning in sentences. They help describe how things appear and how things happen. They help a reader visualize an action with an appropriate level of intensity.

Adverbs help control what others see when you speak or write. They are one of the necessary components of good writing. When used correctly, they can add a whole new dimension to your work. Check out how using a strong vs. weak adverb can improve your writing.

What Makes a Strong Adverb?

Written words should paint a picture in the reader's mind, and adverbs help make that happen. Adverbs add oomph to punches and power to kicks. Having a list of adverbs to call on can help add a degree of energy or spice to your verbiage.

However, not all adverbs are strong. Some adverbs like "really" or "very" aren't adding to your imagery and could be removed or substituted. You can see this in action by comparing "really" vs. "unbelievably" in a sentence.

• She moved really slowly.

• She moved unbelievably slowly.

While "really" isn't telling the reader much about how slow "she" is, using "unbelievably" gives you a vivid understanding. Her movement was so slow as to be unbelievable, which is very different from just being a bit slower than expected. As you can see, choosing adverbs is important.

Strong Adverbs Modifying Verbs

Now, it's time to look at a list of adverbs for writing to make it stronger. It's easy to say that "The quick brown fox jumped over a lazy brown dog," but how did he do it? That's the thing everyone is dying to know. A strong verb can often stand on its own, but adverbs can strengthen and colour verbs to add vividness and clarity to any sentence. When adverbs modify verbs, they describe the way something is happening. In the examples below, the adverb is in bold and the verb is underlined.

Adverb	Meaning	Example Sentence
swiftly	done in a fast way	The older orangutan swiftly kicked the annoying youngster.
grudgingly	done in a reluctant or unwilling way	John grudgingly shared his snickerdoodles.
staunchly	done in a strong, firm or loyal way	Jackson was staunchly opposed to the proposition.
thoroughly	done in a complete way	Mary was thoroughly annoyed by her poodle's constant yapping.
impatiently	done in a way that shows irritation or annoyance	I impatiently tapped my foot as I waited for my toddler to finish getting dressed.
briskly	done in a quick, active, or energetic way	Mr. Miller briskly explained how to fill out the exam answer sheet.
ambitiously	done with the intention of meeting high aspirations	Donna ambitiously volunteered to organize the food bank's annual fundraiser.
creatively	done in an original or imaginative way	Jacob creatively added curly purple hair, green glasses and red eyes to his puppet.

Powerful Adverbs Modifying Adjectives

How tired were you? How ugly was it? Readers and audiences beg for the answers to such questions. Adverbs give them those answers, adding more information to an adjective, while lending intensity to writing and speech. In the following examples, the adverb is in bold and the adjective is underlined.

Adverb	Meaning	Example Sentence
diametrically	being at opposite extremes	His views are diametrically opposed to mine.
unusually	out of the ordinary	Mary's dog was unusually hyperactive.
brutally	extremely unpleasant	The meeting was brutally dull.
extremely	to a great degree; very	My father works in an extremely tall building, on the 84th floor.
surprisingly	happens unexpectedly	The boy was surprisingly strong.
highly	to a high degree or level	He is a highly intelligent man with the ability to speak six languages.
mildly	to a slight extent	I prefer mildly spicy chili, but my friend only cooks with extra hot chili powder.
vividly	strong or bold appearance; bright	This vividly colored fabric is perfect for the quilt I want to make.

Strong Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs

Sometimes, even adverbs need help. When you want to bring attention to a level of rapidity or to a degree of languidness, you may need an adverb to describe another adverb. When you want to describe one adverb with another, just put them next to one another. In the examples below, the modifying adverb is in bold and the main adverb is underlined.

Modifying Adverb	Meaning	Example Sentence
incredibly	unbelievably	The obtuse man spoke incredibly slowly.
abnormally	out of the realm of normalcy	Mary's hyperactive dog barked abnormally often.
unexpectedly	surprisingly	She arrived for the meeting unexpectedly early.
unbelievably	hard to believe	She ran unbelievably quickly, setting a new school record.
joyfully	with great pleasure	After three days of rain, we spent the day joyfully out at the park.
frequently	often	Safety is frequently atop the minds of first-time parents.
safely	in a safe manner	I waited until the baby was safely upstairs in her crib before cooking dinner.
quietly	without noise; quiet manner	She walked quietly behind her brother.

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adverbs/list-of-adverbs.html