Nine Common Weak Words To Avoid In Writing All The Time

Weak, poor, and bad words can dilute the power of your writing. Weak words to avoid in writing are usually fluff words.

Writing is not an easy business. It doesn’t matter if you write fiction or short stories or you are a freelance writer of blog posts and articles.

Choosing the best vocabulary and grammar makes the difference between an average and an excellent text. For most writers, many vague words that dilute your message are habits or tics.

These words often appear when writing your first draft because you are trying to get everything down as quickly as possible.

Edit out the fluff

When it comes time to start your second draft, you need to take the red pen, an axe, or even a chainsaw to your writing and word choice.

Fixing poor vocabulary can often be as simple as deleting weak words and phrases. While for others, you will have to rephrase your way out of trouble.

It would be easy to list hundreds of words that interfere with good storytelling or messaging.

But I will keep my list short and concentrate on the essential words and filler phrases that can weaken your writing.

I like to put these weak words to avoid in writing into three categories.

Weak words diminish the value of your writing.

Poor words have better alternatives.

Bad words are prime candidates for immediate deletion.

The difference between an article with a great point, a gripping young adult story, or a phenomenal poem is always about your selection of words.

Hopefully, the following three short lists with examples will help you make better vocabulary choices.

These words dilute good writing because they are usually unnecessary.

Using more words doesn’t translate into more information. You can make an excellent point without all these extra words.

Here are some of the most common weak words to avoid in writing.

1. Just

Just is a genuine tic word. It is usually an adverb that falls out of your fingers when you write.

Just avoid using the word. Every time you see it, you should delete it as quickly as possible.

I was furious, so I just got into my car and drove off. Delete

I was so furious, I jumped into my car and drove off. 

It was just the way she looked at me that made me suspicious. Delete

It was the odd way she looked at me that made me suspicious.

He could have just as easily told me he didn’t know instead of lying about it. Delete

He could have easily told me he didn’t know instead of lying about it.

2. So

The word so is an adverb to intensify. It is also used as a conjunction to indicate a reason. But it is almost always the weakest choice you can make.

If there is one word you should always try to avoid in business or article writing, so is the one.

There are always many better alternatives.

So, please enter your email address in the form below. Delete

Please enter your email address in the form below.

So, I was going to tell you, but I forgot. Delete

I was going to tell you, but I forgot.

My boss was so angry with me when I broke the photocopier. Delete

My boss was furious with me when I broke the photocopier.

We only had a few minutes to change trains, so we had to run to the next platform. Delete

We had to run to the next platform because (as) we only had a few minutes to change trains.

3. Something

Indefinite pronouns only serve to say nothing other than that whatever it is, is unspecified. You can always replace something, someone, somewhere, somehow, somewhat, and somebody with stronger vocabulary.

There was something about the way his eyes glazed over when I asked him why he was leaving. Delete

His eyes glazed over, and he looked completely lost when I asked him why he was leaving.

Somehow, I have to find a way to make them understand that they can’t stay any longer. Delete

I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I have to find a way to make them understand that they can’t stay any longer.

Someone next door must have seen the armed gunman and called the police. Delete

One of the neighbors must have seen the armed gunman and called the police.

Don’t use weak modification or intensification of adjectives because they add little value. Try to replace an intensifying adverb with a stronger adjective.

4. Very

My favorite word to delete and replace is very. If you see it, there’s a good chance you can remove it because it rarely adds any value.

Marshall was very angry because his sister crashed his new car. Delete

Marshall was furious because his sister crashed his new car.

I worked all day long, and now the house is very clean. Delete

I worked all day long, and now the house is spotless.

Mary and John were very tired after their long walk through the streets of the old town. Delete

Mary and John were exhausted after their long walk through the streets of the old town.

5. Really

Often used in a similar way to very, but occasionally as an exclamation. In either case, it is one word that rarely belongs in any form or writing. You should really pay attention because it always needs deleting.

I really don’t know why I lost my job. My boss sent me an email and told me not to come to work on Monday. Delete

I  don’t understand why I lost my job. My boss sent me an email and told me not to come to work on Monday.

My eldest boy is really clever and always passes his exams. Delete

My eldest boy is brilliant and always passes his exams.

I should have taken an umbrella. I got really wet on the way back home. Delete

I should have taken an umbrella. I got soaked on the way back home.

6. Quite

Quite is another low-value modifying adverb. It is always a candidate for weak words to avoid in writing, and you can almost always replace it with far better alternatives.

Oh, it was a fantastic holiday, but it was quite cold at night. Luckily, we had a fireplace to keep us warm. Delete

Oh, it was a fantastic holiday, but it was freezing at night. Luckily, we had a fireplace to keep us warm.

We were quite lucky to find a new apartment as quickly as we did. It saved us a lot of money on hotel bills. Delete

We were fortunate to find a new apartment as quickly as we did. It saved us a lot of money on hotel bills.

It took us quite a while to get from the airport to the city. The traffic was blocked for miles on the highway. Delete

It took us ages to get from the airport to the city. The traffic was blocked for miles on the highway.

I don’t mean using swear words here. Bad words are those that confuse, are redundant, or offer nothing of any value to a reader.

The most common are adverbs ending in “ly.” I’ll get to them, but first on my list is a word that might surprise you.

7. This

This is one of the most overused and often incorrectly applied pronouns. Why?

Because it refers to the present and future and not to the past. When using a pronoun to refer to a noun that was in the preceding sentence, the correct pronoun is that.

You often use it to break up long sentences into shorter ones. But this can cause problems.

Also, starting a sentence with this, when it has nothing to refer to, is not effective or clear writing.

I broke my leg playing football. This is why I couldn’t go to work for two months.

I broke my leg playing football. That is why I couldn’t go to work for two months.

This will give you a laugh. Mary started going out with Nathan again.

You’ll laugh when I tell you the news. Mary started going out with Nathan again.

I know you studied hard, but this result tells you how hard it is to get into medical school. 

I know you studied hard, but the result tells you how hard it is to get into medical school. 

8. Obviously, clearly, and actually

You can delete these three words 99.9% of the time. You should use ‘ly’ adverbs sparingly in moderation.

Obviously, there was nothing we could do to help her get over the loss of her mother.

There was nothing we could do to help her get over the loss of her mother.

Clearly, she had made up her mind, and there was no convincing her that she might be wrong.

She had made up her mind, and there was no convincing her that she might be wrong.

Actually, I’m from France, but my mother was English. That’s why my English language level is so good. But clearly, I have a slight accent.

I’m from France, but my mother was English. That’s why my English language level is so good. But I have a slight accent.

9. Adverbs in reported speech

Another set of adverbs that you should replace with much more descriptive expressions is in dialogue tags.

“I don’t care what you think. You can’t get away with stealing money from your boss,” she said angrily.

“I don’t care what you think. You can’t get away with stealing money from your boss,” she said, as her face flushed with anger.

“Oh, I’m so pleased that I passed all my exams,” she said happily.

“Oh, I’m so pleased that I passed all my exams,” she said with a beaming smile.

“You won’t believe it, but I got a job with a prestigious law firm in the city,” she said gleefully.

“You won’t believe it, but I got a job with a prestigious law firm in the city,” she said, grinning with delight.

Conclusion

As I said at the beginning of this article, I could have written a long list of poor and weak words to avoid in writing.

However, the ones I have listed are all high on my delete or replace list when working on a second draft or proofreading a blog post or content marketing article.

Along with the dreaded passive voice, instead of using the active voice, all these words are an instant recipe to lose your readers.

Delete or replace them all.

Keep your eyes open for these words in your writing.

When you spot one of them, take out your red pen, or delete key, and give them the chop.

Never worry about your word count.

Deleting weak fluff words distills and improves your writing.

Related reading: Positive Writing Is Always Better Than The Negative