Expanding your vocabulary is one of the easiest ways to improve your communication skills and ensure your message cuts through.
Without a healthy repertoire of adjectives, verbs, and expressive language, you risk becoming repetitive, boring and easy to tune out to.
Here’s a dead simple three step process I used to turn myself into a grandiloquent, hyper-articulate, vocabulary virtuoso.🤓
Just kidding, I simply wanted to stop using the word ‘amazing’ to describe everything.🤦
Step 1: Identify Your “Overused Words”
Start by writing down the words you repeat constantly.
Common offenders:
- Amazing (guilty)
- Nice
- Great
- Good
- Stunning
- etc
Once you spot your “go-to” words, you can upgrade them.
Step 2: Build From Words You Already Use
Grab a thesaurus (or Google) and look up better alternatives that mean the same thing.
For amazing, you could use:
- phenomenal
- outstanding
- astonishing
- remarkable
- extraordinary
Step 3: Actually Use the New Words
Now instead of saying “The food was amazing” for the 83rd time, you can say:
- “The food was phenomenal.”
- “The meal was outstanding.”
- etc
Why This Works
You’re not forcing random new words into your brain, hoping by chance you’ll remember them next time the opportunity presents itself.
You’re replacing the words you already say daily, meaning you’re much more likely to actually use them.
Amazing right? 😉
