Which word do you use the most?

You are overusing these 12 words. Here are 12 synonyms to replace them

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The English language has a very generous vocabulary. And yet, we only use a small portion of it in our daily lives. This word economy can be driven by multiple factors, some more valid than others. But one undeniable truth is that some overused and even misused words have readily available alternatives that we could utilize instead. How many times a day do you think that you use the following 12 words? Take a look at its synonyms and see if you like any to add to your everyday vocabulary.

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One of the most overused adjectives in the English language, good, can be replaced with many other words that express a similar concept without making you sound too pretentious or snobby, like exceptional, favorable, or superb.

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The word "important" is another frequent visitor of most people’s daily talk and it can be replaced with many similar words, like main, chief, principal, key, or major.

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A frequent guest of informal chatter, "like" is often used not in the sense of actually "liking" something but rather as a "crutch" word that hints at a poor vocabulary. This word can be replaced by saying for example, such as, or for instance.

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This is nice, that is nice, that thing is very nice. How many times a day do we hear that word? Nice is a very useful adjective to describe something that is pleasant, sweet, friendly, or even delightful, cheerful, or attractive.

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"This is very interesting", "Oh, interesting!", "How interesting!" This frequently used word sounds great and expresses polite attention towards something or someone. But, if overused, it can be replaced with fascinating, or if you are feeling more literary, gripping, compelling, or engaging.

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A beautiful word, indeed, that expresses a sense of wonder, but it is much used and overused repeatedly by people everywhere. It can be replaced with words like breathtaking, astounding, incredible, or even extraordinary.

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This ubiquitous word is not only overused but also very frequently misused since its meaning is quite the opposite of what most people think it is. In its correct form, the word "literally" is used to describe something in its natural or customary meaning, without any ulterior spiritual or symbolic meaning. But these days, it is mostly used to add intention and meaning to anything.

To replace it in the sense that is currently used, or rather misused, it can be supplanted with truly or precisely.

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More of this, more of that. In a list of overused words, this one is near the top. If you ever feel the urge to replace it, try with extra, additional, further, or even, supplementary.

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A word used in a similar vein to the aforementioned "literally", "really" is utilized to emphasize something. If you are about to say "really", maybe try instead with truly, surely, certainly, or indeed.

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Another word that is near the podium of the most overused, "new" can be replaced with latest, fresh, hot off the oven, or just released.

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"What is this thing?", "The thing is…", "another thing…". This word is used as a placeholder for anything and everything we don’t care to name. And, as such, it is quite useful. But if you find yourself using it too much, you can either replace it with the actual word that describes whatever you are referring to or you can also use a generic term that narrows the description to its nature: object, item, animal, person, event, phenomenon, vehicle, dish, action, etc.

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This extremely used adverb is just about everywhere. The good news is that it can be easily replaced with similar words like incredibly, exceedingly, exceptionally, super, absolutely, or the aforementioned extremely.

COLORS IN MUSIC

Paint The Town Red With 10 Colorful Songs

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Music is a powerful tool that explicitly evokes all kinds of emotions. Colors, on the other hand, have a more subtle way of arousing feelings. Various theories have been developed to study the psychology behind colors and they all agree that they can be as powerful as music. So imagine what happens when you put those two things together. "Back to black" takes you right to the dark, low moments of life, while "Yellow Submarine" can already make you feel cheerful, doesn’t it?

Join us as we explore ten songs that have used colors to further express their messages.

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The first item in our list not only blends colors and music but also combines multiple music styles: rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestral music. Only Prince could have done it!

Purple Rain is a song from 1984, part of the album of the same name, written and performed by Prince with his backing band, The Revolution.

Now, what does it mean? Prince himself explained that it is a reference to the sky and it represents letting your faith guide you to be with the one you love, even when it seems impossible. Quite a profound start, isn’t it?

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Songs, lyrics, and music are filled with individual interpretations which can vary greatly. Yellow Submarine by The Beatles is quite representative of that. The song, written by the English band as part of their album Revolver in 1966 was subject to opinions and interpretations from the very beginning.

Some deemed it empty of meaning, while teenagers of the time embraced it to create their own chants of protest. And some even take it as a metaphor for how The Beatles perceived themselves as prisoners of their own fame. Whatever we take as the truth, nobody can deny it is a great song.

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Back to Black was written by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse in 2006 and instantly became an international success. Considering how short and troubled Winehouse’s life was, critics consider this song the purest expression of her complex mind.

It is her signature song and describes the difficult time she was going through at the time. Black is the color that best reflects how lonely life can get and how devoid of hope a person can get. Even in the most tragic ending, Winehouse still resonates with our society through this iconic song.

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Just another song that belongs in the greater leagues as it’s in the Grammy Hall of Fame, among other achievements.

Released in 1967,Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison describes, naturally, a romance of the past in the most nostalgic way. Innocence, youth, and happy memories are all implied in the lyrics and the upbeat rhythm completes the picture it paints.

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Many songs, like this one, are written specifically for film productions. Blue Hawaii for example, was written in 1937 by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger for a film called Waikiki Wedding.

However, that is not the only film featuring it, as it was so successful, that it received several covers in the following years. Probably, the most famous one was performed by Elvis Presley in the namesake film of 1961.

The color of the ocean and that dreamy location set the scene in a rather straightforward way and it makes us wish we were there, right?

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It is not uncommon to see hints of autobiographical notes in songs. Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road by Elton John and Bernie Taupin is said to contain elements from the latter’s childhood on the farm in Lincolnshire.

Whatever the truth is, this ballad reflects on the hardship behind fame and how the author longed for a simpler, more genuine life, away from the glamour.

Regarding Elton’s career, many critics go as far as saying this is one of his best songs, and the records it broke prove it!

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You may know Red Red Wine by UB40, but Neil Diamond originally wrote and performed this song in 1967.

Part of his second studio album, Just for You, the lyrics are easily relatable: Haven’t we all gone through a time when we thought a cup of red wine was somehow a way to forget about our troubles? Neil Diamond surely felt that when he wrote this song.

UB40 might have found it appealing as they re-recorded it 20 years later, which ultimately led to an overwhelming success for them.

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We don’t need to describe The Rolling Stones success, an over-40-years career speaks for itself. Among its many hits, Paint It, Black is the one that belongs in our article.

Originally writtenby Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song explores themes of grief and despair. It is narrated from the point of view of a person who lost their loved one and wants everything in black to match their mood. It is worth mentioning that, as with most iconic songs, it has received different interpretations. In any case, the topics are universal and the song is a hit still today!

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Musicians don’t always have to resort to black to express intense feelings. When the experience needs to be energetic and powerful, other colors get to play. That was what Bruce Springsteen was thinking when he wrote Pink Cadillac in 1984.

Romantic attraction, desire, escapism, and more topics of the sort have raised some controversy around the meaning, but that wasn’t enough to keep it from the Billboard chart for 14 weeks straight.

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The new millennium brought amazing things and Coldplay the British band was one of them. Included as the second single of their debut album Parachute, the song gave the band its first top-five hit in the United Kingdom.

But that wasn’t it, thanks to this song, Coldplay reached international fame and popularity which only kept growing and growing. More than two decades later, Yellow and the topic of love and devotion still resonate with the crowds.