Stop saying "Very Good": 15 Advanced Adjectives to sound like a Native
8 min read
There's a moment in every learner's English journey where they realize they've been saying "very good" too many times. Maybe a teacher pointed it out. Maybe you noticed it yourself watching a movie — natives just don't talk that way. They reach for sharper, more specific words.
"Very good" isn't wrong. It's just lazy. It's the linguistic equivalent of wearing the same outfit every day. It works, but you're missing a chance to actually express what you mean — and the word "very" almost always tells your listener: "I don't know a stronger adjective."
The fix isn't to memorize a thesaurus. It's to learn 15 specific replacements that cover 90% of situations where you currently reach for "very good," "very bad," "very big," or "very tired." Each adjective in this list comes with the exact contexts where natives use it. Master them and your spoken English will jump levels almost overnight.
Replacing "very good"
1. Excellent — for high-quality work or performance
"Excellent" is your safest upgrade from "very good." It works in nearly every context: an excellent meal, an excellent presentation, an excellent suggestion. Slightly formal but not stiff. If you only learn one word from this list, learn this one.
Your presentation was excellent.
Your presentation was very good.
The service at the hotel was excellent.
The service at the hotel was very good.
2. Outstanding — for things that stand out from the rest
Use "outstanding" when something is significantly better than average — especially in professional contexts. An outstanding employee. Outstanding results. Outstanding effort. The word literally means "standing out," which captures the meaning perfectly.
She had an outstanding year at work.
She had a very good year at work.
The team delivered outstanding results.
The team delivered very good results.
3. Brilliant — for clever or impressive ideas
"Brilliant" works for ideas, plans, performances, and people. It carries a sense of cleverness or shine. British speakers also use "brilliant" casually to mean "great" — "Brilliant! See you tomorrow." In American English it's slightly more formal but still common.
That's a brilliant idea.
That's a very good idea.
Her solution was brilliant.
Her solution was very good.
4. Remarkable — for things worth noticing
"Remarkable" highlights something you'd remark on (talk about). It's slightly more formal than "outstanding" and works particularly well for achievements, qualities, and situations.
He has a remarkable memory.
He has a very good memory.
The film tells a remarkable story.
The film tells a very good story.
Replacing "very bad"
5. Terrible — for general bad situations
"Terrible" is your everyday upgrade from "very bad." Use it for bad weather, bad food, bad news, bad days. It's strong but not melodramatic. Native speakers reach for "terrible" several times a week without thinking twice.
The weather was terrible all weekend.
The weather was very bad all weekend.
I had a terrible day at work.
I had a very bad day at work.
6. Awful — same intensity, slightly more emotional
"Awful" is similar to "terrible" but with more emotional weight. Use it when you want to convey personal reaction or disappointment. "I feel awful." "What an awful situation."
I feel awful about what happened.
I feel very bad about what happened.
The smell in the kitchen was awful.
The smell in the kitchen was very bad.
7. Dreadful — for serious situations or formal tone
"Dreadful" is more formal and slightly stronger than "terrible." It's common in British English and in serious contexts: a dreadful accident, a dreadful mistake, dreadful news. American speakers use it less casually but understand it perfectly.
There was a dreadful accident on the highway.
There was a very bad accident on the highway.
I made a dreadful mistake.
I made a very bad mistake.
Replacing "very big"
8. Enormous — for things massively larger than expected
"Enormous" emphasizes huge size, especially when something exceeds normal expectations. An enormous house. An enormous responsibility. An enormous mistake. Works for both physical things and abstract concepts.
They live in an enormous house.
They live in a very big house.
This is an enormous opportunity.
This is a very big opportunity.
9. Massive — strong, modern, slightly informal
"Massive" is younger and more colloquial than "enormous." It's common in spoken English and writing aimed at general audiences. Use it for size, impact, or scope — a massive crowd, a massive change, a massive deal.
There was a massive crowd at the concert.
There was a very big crowd at the concert.
The company made a massive investment.
The company made a very big investment.
10. Vast — for great extent or scale
"Vast" works best for things with great extent or scope — a vast desert, vast knowledge, a vast difference. It's slightly more formal and tends to appear in writing more than speech.
She has vast experience in marketing.
She has very big experience in marketing.
The vast majority agreed with the decision.
The very big majority agreed with the decision.
Replacing "very tired"
11. Exhausted — completely without energy
"Exhausted" is the standard upgrade from "very tired." It implies you've used up all your energy. Use it for physical, mental, or emotional tiredness. After exercise, after work, after a long day: "I'm exhausted."
I'm completely exhausted after the meeting.
I'm very tired after the meeting.
She looked exhausted when she got home.
She looked very tired when she got home.
12. Drained — emotionally or mentally tired
"Drained" specifically suggests emotional or mental fatigue rather than physical. After a difficult conversation. After a stressful week. When you feel like your energy has been pulled out of you.
That conversation left me drained.
That conversation left me very tired.
I feel drained after dealing with their problems.
I feel very tired after dealing with their problems.
Replacing other "very + adjective" patterns
13. Stunning — instead of "very beautiful"
"Stunning" implies that beauty stops you in your tracks — surprising, captivating beauty. Works for landscapes, photographs, performances, and people. Stronger and more vivid than "very beautiful."
The view from the hotel is stunning.
The view from the hotel is very beautiful.
She wore a stunning dress to the wedding.
She wore a very beautiful dress to the wedding.
14. Crucial — instead of "very important"
"Crucial" suggests something is essential or decisive — not just important, but important to the point that everything depends on it. A crucial decision, a crucial moment, crucial evidence.
It's crucial that we finish this on time.
It's very important that we finish this on time.
Communication is crucial in any relationship.
Communication is very important in any relationship.
15. Hilarious — instead of "very funny"
"Hilarious" describes something so funny it makes you laugh out loud — not just amusing, but laugh-until-you-cry funny. Use it for jokes, situations, movies, and stories.
His jokes were hilarious.
His jokes were very funny.
That movie was absolutely hilarious.
That movie was very very funny.
How to make these adjectives stick
Reading this list won't help you remember any of them. Here's what works: pick three adjectives from this list right now and use each one in a sentence today — out loud or in writing. Tomorrow, pick three more. Within two weeks, all 15 will start appearing naturally in your speech.
When you watch English videos or read English texts, notice these words when they appear. Native speakers use them constantly — you've probably been ignoring them because you didn't feel ownership of the words. Now you do.
Find pairs of synonyms — including many of the adjectives from this article. Best at B1-B2 levels.
▷ Practice these adjectives in Memory MatchFrequently Asked Questions
Is it really wrong to say "very good"?
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How do I know which advanced adjective to choose?
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Should I avoid "very" completely?
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Are these adjectives too formal for everyday conversation?
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Final thoughts
Vocabulary is what separates fluent learners from advanced ones. Grammar opens the door; vocabulary lets you say something interesting once you're inside the room. The 15 adjectives in this article are some of the most useful upgrades available to ESL learners — and they're all words native speakers actually use.
Pick three to use this week. Make them yours. Then come back for three more. In a few months, your English will sound dramatically more advanced — not because you learned new grammar, but because you stopped saying "very good."