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For years, I decorated my copy with adjectives like 'impressive' and 'striking'—only to realize I was crushing the reader under an ornate yet sluggish pile of words.
In my early drafts, terrified that my words would fall short, I felt compelled to slap an adjective before every single noun. For years, I decorated my copy with modifiers like 'impressive,' 'striking,' and 'comprehensive.' I thought I was enriching the text; in reality, I was burying the reader under an ornate yet cumbersome pile of words. Writing "we achieved incredible growth" is effortless for the writer, but hollow for the reader. The reader cannot visualize why that growth was incredible.
Eventually, I recognized this flaw and ruthlessly purged every adjective from my drafts. Only nouns and verbs remained. The result? The writing became bone-dry and mechanical. Text analysis tools like Hemingway Editor restrict adverb and adjective usage to improve readability, pushing the writer to choose more specific, action-driven verbs. But my mistake wasn't deleting the adjectives—it was failing to replace them with potent action. When weak verbs (make, do, have, become) sit idle in the middle of a sentence, the writer reflexively falls back on adjectives to patch the meaning.
Swapping the formula of "weak verb + 3 adjectives" for a single specific and potent verb transforms the rhythm of your writing. Instead of saying "he ran in a very fast and furious manner," saying "he bolted" transfers the raw energy of the action directly to the reader. While adjectives tell the reader what to feel or think, strong verbs visualize the scene, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions (show, don't tell).
We are not banning adjectives altogether. Technical and specific adjectives that convey color, dimension, or a distinct clarifying attribute are functional and vital for clarity. However, if an adjective does not tangibly alter the noun's meaning—if it merely imposes the writer's emotion or commentary—it must be cut. I am not claiming this is an absolute dogma; rather, when you want to accelerate your copy, this condition delivers.
Once you finish a draft, highlight every adjective. Delete 80% of them, and find a single strong verb to carry their weight.