One of my most popular videos was one I
did two years ago and it was called 21
ways to avoid using the word VERY. Now,
the objective of the video was to help
students use more advanced vocabulary
instead of using the word VERY plus a
simple adjective. So, instead of saying
"I'm very hungry" they could say "I'm
starving" or "I'm ravenous". This type of
vocabulary is more advanced, it helps you
look more like a native speaker and if
you're doing an exam it's going to help
you get a better mark. At the end of that
video I asked my viewers to write their
comments of a word for VERY GOOD, and the response was incredible.
So many people replied, I think it's my
video on YouTube that has the most
comments, and I got some really really
good answers. So in this video I'm going
to share the answers I got from my
wonderful viewers like you, so we're
going to look at 22 different ways of
saying good.
Before I start, why do we want to avoid
saying good? Isn't GOOD an easy and good
word for everything? Yes, it is! But it's
too easy and it's too general. If you're
doing an English exam, it's good advice
to avoid the word "good" and avoid the
word "nice". These are just some general
easy words that can apply to anything
and if you use a more advanced word for
GOOD it's going to give a better
impression of your English. So let's go...
Don't say GOOD, instead say one of these
22 alternatives...
Great – great. This is a common word and
also a pretty basic step up from GOOD.
Excellent – again a very common word and
probably a step up from GREAT!
Amazing – amazing. This is really common in British
English. The thing I like about AMAZING
is that you can make it even more
amazing by just making the 'A' longer...
Amaaaaaazing! Hey Greg how's that steak?
Amazing! Hey Greg, how's that steak?
Amaaaaaaazing!
Brilliant – brilliant is a word we
use all the time in British English. In
fact, it's a really, really British way of
saying very, very good.
Brilliant!
Super – super. And superb – superb.
Watch the stressed syllable. Super – super. But superb – superb.
Fantastic – fantastic.
Did you have a good holiday? Yeah, fantastic!
Wonderful – wonderful.
Fabulous – fabulous. Did you what to the English series back in the 90s called Absolutely
Fabulous? Absolutely fabulous – fabulous, darling. Fabulous!
Marvelous – marvelous.
Marvelous. And splendid – splendid. I think this is quite a formal word or maybe just
old-fashioned. I personally don't say
SPLENDID too much but I think my dad
does. Splendid. OK, all those words in my
opinion mean VERY GOOD. But the next seven mean very, very, very, very, very, good. OK,
really, really, really good. Let's go!
Awesome – awesome. Now, in British English,
AWESOME means really, really, good.
I remember, however, when I went to live
in the States, I went to Starbucks and
the barista said to me, "Do you want milk
with that?" and I said, "Yes, please".
And he said "Awesome!"... I thought, 'Really?...
Awesome??' The thing is that in American
English they use AWESOME all the time...
similar to how British people say
BRILLIANT all the time. In British
English, AWESOME is really, really, really,
really good.
Another one is outstanding – outstanding.
Or spectacular – spectacular – spectacular.
We also have exceptional – exceptional –
exceptional. That's close to perfection.
Exceptional – as is exquisite – exquisite. I
remember when I was in school and the
teacher told me that EXQUISITE was the
very, very best a thing could be.
Exquisite. Another one is terrific – terrific.
How was your brother's wedding? Oh it was terrific!
And finally: out of this world!
Out of this world – so good it was out of
this world! I like a lot of these words
because you can really really get some
feeling when you say them, you know?
How was it? Spectacular! No... How was it? SPECTACULAR! There you go! How was your
holiday? FANTASTIC! Did you have a good birthday?
MARVELLOUS!! Did you have a good birthday? OUTSTANDING! OK, four more for you which are
kind of slang English... don't write them
in your English essays, but we use them
all the time in spoken slang English.
Smashing – smashing. Again, that's a really
British word. Smashing!
Wicked – wicked really means evil which is the complete
opposite of GOOD, but for many, many years now we use
WICKED as a slang way of saying amazing.
Ace – ace. Perhaps a slightly more outdated
slang word, but still it's a good way to
say really good. ACE! Did you enjoy the
film? Yeah, it was ace!
And finally... quality!
Quality. Did you see that goal? Yeah,
it was quality!
Download my free book
English Quick Fix. It's a FANTASTIC book
which is gonna help you speak MARVELLOUS
English. I hope you've enjoyed this video
I hope it has been AMAZING and if it has,
give me a thumbs up because that would
be OUT OF THIS WORLD! And before you go, I
want you to reply in the comments with
your words for VERY VERY BAD. Thanks for
being here I'll see you in the next
English lesson... Bye for now!
