The Word “Very”

A reader asks: We seem to overuse the word “very.” Can you comment on that?

Sure.  Excellent point.  It’s because most people’s vocabularies are limited and they’re too lazy to look for the proper word. For most adjectives, say “large,” there is another, perhaps “gargantuan,” that intensifies it without the need for “very.”

I try to use what I believe to be the right word, while not coming off as pompous.