Words To Avoid In Formal Writing

noun talk that is long-winded, rambling, or nonsensical

verb to talk long-windedly, ramble, or speak nonsense

• The speaker continued to blather on about irrelevant topics during the conference.
• I can't stand when people just blather on and on without getting to the point.
• Stop blathering and just tell me what you want already!
• The wind seemed to blather through the trees, whispering secrets to those who listened.

adjective lacking sensitivity, refinement, or intelligence

• His crass behavior at the gala was highly inappropriate.
• I can't believe how crass he was acting at the party.
• She's always been a bit crass, but we love her for it.
• The crass way he handled the situation left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

noun a state of being crude or unrefined

• The crudity of his language was not acceptable in a professional setting.
• I can't believe the crudity of his jokes at the party last night.
• The crudity of that movie was off the charts.
• The crudity of the situation left a bitter taste in my mouth.

noun nonsense or foolish talk or thinking

verb to talk nonsense or foolishly

• The professor dismissed the student's essay as nothing but drivel.
• I can't stand listening to his constant drivel about the weather.
• Stop talking drivel and get to the point.
• Her mind was filled with drivel, unable to focus on anything important.

adjective showing a lack of respect or seriousness; frivolously disrespectful

• Her flippant attitude towards the serious matter was concerning.
• Stop being so flippant about the situation, it's not a joke.
• She always has a flippant response ready to go.
• His flippant disregard for authority eventually caught up with him.

adjective excessively flattering or insincere; offensive to good taste; especially excessive and insincere flattery

• The speaker delivered a fulsome speech praising the achievements of the organization.
• She gave a fulsome thanks to everyone who helped her with the project.
• His fulsome compliments made her blush.
• The garden was in fulsome bloom, with flowers of every color.

noun a thick, durable twilled cloth with a short nap, usually dyed in dark colors

adjective relating to or characteristic of pompous or pretentious speech or writing

• The author's use of fustian language in his writing style may appeal to a certain audience.
• I find it hard to understand all that fustian talk in the book.
• Why do you always use fustian words when you talk? Just keep it simple!
• His speech was full of fustian, but lacked any real substance.

noun behavior that is not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper

adjective indecorous (not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper)

• The ambassador's behavior at the state dinner was considered indecorum by the other guests.
• She was shocked by the indecorum of his loud outburst during the meeting.
• I can't believe the indecorum of that guy at the party last night.
• The painting's use of bright colors may be seen as indecorum in traditional art circles.

adjective self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental; often through drunkenness

• The speaker's maudlin speech brought tears to the eyes of the audience.
• She always gets maudlin after a few glasses of wine.
• I can't handle his maudlin behavior when he's drunk.
• The movie's maudlin soundtrack added to the emotional impact of the scene.

adjective apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity

• The meretricious nature of the advertisement was evident in its exaggerated claims.
• She was tired of his meretricious compliments that never seemed genuine.
• I can't stand people who act all meretricious just to impress others.
• The painting's meretricious beauty failed to capture the true essence of the artist's emotions.

adjective excessively inflated or exaggerated; overly dramatic or sensationalized

• The media's coverage of the event was overblown and exaggerated.
• I think all the hype around that movie was totally overblown.
• The gossip about her new relationship is so overblown, it's ridiculous.
• His ego is so overblown, he thinks he's better than everyone else.

verb to elaborate or explain something in excessive detail or to an unnecessary extent

• The author tends to overelaborate on minor details in his writing.
• Don't overelaborate on your excuse, just keep it simple.
• Why do you always have to overelaborate everything?
• His speech was like a tangled web, overelaborate and confusing.

adverb to an excessive degree; too much

• She was criticized for spending overmuch time on social media.
• He eats overmuch junk food and wonders why he feels sick all the time.
• I think you're worrying overmuch about what others think of you.
• The weight of the world seemed overmuch for her to bear.

noun excessive self-esteem or exaggerated dignity; pretentiousness

• The speaker's pomposity was evident in the way he delivered his speech.
• His pomposity is getting on everyone's nerves.
• That guy's pomposity is off the charts.
• The pomposity of the old mansion gave it an air of grandeur.

noun the quality or state of being wordy, lengthy, or tedious in speech or writing

• The prolixity of the legal document made it difficult to understand.
• I couldn't finish reading the prolixity of that article, it was too long.
• I can't stand the prolixity of his speeches, he talks way too much.
• The prolixity of her excuses was a clear sign that she was lying.

noun something that is unnecessary or excessive

adjective exceeding what is necessary or required; unnecessary

• The additional information provided in the report was deemed superfluous and not necessary for decision-making.
• I think all those extra decorations on the cake are superfluous, but they do make it look nice.
• Why did you buy another pair of shoes? That's so superfluous!
• Her constant need for attention is like a superfluous layer of frosting on an already sweet cake.

adjective describing something that is boring, monotonous, or tiresome

• The process of data entry can be quite tedious and time-consuming.
• Filling out these forms is so tedious, I'd rather be doing anything else.
• Ugh, this task is so boring and tedious, I can't stand it.
• Listening to him drone on about his favorite topic was like enduring a tedious lecture.

adjective not appropriate or suitable for a particular person or occasion

• His behavior at the gala was deemed unbefitting of a gentleman.
• Wearing jeans to a wedding is just unbefitting.
• Dude, that outfit is totally unbefitting for the club.
• The harsh punishment seemed unbefitting for such a minor offense.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'unimpressive' describes something that does not make a strong or favorable impact.

• The candidate's performance during the interview was unimpressive.
• The movie we saw last night was pretty unimpressive.
• That new restaurant everyone is talking about? It's totally unimpressive.
• His attempt to impress her with his cooking skills was unimpressive at best.

adjective not proper or appropriate; inappropriate or unsuitable

• His unseemly behavior at the dinner party was a topic of discussion among the guests.
• It's unseemly to talk loudly on your phone in a quiet restaurant.
• She was acting all unseemly at the club last night.
• The unseemly shadows of doubt clouded her mind as she made the decision.

noun excessive or unnecessary use of words, especially in a literary or formal context

• The contract was filled with unnecessary verbiage, making it difficult to understand.
• I can't stand reading all the verbiage in these legal documents.
• Why do they always have to use so much verbiage in their emails?
• Her speech was full of flowery verbiage, but lacked substance.

noun a term or expression considered to be crude, offensive, or inappropriate in language

• The use of vulgarism is considered inappropriate in professional settings.
• I was shocked by his constant use of vulgarism during the conversation.
• I can't believe she just dropped a vulgarism like that in front of everyone.
• His vulgarism was like a slap in the face, completely uncalled for.

noun the quality of being vulgar, lacking sophistication or good taste

• The author's use of vulgarity in the novel was seen as controversial by some critics.
• I can't believe she used such vulgarity in her speech!
• He was kicked out of the bar for his vulgarity towards the other patrons.
• The vulgarity of the situation was evident in the way they spoke to each other.

verb to make something vulgar or coarse in style or content

• It is important not to vulgarize the language when writing formal documents.
• Please don't vulgarize the conversation with inappropriate jokes.
• I can't believe he vulgarized that song by adding explicit lyrics.
• The artist's attempt to vulgarize the classic painting was met with criticism.

noun a person who speaks at length in a pompous or boastful manner

• The panel discussion was disrupted by the bloviator who dominated the conversation with his long-winded speeches.
• I can't stand that bloviator at work who never stops talking about himself.
• The bloviator at the party wouldn't shut up about his new car.
• Her writing style is often criticized as bloviating, with excessive words that don't add substance.

noun a game in which a flat stone is thrown across water so as to skip over the surface several times before sinking

verb to treat something casually or irresponsibly; to waste or squander something

• It is unprofessional to play ducks and drakes with company funds.
• Don't play ducks and drakes with your money, be responsible.
• Stop playing ducks and drakes with your resources, it's reckless.
• She felt like he was playing ducks and drakes with her emotions, never fully committing.