Guide 08 / 200 6 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “big”
Five adjectives that tell the reader what kind of big — size, importance, or impact.
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Big" is a size word the reader can't picture. Prefer "substantial" for measurable size, "significant" for importance, "major" for prominence, "considerable" for effort or degree. Leave "big" for idiom.
ii · The swaps6 ways
- 01Substantial formal
meaningful quantity or extent
A substantial drop in bounce rate.
- 02Significant formal
importance, not just size
A significant shift in user behaviour.
- 03Considerable formal
effort, distance, degree
Considerable effort went into the rewrite.
- 04Major neutral
prominent among its kind
A major update rolls out tonight.
- 05Sizable neutral
concrete, measurable bigness
A sizable budget uplift.
- 06Extensive formal
broad in scope
Extensive testing on staging.