Guide 86 / 200 5 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “really”
Five precise intensifiers to replace "really."
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Really" is verbal filler — a shrug that sounds like emphasis. Written down, it weakens the sentence. Reach for a word that says how much: "markedly," "substantially," "meaningfully," or drop the intensifier entirely.
ii · The swaps5 ways
- 01Markedly formal
clearly measurable change
Churn fell markedly in March.
- 02Substantially neutral
a large amount
Substantially reduces processing time.
- 03Meaningfully neutral
enough to matter
Meaningfully improved the retry logic.
- 04Notably formal
worth calling out
Notably faster than the prior build.
- 05Considerably neutral
a generous amount
Considerably cheaper than the baseline.
iii · And what not to sayKeep this one
"Really really" is the clearest signal to delete and reword. If you need two intensifiers, you have the wrong verb.