250 Power Words and Action Verbs for Your Resume

Power words grab attention and give your essay, resume, or story life.

We all have access to the same 26 letters in the alphabet and all the words in the dictionary. But few people bother to find the right words. 

Your words don’t have to be original, but they must be relevant, diverse, and engaging. With a few extra minutes of effort, you can leap ahead of the crowd.

Whether you’re writing a book, blog, essay, or resume, you need the right words for a persuasive argument. Choose your words wisely.

A blue sky, headline "200 Power Words and Action Verbs for Your Resume"

 

Resume Power Words 

Help your resume stand out and highlight your value and potential.

 

You Lead a Team or Project

  1. Chaired
  2. Controlled
  3. Coordinated
  4. Conducted
  5. Delegated
  6. Directed
  7. Executed
  8. Fostered
  9. Guided
  10. Headed
  11. Mentored
  12. Mobilized
  13. Operated
  14. Orchestrated
  15. Organized
  16. Oversaw
  17. Piloted
  18. Planned
  19. Produced
  20. Programmed
  21. Spearheaded
  22. Trained

 

You Brought a Project or Organization to Life (Creativity)

  1. Administered
  2. Assembled
  3. Built
  4. Charted
  5. Crafted
  6. Created
  7. Designed
  8. Developed
  9. Devised
  10. Determined
  11. Drafted
  12. Founded
  13. Engineered
  14. Established
  15. Forged
  16. Formalized
  17. Formed
  18. Formulated
  19. Implemented
  20. Incorporated
  21. Initiated
  22. Invented
  23. Instituted
  24. Introduced
  25. Launched
  26. Pioneered
  27. Produced
  28. Spearheaded

 

You Were Efficient

  1. Conserved
  2. Consolidated
  3. Decreased
  4. Deducted
  5. Diagnosed
  6. Lessened
  7. Preserved
  8. Reconciled
  9. Reduced
  10. Yielded

 

You Increased Sales or Efficiency

  1. Accelerated
  2. Achieved
  3. Advanced
  4. Amplified
  5. Boosted
  6. Capitalized
  7. Charged
  8. Delivered
  9. Elevated
  10. Enhanced
  11. Expanded
  12. Expedited
  13. Furthered
  14. Gained
  15. Generated
  16. Hastened
  17. Ignited
  18. Improved
  19. Lifted
  20. Maximized
  21. Outpaced
  22. Rallied
  23. Stimulated
  24. Sustained

 

You Improved or Changed Something

  1. Accelerated
  2. Advanced
  3. Amended
  4. Amplified
  5. Boosted
  6. Centralized
  7. Clarified
  8. Completed
  9. Converted
  10. Customized
  11. Delivered
  12. Enacted
  13. Enhanced
  14. Expanded
  15. Expedited
  16. Grew
  17. Influenced
  18. Integrated
  19. Lifted
  20. Maximized
  21. Merged
  22. Modernized
  23. Modified
  24. Overhauled
  25. Polished
  26. Raised
  27. Redesigned
  28. Refined
  29. Refocused
  30. Rehabilitated
  31. Rejuvenated
  32. Remodeled
  33. Renovated
  34. Reorganized
  35. Replaced
  36. Restored
  37. Restructured
  38. Revamped
  39. Revised
  40. Revitalized
  41. Saved
  42. Simplified
  43. Standardized
  44. Stimulated
  45. Streamlined
  46. Strengthened
  47. Transformed
  48. Updated
  49. Upgraded

 

You Managed a Project or Team

  1. Aligned
  2. Coached
  3. Counseled
  4. Cultivated
  5. Directed
  6. Educated
  7. Enabled
  8. Facilitated
  9. Fostered
  10. Guided
  11. Hired
  12. Inspired
  13. Mentored
  14. Mobilized
  15. Motivated
  16. Primed
  17. Recruited
  18. Regulated
  19. Shaped
  20. Supervised
  21. Supported
  22. Taught
  23. Trained
  24. Unified
  25. United

 

You Brought in Funding, Resources, or Partners

  1. Acquired
  2. Forged
  3. Gathered
  4. Navigated
  5. Negotiated
  6. Obtained
  7. Partnered
  8. Secured

 

You Helped Clients or Customers

  1. Advised
  2. Advocated
  3. Alleviated
  4. Arbitrated
  5. Coached
  6. Consulted
  7. Educated
  8. Fielded
  9. Informed
  10. Resolved

 

You Researched

  1. Analyzed
  2. Assessed
  3. Assembled
  4. Assessed
  5. Audited
  6. Calculated
  7. Checked
  8. Discovered
  9. Evaluated
  10. Examined
  11. Explored
  12. Identified
  13. Inspected
  14. Interpreted
  15. Investigated
  16. Mapped
  17. Measured
  18. Probed
  19. Proved
  20. Qualified
  21. Quantified
  22. Studied
  23. Surveyed
  24. Tested
  25. Tracked

 

You Communicated

  1. Advised
  2. Advocated
  3. Authored
  4. Briefed
  5. Campaigned
  6. Clarified
  7. Co-authored
  8. Composed
  9. Consulted
  10. Conveyed
  11. Convinced
  12. Corresponded
  13. Counseled
  14. Critiqued
  15. Defined
  16. Documented
  17. Edited
  18. Explained
  19. Fielded
  20. Illustrated
  21. Influenced
  22. Informed
  23. Lobbied
  24. Mediated
  25. Moderated
  26. Negotiated
  27. Persuaded
  28. Promoted
  29. Publicized
  30. Published
  31. Reviewed

 

You Were Responsible

  1. Authorized
  2. Blocked
  3. Delegated
  4. Dispatched
  5. Enforced
  6. Ensured
  7. Inspected
  8. Itemized
  9. Monitored
  10. Prevented
  11. Screened
  12. Scrutinized
  13. Verified

 

You Were Successful

  1. Achieved
  2. Attained
  3. Awarded
  4. Completed
  5. Demonstrated
  6. Earned
  7. Exceeded
  8. Finished
  9. Outperformed
  10. Outpaced
  11. Reached
  12. Showcased
  13. Succeeded
  14. Surpassed
  15. Targeted
  16. Won

 

A man holding a inner tube walking into a wall of water, headline "900+ Rare Power Words to Make Your Story Epic "
Photo by Oliver Sjöström from Pexels

 

Power Words for Writing An Essay, Story, Article, Blog, or Book

Look for a word you want to use, like “improve,” and search for a relevant synonym. Look for a word that better illustrates your point and gives variety to your writing. Similar words can have the same meaning but create a more vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

People searching for an answer or a story to read want something relevant and interesting. Find the right word that will seize your reader’s attention.

Over a thousand words are in these lists, but some are cliché. I included them because they give context to similar but less common words you can pull for your writing.

 

Instant Action

Advance Amp Animate Bang Blast Boost Breakthrough Buoy Burn Bust Crack Create Dash Dispatch Drive Electrify Elevate Encourage Energize Exhilarate Expand Expedite Fire Flap Flare-up Galvanize Hasten Heave Heighten Hike Hit the ground running Hurry Ignite Inpatient Improve Inspire  Inspirit Jump Jumpstart Kickstart Kindle Launch Lead Lift Light Move-up Peal Promote Prompt Push Quick-start Rally Raise Revamp Revivify Roar Rush Slam Smash Speed Supercharge Smuggle Step-up Stir-up Thrust Trumpet Turbo-charge Unlock Up Upgrade Wail Wake up Wax Wham Whirl.

 

Improve

Advance Ameliorate Amend Augment Better Boost Civilize Come around Convalesce Correct Cultivate Develop Doctor up Edit Elevate Emend Enhance Gain ground Help Increase Lift Look up Make Strides Meliorate Mend Perk up Pick up Polish Progress Promote Purify Raise Rally Recover Rectify Recuperate Refine Reform Revamp Revise Rise Set right Shape up Sharpen Skyrocket Straighten out Take off Touch up Turn the corner Update Upgrade

 

Best

Absolute A-1 Ace Beyond Compare Boss Capital Champion Chief Choicest Coolest Excellent Finest First-class First-choice Flawless Foremost Greatest Highest Incomparable Inimitable Leading Marvelous Matchless Maximum Nonpareil Optimum Out-of-sight Outstanding Paramount Peerless Perfect Predominant Preeminent Premium Prevailing Prime Primo Principal Sans Pareil Second to none Sovereign Super Superb Supreme Surpassing Terrific Tap Top-drawer Towering Transcendent Ultimate Unequaled Unmatched Unparalleled Unrivaled Unsurpassed Utmost

 

Memorable

Amazing Bizarre Captivate Catchy Critical Crucial Curious Embarrassing Enduring Epic Eventful Exceptional Extraordinary Famous Genius Great Historic Illustrious  Important Impressive Inconceivable Indelible Interesting Major-league Marvelous Meaningful Memorable Mind-blowing Momentous Monumental Notable Odd Out of the ordinary Unbelievable Phenomenal Rare Red-letter Remarkable Strange Stunning Terrible Terrific Timeless Top-drawer Undeniable Unforgettable Unheard of Unimaginable Unique Unpopular Unthinkable Unusual Unprecedented Wicked

 

Happiness

Alive Blissful Contentment Delightful Ebullient Enchanting Euphoric Exhilarating Funny Gleeful Joyful Happy Healthy Heartwarming Inspiring Light Optimistic Peace of mind Playful Pleasing Profound Prosperous Seventh Heaven Well-being Zen

 

Prestigious

Authoritative Cachete Esteemed Dignified Expensive Glamorous Luxurious Status

 

Beauty

Adorable Alluring, Attractive Awe-Inspiring, Beautiful Blooming, Breathtaking Charming, Classy Dazzling, Delicate Elegant, Graceful Gorgeous, Polished Refined, Stylish Stunning, swoon-worthy

 

Lust

Begging Crave Decadent Delirious Fantasy Forbidden Irresistible Naked Provocative Seductive Sensual Sexy Sinful Tantalizing Satisfy

 

Indulgence

Excessive Extravagant Gratifying Guilt Guilt-free Hedonistic Indulgent Lazy Obsessed Pampering Permissive Pleasing Ravenous Spoiling Unnecessary

 

Excitement

Appealing Arousing Astonishing Bold Breathtaking Dangerous Dramatic Electrifying Exciting Exhilarating Eye-popping Fascinating Flashy Heady Hectic Impelling Impressive Interesting Intoxicating Intriguing Lively Mind-blowing Moving Overpowering Overwhelming Provocative Racy Rip-roaring Riveting Rousing Sensational Showy Spine-tingling Stimulating Stirring Tempting Thrilling Titillating Transforming Wild Zestful

 

Novelty

Challenge Change Crazy Creative Discover Extraordinary Fresh Hack Innovative Latest Life-changing Magic Miracle Modern Mutations New Novel Odd Oddball Original Recent Remarkable Revolutionary Sensational Shocking Spoiler Startling Strange Suddenly Surprising Uncommon Unexpected Unfamiliar Unique Unusual Weird

 

Simplicity

Basic Cheat-Sheet Child’s play Cinch Clean Easy Effortless Elementary Facile Incomplex Ingredients Intelligible Light Lucid Manageable Mild Minimalist No problem No sweat On-Demand Painless Picnic Piece of cake Plain Rules Savvy Simple Smooth Snap Straightforward Step-by-Step Stupid-simple Transparent Tricks Tweaks Uncomplicated Unmistakeable Untroublesome

 

Sadness

Alarming Anguish Blahs Crushing Dead Deceptive Dejection Demoralizing Devastating Despondent Dismal Dispirited Dolor Downer Dysphoric Excruciating Exposed Funk Gloom Grief Heartache Heartbreaking Heavy Heart Hopeless Letdown Listlessness Melancholy Misery Mopes Mourning Poignant Problem Sadly Shaming Sorrow Suffer Tribulation The blues The dumps Woe

 

Savage

Agonizing Apocalypse Archaic Armageddon Attack Barbarian Barbaric Battle Bestial Brutal Brute Crazy Corrupt Crude  Deadly Disgusting DyingFeral Ferocious Fierce Fight Frenzy Harsh Hate Hell Horribly Horrifying Insane Insult Loath Lunatic Menacing Painful Poison Primitive Rough Rustic Rowdy Rude Rugged Sabotaging Savage Sins Struggle Traumatized Treacherous  Uncontrollable Turbulent Uncivilized Uncultured Unrestrained  Vicious Violent Weak Wild

 

Completeness

All Best Better Completely Copy Deep Detailed Entire Essential Exhaustive Extremely Faultless Fulfilled Full Full-dress Hook line, and sinker, Impenetrable imperforate Intact Integral Integrated Lock stock and barrel Master Meticulous Organic Outright Overcome Packed Painstaking Perfect Plenary Practical Recreate Replete Replicate Relentless Step-by-Step Super The works Thorough Thoroughgoing Truly Ultimate Unabbreviated Unabridged Unbroken Uncondensed Uncut Undiminished Undivided Unexpurgated Unimpaired Unitary Unreduced Undocked Unlocked Whole Whole enchilada Whole nine yards Whole-hog Whole-length

 

Large

Behemothic Bulky Colossal Cosmic Cyclopean Elephantine Enormous Extensive Force Gargantuan Giant Gigantic Grave Great Gripping Heavy Huge Humongous Immeasurable  Immense Intense Jumbo Leviathan Lusty Magnificent Mammoth Massive Mighty Mondo Monstrous Mountainous Outsized Oversized Planetary Pressure Prodigious Seriously Severe Significant Stupendous Tall Titanic Towering Tremendous Vast Walloping Weight Whopping

 

For Important (Convincing Argument)

Big Critical Compelling Crucial Decisive Essential Extensive Far-reaching Great Imperative Influential Large Meaningful Necessary Paramount Pregnant Relevant Representative Rich Serious Significant Urgent Valid Vital Weighty

 

Significant

Cogent Compelling Convincing Denoting Eloquent Expressing Expressive Facund Forceful Heavy Indicative  Important Momentous Powerful Serious Symbolic

 

Greed

Acquisitiveness Affordable Avarice Avidity Bargain Barrage Bonus Budget Cheap Convert Covetousness Craving Cupidity Double Drive Eagerness Edacity Envy Esurience Excess Free Gluttony Gormandizing Graspingness Hunger Immediately Increase Indulgence Insatiable Instantly Intemperance Longing Lucrative Master Money Never Now Off-limits Overnight Rapacity Ravenousness Piggishness Profit Promote Sale Selfish Steal Swinish Today The gimmies Triple Unlimited Voracity.

 

Humor

Amusement Badinage Banter Clowning Comic Comedic Farce Flippant Fun Funniest Gag High spirits Hilarious Jesting Joke Joyful Kidding Laugh Playful  Ridiculous Whimsy Wisecrack Witticisms Witty

 

Authority

Absolute Ascendancy All-Inclusive Authentic Authoritative Authority Backed Beef Bona fide Charge Clout Command Complete Comprehensive Conclusive Credit Definitive Document Domination Dominion Edge Esteem Expert Final Force Formula Genuine Goods Government Guaranteed Guts Honest Influence Iron-clad Juice Jump License Jurisdiction Legitimate Literally Masterclass Mastery Might Muscle Official Permission Permit Pizzazz Pow Powerful Powerhouse Prerogative Prestige  Proven Psychological Punch Reliable Report Research Results Right Ropes Rule Say Say-so Solution Steam Strategy Strength Studies Stuff Supremacy Surefire Sway Validate Warrant Weight Word Zap Leg up Might and main Strong arm Upper hand What it takes Whip hand

 

Exclusive

Absolute Admit Aloof Aristocratic Breaking Chic Choice Chosen Circumscribed Classy Cliquish Closed Complete Confess Confined Confession Discriminative  Divulge Elegant Elite Emerging Entire Exclusive Fashionable First Full Hidden Independent Insider Licensed Little-known Limited Narrow New Only Particular Peculiar Preferential Popular Posh Priceless Private Privileged Prohibitive Rare Release Restrictive Reveal Ritzy Secret Segregated Selective Single Sly Sneak-Peek Sneaky Snobbish Socially correct Sole Special Stealthy Swank Total Trend Truth Unadulterated Unconventional Uncovered Undercover Underused Unique Unseen Undivided Untapped Upper crust Whole

 

Pride

Absurd Achieve Awkward Blunder Clueless Cringeworthy Delight Dignity Dumb Fail Ego Egotistic Face Fail-Proof Failure Faux Pas Fool Foolish Gratification Happiness Honor  Idiot Joy Lame Last Mediocre Mistake Obvious Pitiful Pleasure Pridefulness Reject Repletion Rookie Ruin Satisfaction Self-confidence Self-love Self-regard Self-respect Self-satisfaction Self-sufficiency Self-trust  Self-worth Senseless Shameful Silly Stupid Success Sufficiency Threaten

 

Mind-blowing

Alarming Alluring Amazing Astonishing Astounding Awful Awesome Badass Beautiful Bomb Breathtaking Brilliant Catapulting Charming Consciousness-expanding Crazy Defying Delicious Delightful Dominant  Dreamy Electric Epic Explosive Exquisite Eye-opening Eye-popping Fascinating Fearsome Formidable Freaky Frightening Grand Great Hallucinatory Heavenly Horrifying Imposing Impressive Incredible Intimidating Jaw-dropping Kickass Legendary Magnetic Majestic Marvelous Mesmerizing Mind-altering Mind-bending Mind-blowing Mind-boggling Mind-changing Mouth-watering Overwhelming Prodigious Psychedelic Shocking Something else Spellbinding Startling Striking Stupefying Stunning Sublime Surprising Terrifying Triumphant Unbelievable Unleashed Wonderful Wondrous Zero cool

 

Mysterious

Abstruse Alchemistic Arcane Astrological Baffling Cabalistic Covert Cryptic Curious Dark Difficult Enigmatic Enigmatical Equivocal Esoteric Furtive Hidden Impenetrable Incomprehensible Inexplicable Inscrutable Insoluble Intriguing Magical Mystical Mystifying Necromantic Obscure Occult  Oracular Perplexing Puzzling Recondite Secretive Sphinxlike Spiritual Strange Subjective Symbolic Transcendental Uncanny Unfathomable Unknowable Unknown Unnatural Veiled Weird

 

Rare

Attenuated Deficient Extraordinary Few Few and far between Flimsy Inconceivable Infrequent Isolated Light Limited Occasional Out of the ordinary Rarefied Recherché Scanty Scarce Scattered Seldom Semioccasional Short Singular Sparse Sporadic Strange Subtle Tenuous Thin Unheard of Unimaginable Unique Unlikely Unthinkable Unusual Unwonted

 

Badass Synonyms

agitator demagogue dissident fighter frondeur rebel renegade sparkplug

 

A beach on a sunny day, "Best Synonyms: List of Words Instead of Best"

 

Crave Synonyms

Ache for Covet Cry out for Die for Dream Eat one’s heart out Fancy Give eyeteeth for Hunger for Itch for Long for Lust after Need Pine for Require Sigh for Spoil for Surprise Thirst for Want Yearn for Yen for

 

Forceful Synonyms

ball of fire bullish cogent coming on strong commanding compelling constraining convincing dominant dynamic electric elemental energetic forcible gutsy mighty persuasive pithy potent powerhouse puissant punch punchy steamroller stringent strong take-charge take-over telling titanic vehement vigorous violent virile weighty

 

Uncivilized Synonyms

Barbarian Barbaric Barbarous Boorish Brutish Churlich Coarse Crass Crude Discourteous Disrespectful Gross Ill-bred Impertinent Impolite Loutish Mannerless Outrageous Philistine Primitive Rude Rugged Savage Unconscionable Uncontrolled Uncouth Uncultured Uneducated Ungodly Unholy Unmannered Unpolished Unrefined Unsophisticated Vulgar Wicked

 

Books on Writing

  • On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser is a good place to start if you want to write nonfiction. In it, you will learn to simplify your writing while still making a compelling argument. I reread this book once or twice a year to polish my writing skills.
  • On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King describes what it takes to be a writer. Writing is what you do every day. It is what you earn. He recommends reading within your niche and learning and practicing the rules of writing until they come naturally.

  • The Elements of Style by William Strunk is a simple but thorough handbook that covers the principles of composition, grammar, and writing style. Learn and practice these rules if you want to be a serious writer.

Want to make friends? Please share this post with someone looking for work or improving their writing.

 

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9 thoughts on “250 Power Words and Action Verbs for Your Resume”

  1. Very interesting post! I haven’t ever seen a post like this haha but it’s so original and helpful. I’ll save it for later and use the words, thanks a lot!
    I recently published a motivational post, if you could take a look:
    https://mzukowskiblog.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/stop-thinking-what-will-happen-start-thinking-what-wont-happen/
    I usually post about fitness, health and motivation. Could you leave a like and follow if you enjoyed the post 🙂
    Also, I’m making a FaceBook Page soon and I’m trying to grow my audience, do you have FaceBook?
    Great writing once again, keep it up!

    1. Thank you, I’ve spent a lot of time researching and writing this post. I will check your post out soon. And You can find me @agelessinvesting on Facebook.

    2. I like the comment where you said we all have access to the same 26 letters it’s true. We also have access to the internet but lots of us failed to adequately prepare for an interview. Thanks for sharing this comprehensive list.

  2. Pingback: Essay On Something That Changed Your Life – hoganoutletols

  3. 07 Jan. 2020 Love this, I’m sure it will make my letter and Story Telling A Lot Easier!

    Thanks and Best Wishes for A Great New Year with all God’s Best Blessings!

    Robert Bobby Briggs USN Retired.

    AKA Bobby The Sea Going Hillbilly in Harriman, TN 37748.

  4. This was the most interesting post I’ve seen. I. Always looking for words to learn and replacement words. Thanks for this i appreciated it. I would love a pdf of this.

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