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. You can leap ahead of the crowd with a few extra minutes of effort.
Whether you’re writing a book, blog, essay, or resume, you need the right words for a persuasive argument. Choose your words wisely.
Resume Power Words
Help your resume stand out and highlight your value and potential.
You Lead a Team or Project
- Chaired
- Controlled
- Coordinated
- Conducted
- Delegated
- Directed
- Executed
- Fostered
- Guided
- Headed
- Mentored
- Mobilized
- Operated
- Orchestrated
- Organized
- Oversaw
- Piloted
- Planned
- Produced
- Programmed
- Spearheaded
- Trained
You Brought a Project or Organization to Life (Creativity)
- Administered
- Assembled
- Built
- Charted
- Crafted
- Created
- Designed
- Developed
- Devised
- Determined
- Drafted
- Founded
- Engineered
- Established
- Forged
- Formalized
- Formed
- Formulated
- Implemented
- Incorporated
- Initiated
- Invented
- Instituted
- Introduced
- Launched
- Pioneered
- Produced
- Spearheaded
You Were Efficient
- Conserved
- Consolidated
- Decreased
- Deducted
- Diagnosed
- Lessened
- Preserved
- Reconciled
- Reduced
- Yielded
You Increased Sales or Efficiency
- Accelerated
- Achieved
- Advanced
- Amplified
- Boosted
- Capitalized
- Charged
- Delivered
- Elevated
- Enhanced
- Expanded
- Expedited
- Furthered
- Gained
- Generated
- Hastened
- Ignited
- Improved
- Lifted
- Maximized
- Outpaced
- Rallied
- Stimulated
- Sustained
You Improved or Changed Something
- Accelerated
- Advanced
- Amended
- Amplified
- Boosted
- Centralized
- Clarified
- Completed
- Converted
- Customized
- Delivered
- Enacted
- Enhanced
- Expanded
- Expedited
- Grew
- Influenced
- Integrated
- Lifted
- Maximized
- Merged
- Modernized
- Modified
- Overhauled
- Polished
- Raised
- Redesigned
- Refined
- Refocused
- Rehabilitated
- Rejuvenated
- Remodeled
- Renovated
- Reorganized
- Replaced
- Restored
- Restructured
- Revamped
- Revised
- Revitalized
- Saved
- Simplified
- Standardized
- Stimulated
- Streamlined
- Strengthened
- Transformed
- Updated
- Upgraded
You Managed a Project or Team
- Aligned
- Coached
- Counseled
- Cultivated
- Directed
- Educated
- Enabled
- Facilitated
- Fostered
- Guided
- Hired
- Inspired
- Mentored
- Mobilized
- Motivated
- Primed
- Recruited
- Regulated
- Shaped
- Supervised
- Supported
- Taught
- Trained
- Unified
- United
You Brought in Funding, Resources, or Partners
- Acquired
- Forged
- Gathered
- Navigated
- Negotiated
- Obtained
- Partnered
- Secured
You Helped Clients or Customers
- Advised
- Advocated
- Alleviated
- Arbitrated
- Coached
- Consulted
- Educated
- Fielded
- Informed
- Resolved
You Researched
- Analyzed
- Assessed
- Assembled
- Assessed
- Audited
- Calculated
- Checked
- Discovered
- Evaluated
- Examined
- Explored
- Identified
- Inspected
- Interpreted
- Investigated
- Mapped
- Measured
- Probed
- Proved
- Qualified
- Quantified
- Studied
- Surveyed
- Tested
- Tracked
You Communicated
- Advised
- Advocated
- Authored
- Briefed
- Campaigned
- Clarified
- Co-authored
- Composed
- Consulted
- Conveyed
- Convinced
- Corresponded
- Counseled
- Critiqued
- Defined
- Documented
- Edited
- Explained
- Fielded
- Illustrated
- Influenced
- Informed
- Lobbied
- Mediated
- Moderated
- Negotiated
- Persuaded
- Promoted
- Publicized
- Published
- Reviewed
You Were Responsible
- Authorized
- Blocked
- Delegated
- Dispatched
- Enforced
- Ensured
- Inspected
- Itemized
- Monitored
- Prevented
- Screened
- Scrutinized
- Verified
You Were Successful
- Achieved
- Attained
- Awarded
- Completed
- Demonstrated
- Earned
- Exceeded
- Finished
- Outperformed
- Outpaced
- Reached
- Showcased
- Succeeded
- Surpassed
- Targeted
- Won
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
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.
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