These Should Not Appear in Formal Writing!

These should not appear in formal writing!

¨ All abbreviations (ok, CA, ASAP, etc.)

¨ All contractions (won’t, didn’t, I’d, he’d)

¨ All slang (phat, bling, bunk) unless in dialogue

¨ Alot (wrong spelling anyway) or a lot

¨ Alright (two words: all right)

¨ Would of, could of, should of

(the correct form is “would have” or “could have”)

· ache
· bash
· bubble
· beep
· beam
· blister
· blink
· blare
· blind
· batter
· bicker
· babble
· crow
· cluck
· creep
· crackle
· cough
· clank
· chug
· chat
· cluck
· crunch
· cackle
· chant
· croon / · dribble
· dazzle
· drifted
· dance
· engulf
· entertain
· flail
· flume
· float
· flow
· flap
· flare
· flitter
· flop
· flicker
· glisten
· grind
· gun
· glide
· glare
· groan
· hoot
· hiss
· invite
· jump
· jerk / · kiss
· kick
· laugh
· leap
· light
· loan
· mumble
· mock
· moan
· munch
· nail
· pop
· pounce
· patter
· pile
· pound
· plop
· peep
· quack
· reflect
· roar
· rattle
· rumble
· shimmer
· shriek
· slosh
· sputter / · sizzle
· soar
· spin
· squawk
· spark
· smoke
· splash
· streak
· smash
· scold
· sail
· trill
· thump
· thunder
· twinkle
· whip
· whisk
· whir
· wail
· wink
· wheeze
· whistle
· yap
· yell
· zoom
· bolt
· bounce
· careen
· chase
· dart
· dash
· dive
· drive
· march
· parade / · drop
· flick
· fly
· gallop
· hurl
· hurry
· plummet
· plunge
· scuttle
· prance / · propel
· race
· ram
· rip
· rush
· sail
· scamper
· scramble
· bustle / · shove
· skip
· speed
· spin
· spring
· sprint
· streak
· stride
· scurry / · swerve
· smash
· swoop
· swift
· swing
· trot
· whisk
· zip
· zoom
· amble
· bend
· canter

· creep

· crawl

· drag

· drift

· droop

· edge
· heaven
· lift
· loiter / · lope
· lumber
· meander

· sneak

· plod

· saunter / · shuffle
· slink

· slouch

· soar
· stagger
· stroll
/ · stalk
· stray
· sway

· tiptoe

· waddle
· roam
· withdraw
· angular
· branching
· broken
· conical
· crimped
· crinkle
· curved
· cylindrical / · domed
· flat
· flared
· frilled
· globular
· hexagonal
· irregular
· jutting / · octagonal
· oval
· pyramidal
· rectangular
· round
· ruffled
· square
· tapering / · scalloped
· shapeless
· spilt
· spindly
· skinny
· thin
· top-heavy
· tubular / · triangular
· twiggy
· shapely
· wavy
· winged
· wiry
· intensely
· unusually
· immeasurably
· slightly
· exceedingly
· truly / · infinitely
· shockingly
· especially
· incredibly
· bitterly
· richly / · severely
· fully
· surely
· mightily
· chiefly
· shockingly
· especially
· accomplish
· achieve
· acquire
· act
· annoy
· approach
· arrive
· ask
· assassinate
· attain
· bag
· be
· become
· begat
· borrow
· bride
· bring
· build
· buy
· capture
· catch
· collect
· come
· comprehend
· conceive
· contract / · convince
· cook
· do
· drive
· dunk
· earn
· eat
· escape
· establish
· fetch
· find
· fix
· follow
· gain
· generate
· give
· go
· grab
· grasp
· hand
· help
· hire
· hit
· hook
· induce
· influence / · inform
· inherit
· kill
· learn
· live
· locate
· make
· manage
· master
· murder
· obtain
· overcome
· perceive
· persuade
· prepare
· procure
· produce
· profit
· purchase
· pursue
· put
· puzzle
· raise
· reach
· reap
· receive / · regain
· remember
· remove
· rent
· retrieve
· ring
· run
· salvage
· score
· secure
· see
· seize
· serve
· shoot
· slip
· snare
· snatch
· steal
· strike
· succeed
· support
· survive
· take
· thrill
· trap
· understand
· win
· arid
· arrogant
· animated
· awkward
· blazing
· blotched
· bold
· bright
· bruised
· calm
· cheap
· clean
· clear
· cluttered
· congested
· crisp
· crooked
· crowed
· curved
· dark
· dazzling
· decorative
· dingy
· dismal
· drab
· dramatic
· dull
· elegant
· energetic
· erect
· exhausted
· / · exotic
· fiery
· flashy
· flat
· flowery
· fluid
· formal
· fragile
· frail
· freckled
· fresh
· frightened
· gigantic
· glassy
· glazed
· glowing
· glossy
· grimy
· handsome
· hardy
· healthy
· heavy
· immense
· imposing
· iridescent
· irresistible
· jammed
· jeweled
· lavish
· lean
· lithe / · lively
· loose
· massive
· messy
· miniature
· mottled
· muddy
· muscular
· narrow
· nervous
· old
· opaque
· opulent
· ordinary
· packed
· pale
· pattern
· perky
· pleasant
· radiant
· regal
· remarkable
· robust
· rigid
· rotted
· scrubbed
· serene
· shabby
· sheen
· shimmering
· slender / · shiny
· shy
· showy
· sickly
· spotted
· stately
· stretched
· straight
· stout
· striped
· strong
· supple
· sturdy
· tantalizing
· tall
· tidy
· tied
· timid
· tiny
· tired
· transparent
· translucent
· untidy
· used
· wide
· wild
· worn
· wrinkle
· young
· acknowledged
· acquiesced
· added
· addressed
· admitted
· admonished
· advised
· advocated
· affirmed
· agreed
· alleged
· allowed
· announced
· answered
· approved
· argued
· assented
· asserted
· assumed
· asked
· attested
· avowed
· babbled
· bantered
· bargained
· began
· boasted
· called
· claimed
· commended
· complained
· cried
· debated
· decided
· demurred
· dented / · denounced
· described
· dictated
· directed
· disclosed
· disrupted
· divulged
· drawled
· droned
· elaborated
· emphasized
· enjoined
· entreated
· enunciated
· estimated
· exclaimed
· explained
· exposed
· expressed
· faltered
· feared
· foretold
· fumed
· giggled
· grinned
· grunted
· held
· implied
· indicated
· interred
· instructed
· itemized
· laughed
· lectured
· lied
· maintained / · mentioned
· mimicked
· moaned
· mumbled
· murmured
· mused
· muttered
· nagged
· narrated
· noted
· notified
· objective
· observed
· opined
· orated
· ordered
· petitioned
· pleaded
· pled
· pointed out
· prayed
· predicted
· proclaimed
· professed
· prompted
· propounded
· publicized
· quibbled
· ranted
· reassured
· reciprocated
· refuted
· related
· remonstrated
· repeated
· replied / · responded
· restated
· resumed
· retorted
· returned
· reveal
· ruled
· sanctioned
· scoffed
· scolded
· screamed
· shouted
· shrieked
· snapped
· sneered
· sobbed
· solicited
· specified
· spoke
· sputtered
· stammered
· stated
· stipulated
· stormed
· stressed
· suggested
· taunted
· thought
· threatened
· told
· twitted
· urged
· uttered
· vowed
· walled
· warned
Black· jet
· ebony
· licorice
· charcoal
· coal
· dusky
· onyx
· sable
· slate
· shadowy
Blue
· aqua
· cerulean
· teal
· aquamarine
· azure
· cobalt
· navy
· peacock
· porcelain
· royal
· sapphire
· steel
· turquoise
· sky
· powder
· indigo
Gray
· ashen
· dove
· steel
· clouded
· dingy
· drab
· dusky
· dusty
· granite
· heather / · leaden
· mousy
· peppery
· slate
· smoky
· stone
Brown· almond
· auburn
· amber
· bronze
· chocolate
· cinnamon
· coffee
· ginger
· hazel
· mahogany
· nutmeg
· rust
· sandy
· tawny
· walnut

Green

· apple
· forest
· moss
· pea
· sage
· celery
· chartreuse
· emerald
· kelly
· lime
· mint
· olive
· pistachio / Purple
· lavender magenta
· mauve
· mulberry
· orchid
· periwinkle
· violet
· amethyst
· plum
· lilac

Yellow/Orange

· apricot
· beige
· buff
· butter
· buttercup
· butterscotch
· canary
· chrome
· gold
· lemon
· mustard
· ochre
· orange
· peach
· persimmon
· tangerine
· tawny
· sandy / Red/Pink
· burgundy
· bloodshot
· cerise
· cherry
· wine
· ruddy
· cardinal
· cerise
· cherry
· coral
· crimson
· garnet
· maroon
· pink
· rose/rosy
· blush
· raspberry
· ruby
· salmon
· strawberry
· vermillion
· wine

White

· cream
· ivory
· beige
· marble
· milky
· oyster
· pearly
· platinum
· silver
· snow
· chalky
· light
· pallid
· frosted
· pasty
· transparent
· bleached / ·

echoing shrill faint groan melodious coo deafening hushed husky lapping moan muffled snarl snort screech shriek buzz softly squeak thud raspy thump thundering tinkle wail whimper boo bang whine crash raspy squawk crackle chime ring thud whine buzz laugh silence bump bark clink gurgle chuckle boom bleat hiss giggle cry thunder bray snort guffaw bawled bang blare bellow sing crow roar rumble growl hum chatter scream grate whimper mutter mumble screech slam stammer murmur wail shout clap snap whisper babble yell stomp rustle sigh cheer whistle jangle whir hush storm

scented fragrant aromatic perfumed fresh balmy earthly piney ripe odorous pungent tempting spicy savory sharp fishy acidic acrid burnt gaseous reeking putrid rotten spoiled sour rancid sickly stagnant molding musty damp dank stench bitter burning medicinal fragrant salty smoky stale sweet spoiled rank flowery

angular bent big billowy black blonde blushing branching bright brilliant broad brunette bulky chubby colorful circular clean cloudy colorful colossal contoured craggy crinkled crooked crowded crystalline curved cute dark deep dim distinct dull elegant enormous fancy fat filthy flat flickering fluffy foggy forked fuzzy gigantic glamorous gleaming glistening globular glowing graceful grotesque hazy high hollow homely huge immense light lithe little long low misty motionless muddy murky narrow obtuse pale petite portly quaint radiant rectangular reddish rippling rotund small shadowy shallow sheer shimmering shiny short skinny soaring spotless square steep stormy straight strange sunny hued swooping tall tapering translucent ugly unsightly unusual weird wide wiry wispy wizened

oily buttery salty bittersweet sweet hearty mellow sugary crisp ripe bland tasteless sour vinegary fruity tangy unripe raw medicinal fishy spicy peppery gingery hot burnt overripe spoiled rotten bitter acidic creamy gooey juicy mild peppery

shaggy tepid sodden stinging damp downy chilly bumpy breezy tough dusty dry filthy searing uneven slick waxy tight tender sweaty tender spongy prickly fragile fleshy bumpy slimy rubbery fleshy waxy oily mushy spongy slippery wet damp sticky steamy frosty loose fragile thin dull dry thick sharp rough sandy gritty hairy fuzzy feathery furry woolly soft smooth velvety satiny silky leathery crisp hot warm tepid lukewarm icy cold cool elastic crisp leathery

-a-

able

adorable

adventurous

acidic

afraid

aggressive

agreeable

ajar

alert

alive

amazing

amused

amusing

ancient

ashamed

attractive

average

awesome

awful

-b-

beautiful

beneficial

better

best

bite-sized

bitter

black

blushing

boiling

bouncy

brave

breakable

brief

bright

broken

brown

bumpy

bustling

busy

-c-

calculating

calm

careful

careless

caring

charming

chubby

cheap

cheerful

clean

clear

closed

cloudy

clumsy

cluttered

cold

colorful

comfortable

concerned

cool

cooperative

coordinated

courageous

crazy

creepy

crooked

crowded

cuddly

cumbersome

curly

curvy

cute

-d-

damaged

dangerous

dark

dazzling

dead

deep

defiant

delicious

delightful

delirious

descriptive

deserted

disastrous

disgusting

dreary

different

difficult

dirty

distinct

dizzy

drab

dry

dull

-e-

eager

early

easy

elated

elderly

elegant

embarrassed

empty

enchanted

enchanting

energetic

envious

equal

even

evil

excellent

excited

exciting

expensive

extra-large

extra-small

-f-

fair

familiar

famous

fancy

far

far-flung

fast

fat

fearful

fearless

filthy

fine

first

flaky

flat

flimsy

fluffy

foolish

frail

free

fresh

friendly

frightened

frightening

full

fumbling

funny

fuzzy

-g-

giant

gigantic

gifted

glamorous

gleaming

glistening

glorious

good

gorgeous

graceful

grateful

gray

great

greedy

green

grotesque

gruesome

grumpy

gullible

-h-

handy

hard

hard-to-find

hateful

healthy

heavenly

heavy

helpful

helpless

hideous

high

homely

horrible

hungry

husky

-i-

icky

icy

ignorant

ill-fated

ill-informed

impolite

important

incredible

infamous

insidious

intelligent

interesting

irritating

itchy

-j-

jealous

jittery

jolly

joyous

juicy

jumpy

-k-

keen

kind

kindly

-l-

lame

large

last

late

lazy

lean

light

limping

long

long-term

loose

loud

lovely

loving

low

lucky

lumpy

-m-

magnificent

marvelous

mammoth

massive

meaty

meek

mellow

melodic