: Re: Are there words that are "stronger" than others? If so, why? By strong I mean causing intense feelings in the reader. I thought about this while I was editing my novel (I consider the second

@Annie587

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Of course. As Tave says, some words have stronger emotional connotations, or convey the idea of more extreme action.

George was exhausted after toiling for untold hours.
George was tired after working for a long time.
John was overcome with passion for Sarah, whose beauty filled his dreams.
John liked Sarah and thought she was pretty.

One could have endless fun playing this game.
If your writing consists entirely of milder phrasing, it is likely to be boring.
But if your writing consists entirely of stronger phrasing, it will be tiring and lose its effectiveness.
What you want is to mild phrasing for the conventional material and stronger, more colorful phrasing for the high points of the story. Create a contrast. I think it was G. S. Gilbert who said that if everyone was a king or an archbishop, then those titles would mean nothing, and you would find kings and archbishops sweeping floors and waiting tables.
I remember when I was in elementary school and a teacher told me not to end EVERY sentence with an exclamation point. Save it for a few select sentences that really call for it.

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