Over time, the concept spread across the internet. Today, countless websites have published their own lists.
Many of them trace back, directly or indirectly, to this original article by Jon Morrow.
What follows is Jon’s explanation of the concept and the categorized lists he put together. Then, at the end, we take a quick look at how the idea has evolved, including which power words still work today and which ones have lost their punch.
317 power words that’ll instantly make you a better writer
Ever noticed how some writers have an uncanny ability to toy with your emotions?
Within the span of a few pages, you can go from shaking with excitement to bawling your eyes out to flying into a rage and throwing the book across the room. It’s the hallmark of great writing, proof of mastery of the craft, and the yardstick by which aspiring writers measure their work.
And it goes beyond storytelling.
Sure, taking the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride is essential in novels and short stories, but what about emails, resumes, blog posts, proposals? They’re all designed to influence the reader in some way. You want to pass along information, yes, but you also want the reader to feel a certain way about that information.
Maybe you want to impress them, get them excited, make them cautious, get them angry, encourage them to keep going, or any number of emotions. The better a job you do at making them feel, the more influential you are, and the better your chances of getting what you want.
So, you might wonder… how?
The world is full of people who can scribble down their ideas, but to bring those ideas to life, to make them take up residence in the mind of the reader, lurking in the background, tugging, pulling, and cajoling their emotions until they think and feel exactly as you want? That’s a rare skill indeed.
The good news is it can be yours. There’s even a shortcut.
How to instantly become a better writer
It’s simple:
Use power words.
Rather than describe what I mean, let’s deconstruct an example from the great Winston Churchill:
We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
Inspiring, right?
Well, there was a lot on the line. Under attack from Germany, Britain was fighting for its survival, and somehow, someway, Churchill had to find a way to inspire his countrymen to greatness.
He chose words. Or, to be more accurate, power words.
Let’s take a look at the passage again, this time with all the power words underlined:
We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
Each underlined word makes the audience feel something. In this case, Churchill intermixes words that cause fear, such as “struggle,” “tyranny,” and “terror,” with words that cause hope, such as “strength,” “God,” and “victory.” The last, in particular, is repeated over and over, practically drilling the emotion into the minds of the audience.
It’s no accident. Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.
Granted, that’s not all they do. The best writers use an entire tool chest of techniques to create emotion, and power words are only one such tool.
But there’s good news.
For beginning writers, power words are one of the easiest tools to master. Unlike many storytelling strategies which can take years of practice to master, you can start sprinkling power words into your writing, and you’ll notice an immediate lift in the quality of your prose.
All you lack is a list of power words to use, but of course, I have you covered there too. 🙂
317 power words to start using immediately
For years now, every time I mentioned power words to my students, someone always asked:
“Where can I get a list? Is there a book I can buy?”
Sadly, not that I’m aware of. That’s why I created this list.
Slowly, over a period of several weeks, I catalogued all the power words that jumped out to me, organizing them into categories based on the emotion you want to create, so you can easily find the right word. In the future, I’ll also update the list, adding new words on a regular basis to make it the most comprehensive list of power words available anywhere.
It costs nothing. All I ask in return is you share it with your friends and readers when appropriate, helping it reach the people who need it most.
Enjoy.
Calling all fearmongers
Let’s do a little experiment.
Just for a moment, stop reading this post, turn on the television, and go to a major news channel. Watch it for five minutes, listening for the words below.
Chances are, you’ll hear dozens of them. Here’s why:
Fear is without a doubt the most powerful emotion for grabbing and keeping an audience’s attention. To make sure you don’t change the channel, news networks load up with fear words, making you worry you might miss something important.
It’s effective. Granted, you can overdo it, but in my opinion, most writers don’t use these types of words nearly enough. They really do connect with people.
Here’s a bunch to get you started:
Fear power words
| Agony | Apocalypse | Armageddon |
| Assault | Backlash | Beating |
| Beware | Blinded | Blood |
| Bloodbath | Bloodcurdling | Bloody |
| Bomb | Buffoon | Bumbling |
| Cadaver | Catastrophe | Caution |
| Collapse | Corpse | Crazy |
| Cripple | Crisis | Danger |
| Deadly | Death | Destroy |
| Devastating | Disastrous | Drowning |
| Dumb | Embarrass | Fail |
| Feeble | Fired | Fool |
| Fooled | Frantic | Frightening |
| Gambling | Gullible | Hack |
| Hazardous | Hoax | Holocaust |
| Horrific | Hurricane | Insidious |
| Invasion | IRS | Jail |
| Jeopardy | Lawsuit | Looming |
| Lunatic | Lurking | Meltdown |
| Mired | Mistake | Murder |
| Nightmare | Painful | Pale |
| Panic | Peril | Piranha |
| Pitfall | Plague | Played |
| Plummet | Plunge | Poison |
| Poor | Prison | Pummel |
| Pus | Reckoning | Refugee |
| Revenge | Risky | Scary |
| Scream | Searing | Shatter |
| Shellacking | Silly | Slaughter |
| Slave | Smash | Strangle |
| Stupid | Suck | Tailspin |
| Tank | Targeted | Teetering |
| Terror | Terrorist | Toxic |
| Trap | Vaporize | Victim |
| Volatile | Vulnerable | Warning |
| Worry | Wounded |
Give your readers a pep talk
Let’s face it.
When they’re reading, most people aren’t exactly bouncing off the walls with energy and enthusiasm. They’re probably bored, maybe a little depressed, and almost definitely tired. And they’re looking for something, anything, that’ll wake them up and make them feel better.
The good news?
Your writing can do that for them. Use these power words to give them a pep talk and get them charged up again:
Encouragement power words
| Amazing | Audacity | Backbone |
| Belief | Blissful | Bravery |
| Breathtaking | Cheer | Conquer |
| Courage | Daring | Defiance |
| Delight | Devoted | Excited |
| Eye-opening | Faith | Fearless |
| Fulfill | Grateful | Grit |
| Guts | Happy | Heart |
| Hero | Hope | Jaw-dropping |
| Jubilant | Magic | Mind-blowing |
| Miracle | Pluck | Sensational |
| Spectacular | Spine | Spirit |
| Staggering | Stunning | Surprising |
| Triumph | Uplifting | Valor |
| Victory | Wonderful | Wondrous |
Take a page from the masters of seduction
Like it or not, lust is one of the core human emotions.
Just look at the men’s and women’s magazines in the checkout aisle, and you’ll see what I mean. Nearly every headline on the cover is either blatantly or indirectly about sex.
And it works, not just for men’s and women’s magazines, but for anything. As a writer, you can use words that inspire lust to make almost anything intriguing.
For example: take a look at these two posts I wrote for Copyblogger:
- Sex, Lies, and the Art of Commanding Attention
- Copyblogger Editor Admits to Sleeping with Readers and Recommends You Do the Same
Both posts use the power of lust to teach people about headlines, of all things. Proof positive that it can be used for anything.
Here’s a lascivious list to get you started:
Desire power words
| Brazen | Crave | Depraved |
| Dirty | Exposed | Forbidden |
| Hypnotic | Lascivious | Lick |
| Lonely | Lust | Naked |
| Naughty | Provocative | Scandalous |
| Sensual | Sex | Shameless |
| Sinful | Sleazy | Sleeping |
| Spank | Steamy | Sweaty |
| Tantalizing | Tawdry | Thrilling |
| Uncensored | Wanton | Whip |
Start a riot
As writers, sometimes our job is to anger people.
Not for the fun of it, mind you, but because someone is doing something wrong, and the community needs to take action to correct it. The problem is, with wrongdoing, most people are pretty apathetic – they’ll wait until the situation becomes entirely intolerable to do anything, and by then, it’s often too late.
So, we have to fan the flames. By using the below power words, you can connect with people’s anger, and slowly but surely, you can work them into a frenzy. Just be careful who you target. Lawyers can eat you alive if you pick on the wrong person. 🙂
Anger power words
| Abuse | Arrogant | Ass kicking |
| Backstabbing | Beat down | Bullshit |
| Bully | Coward | Crooked |
| Crush | Disgusting | Evil |
| Force-fed | Foul | Hate |
| Know it all | Lies | Loathsome |
| Loser | Lying | Maul |
| Money-grubbing | Nazi | No Good |
| Obnoxious | Payback | Pound |
| Preposterous | Punish | Revolting |
| Ruthless | Sick and Tired | Smug |
| Sniveling | Snob | Snooty |
| Snotty | Stuck up | Underhanded |
Strike gold with greed
Legendary copywriter Gary Halbert once said that great sales copy taps directly into people’s desire for gain.
Skim through good sales copy, and you’ll find a lot of these power words. Many of them are so overused they’ve become cliché, but that doesn’t stop them from working.
The truth is, nearly every human being on the planet is interested in either making or saving money. Use these words to tap into those desires:
Greed power words
| Billion | Bonanza | Cash |
| Cheap | Discount | Dollar |
| Double | Explode | Extra |
| Feast | Fortune | Free |
| Frugal | Gift | Greatest |
| Inexpensive | Jackpot | Luxurious |
| Marked down | Massive | Money |
| Nest egg | Pay zero | Prize |
| Reduced | Rich | Savings |
| Six-figure | Skyrocket | Soaring |
| Surge | Treasure | Triple |
| Whopping |
Make them feel safe
Greed isn’t the only emotion you want buyers to feel. You also want to make them feel safe.
They need to trust both you and your product or service. They need to have confidence you’ll deliver. They need to believe they’ll get results.
Of course, building that kind of trust starts with having a quality brand and reputation, but the words you use to describe yourself and your product or service also matter. To help your customers feel safe, try to use as many of these power words as possible:
Safety power words
| Anonymous | Authentic | Backed |
| Best-selling | Cancel Anytime | Certified |
| Endorsed | Guaranteed | Ironclad |
| Lifetime | Moneyback | No Obligation |
| No Questions Asked | No Risk | No Strings Attached |
| Official | Privacy | Protected |
| Proven | Recession-proof | Refund |
| Research | Results | Secure |
| Tested | Try before You Buy | Verify |
| Unconditional |
Offer them a forbidden fruit
Remember when you were a kid, and someone told you NOT to do something? From that point on, you could think about little else, right?
The truth is, we’re all fascinated by the mysterious and forbidden. It’s like it’s programmed into our very nature.
So why not tap into that programming?
Whenever you need to create curiosity, sprinkle these power words throughout your writing, and readers won’t be able to help being intrigued:
Curiosity power words
| Backdoor | Banned | Behind the Scenes |
| Black Market | Blacklisted | Bootleg |
| Censored | Concealed | Confessions |
| Confidential | Controversial | Covert |
| Cover-up | Forbidden | Forgotten |
| Hidden | Illegal | Insider |
| Lost | Off-limits | Outlawed |
| Private | Secrets | Smuggled |
| Strange | Unauthorized | Withheld |
Go ahead and tell me. What words did I miss?
Yes, this is an enormous list, but with so many power words available, nobody can possibly catch them all on the first pass. What are some other words that seem to have that extra little spark of emotion inside them?
Leave your answer in the comments, and as time goes by, I’ll come back periodically and update the list. Eventually, I hope to have over 1,000 words here, separated and organized by category, making this the definitive resource for power words on the web.
Thanks in advance for commenting and sharing the post with your friends!
Do power words still work today?
When Jon originally published this article in 2013, power words were a revelation.
Today, the internet is saturated with them.
They still work, of course. Writers just have to use them more thoughtfully now.
Back then, simply dropping a few emotional words into a headline could dramatically increase clicks. Most writers weren’t thinking about language that way yet.
Now they are.
Scroll through YouTube titles, email subject lines, blog headlines, or ads, and you’ll see the same words everywhere. Words like ultimate, secret, shocking, proven, and unbelievable show up so often that readers barely notice them anymore.
That’s the natural lifecycle of any persuasion technique. Once everyone discovers it, the novelty fades.
(Heck, and that was before AI came onto the scene and started throwing power words around. It’s even worse now.)
Over the years, Jon expanded the list several times, eventually pushing it past 800 words as readers suggested additions in the comments (if you’d like the full list in one place, you can download the full power words list as a PDF).
But the underlying principle hasn’t changed.
Words still carry emotional weight. And writers who understand that have a real advantage. The difference today is that you can’t just stack dramatic words together and expect magic to happen.
Readers are sharper. They’ve seen the tricks before. If the headline promises something unbelievable but the content doesn’t deliver, people notice. And they remember.
So instead of treating power words like a shortcut, think of them as tools. Use them when they genuinely fit the moment. Use them when they match the emotion of what you’re saying. And most importantly, use them sparingly.
One well-placed word that adds tension, curiosity, or excitement will always outperform a headline stuffed with five of ’em.
That’s why Jon’s list still matters.
Every power word we included here won’t work forever, but the principle behind them will.
Good writing is about emotion, not just information.
And the right word, used at the right moment, can still make all the difference.
Thanks Jon, what a great resource. I’ve already tweeted it out.
Oh, Jon, you’re awesome man. Your detailing on the subject is mindblowing.
Excellent as always! Thanks so much Jon for this great insight.
Love this post too. : ) Each post is detailed and, like you said, excellent.
Jules and Esther, I started putting some of these words into practice and I’m already receiving results through more traffic when I share a new post on my blog. I simply use them in Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin shares which is something you might want to try even if it’s just for practice.
Thanks again for sharing these with us Jon and while I’m here, thanks for the great webinar yesterday. I took a lot of notes from it! 🙂
Yup another post that makes your stomach churns and your mind inspired and enriched… Thank you your awesomeness…
I have to say, I find that most self-help postings are statements of the glaringly obvious at best, and utter nonsense at worst. But this is really, really good.
Thanks for the list, Jon. It definitely gives me some food for thought… but I will tell you that after glancing through the list, it seems like a lot of the words are negative.
I’m curious if anyone else noticed that, or if my scanning just grabbed the negative ones. I read someone that our brains latch onto and hold onto the negative more than the positive so maybe that’s why?
Hey Julie!
Well, I noticed the Fearmonger and Riot categories were negative but that’s for obvious reasons.
I didn’t notice that to be the case with Feel Safe or Pep Talk.. Did you?
My mind naturally goes to the outrageous with Headlines so for me the challenge is to make sure I’m not misleading.. and to deliver what the Headline promises.
~ darlene
The fear section is the largest one, and yes, those are definitely negative. You could argue it’s a personal bias on my part,, but my guess is we have more words to describe fear than any other emotion. Not because we’re afraid all the time, but because fear is one of those emotions that pretty much dominates everything else.
Excellent. Copy, pasted and saved in my swipe file. Thanks Jon for making life easier for the rest of us.
Julie, fear is the most powerful emotion and is so instilled in our collective conscious and we obviously lust after it because the news media keeps peddling fear every night.
Also, Hollywood is brilliant at cashing in on fear with movies like World War Z and 2012.
They say sex sells but I think fear sells more and that’s probably why we have more negative words than positive ones.
I bet Jon that if you punched every one of those 317 words into a thesaurus you will reach your 1000 word goal very quickly. You know, I think I will do just that.
Or to put it more cynically, Jon, fear sell lots of stuff. Thanks for the list. Paradoxically, sentences constructed negatively are a turn-off.
Academic research has shown that the psychological impact of a negative event is approximately twice in value/significance as a positive event. In other words, we are psychologically wired to respond — at an instinctual level — to anything that could cause harm. This is why copy/words with negative themes trigger more reaction than positive themes.
Can you point me to a source on this “academic research”? Please and thank you!
Great list Jon, thank you.
You used, what I perceive to be, a power word in your title and sub title, but I couldn’t see it in the list…
“Instantly”
In today’s world where delayed gratification is so last season, we all want instant results, right!?
+1 brownie points for noticing that. 🙂
Can I get brownie points for noticing that one too?
On the topic of ‘fear’ appeals, research shows that 60 per cent of the population is more tuned into avoiding a ‘pain’ than making a ‘gain.’ UNLESS you’re talking to people like CEOs: 90 per cent of them are tuned into making a ‘gain.’
Love your work, Jon. Thanks for this very helpful post.
Awesome list Jon. I use your “52 Headline Hacks” guide all the time and it has really helped my blogs get read a lot more and far more social sharing. Thanks for the great information!
Awesome! Would love to see your results if there is anything in particular you’d like to share.
I love the list but some of the words also make you sound sleazy. Like backdoor. And secrets has been done to death. Okay I’ll admit that everything in the forbidden fruit section is making me feel icky 🙂
A power words is defined by its ability to make you feel. If the forbidden words are making you feel icky, that just proves their power. 🙂
Also, secrets may have been used to death, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful. People continue using it because it works.
There’s a branding thing at work here, isn’t there? I find that with Jon’s Headline Hacks — some work great for me, others make me shudder and would be off-putting to my audience (but I guess I can see that they’d work for some folk!)
I like “little-known” as a slightly tamer version of a forbidden fruit word. Also “unusual” and “under-used”.
Great list, Jon, thanks for the reminders.
I’m copying and pasting this one into my permanent writing file.
This is a great list! I copied it into OneNote, and I’ll be sure to come back to check for updates.
Thanks so much for a great, extended list of power words which I will dutifully and studiously commit to memory and learn how to use.
Awesome!
Thank you for your excellent posts and continued professionalism.
PLEASE keep up the “Confidential, Amazing, Breathtaking and Eye-Opening” work.
Thank you so much!
I added this to my Evernote “Power Words” note; I have over 1,500 power words. Now I’ll have over 1,800 power words to use. 🙂
Oooh! We need to compare lists! 🙂
Hi Jon,
Some of my favorites from my list are:
A Cut Above
Absolutely
Announced
Anyone Can Do This
Approved By Major Companies
Astonishing
Astounded
Audit(ed)
Balance(d)
Bandwagon
Bargain
Beautiful (overused)
Believe
Benefit
Beneficial
Before and After
Beware
Big
Blown Away (also a good song by Carrie Underwood)
Bold
Bottom Line
Capture(d)
Change(d)
Charge(d)
Colorful
Colossal
Congratulations!
Crucial
Don’t be Left Behind
Earn More Money!
Envy(ied)
Extraordinary
Favorable
Find the Answer to
Foolproof
Get Results Now!
Gigantic
Hottest
How to (oldie but goody)
In-Depth
In-Demand
Invited
Join Now!
Judgment
Killer Strategy
Last Minute
Late-Breaking
Learn About
Lifetime
Like No Other
Master of Your Destiny
Minimal Investment
Money-Making
Money-Saving
Most Underrated
No Experience Necessary
No Experience Necessary
No Obligation
No Risk (on your list)
Nostalgic (I like this word)
Now is the Time!
Odd
Organized
Outstanding
People Helping People
Pioneered
Priceless
Quit
Quiet
Quick Tips
Rare
Realize Your Dreams
Reap the Benefits
Red Hot
Safe
Save Thousands
Secure(d)
Sensational
Simple
Savvy
Sky-Rocket(ed)
Small Investment
Smart
Speedy
Stand Out from the Crowd
State-of-the-Art
Step-by-Step
Stop Wasting Time!
Substantial Savings!
Super (Savings) (Sale)
Sure-Fire
Tap Into
Terrific
Thousands
Treated
Tremendous
Ultimate
Ultra
Underrated
Unique
Unlock (oldie but goody)
Urge(d)
Urgent
Validation
Validated
Value
Valuable
Vibrant
Warning (an oldie but goody)
Wealth(y)
Weird
Wide Varity
Win
Witnessed
Word-of-Mouth
X-Ray
Xanadu
Year-Round
You
Young
Your
You Owe it to Yourself
Zen
Zest(y)
Zinger
Great list! I even went back to read your article and noticed the power words used in it. Thanks!
Amandah, Thanks for sharing the list of words below! Some good ones in there. And Jon, thank you for a great post. Like many here, I have copied both lists into Evernote.
Great list, Jon. It’s not technically a word, but “NSFW” could fall under lust and curiosity. That one can work under the right circumstances.
Very true. Might be interesting to start an abbreviation category.
Hi Jon,
For some reason, when I clicked on the link to this post, again, I received a “Database Error Connection” error. I just thought I’d let you know.
Thanks. Yes, we seem to be having some technical issues. Investigating.
Hi Jon,
You are so right when you say that most of us don’t tend to use such powerful words in our posts or even the daily lives because we lose touch if we don’t use them regularly, and I speak as a blogger for now.
Speaking of myself, even though I might use such words when I speak to someone, I am careful to use words that even a 5th grade student would understand or based on the kind of readers I get over at my blog. So, I do need to keep the words very simple and easy to understand. This is for the purpose of blogging, though there are always exceptions.
I don’t say that’s the case with all the words, but yes, some of them, especially those where a person might need to refer to a dictonary, may be tough for me to use on my blog. I wonder if others feel the same way about using such words in their blog posts, even though I admit they are awesome power words, which we do use otherwise.
Thanks for sharing these with us. I’mm surely bookmarking this as I’ve got my list of a few words I’d written earlier too, so, would just keep adding onto it whenever you update this one. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Sure. You probably wouldn’t want to use “lascivious” around fifth-graders. I think they would understand about 75% of the words on this list, though. Like “breathtaking” or “hero.”
Great post. So many good words now to learn how to put the story together. Thanks Jon once again for sharing
Another great post, Jon,and a keeper along with the “52 Headline Hacks.” Thanks for sharing so generously.
A delicious literary stimulation, Jon. And your About The Author text is the icing.
You’re a legend, Jon!
This list is pure gold.
I’m certainly going to use it myself, and share it with my students.
You set a high standard for insanely useful content. We need people like you to inspire us, Jon
Thanks!
– Mary
Oh, and do join Jon and myself for his awesome free Webinar:
How to Write Irresistible Headlines and Instantly Double Your Traffic.
Yes, everyone go sign-up for the webinar. It’s going to be stupendous. 🙂
This is one of the best posts I’ve ever read, Jon.
Very well done!
Since you asked us for our contributions, here
are a few suggestions that might make your list.
My apologies in advance if you already mentioned
them:
Petrified
Debilitating
Decadent
Rock Solid
Brinks-Truck-Safe
Chilling
Goosebumps
Diabolical
Calculating
Relentless
Unbridled
Mind-boggling
Cocoon
Slimy
Squeaky Clean
Thanks for the list Michael!
Petrified a great word, and I want to add more to my list, because I forgot to add them at my post on the bottom (and again, sorry for any accidental repeats):
Crap, “Eff” (as in grow the “eff” up instead of saying “f*ck), effing (for f*cking), NMFP (not my f*cking problem), useless, lazy, menace, lethargic, r@pist, perpetrator, nuisance, leech, bloodsucker, catastrophe, trauma, terrified,
Oh…and one of my absolute favorite words…
sociopath
Brinks-Truck-Safe – exceptional and one for my list! Thanks
Oh! This list is awesome! I’m going to go check out my previous posts to see how often I used these words. I know I could use more for sure. I use your headline hacks and they are amazing. I like the words suggested in the comments and will keep coming back for more!
More great advice from the inimitable Jon Morrow! Thanks for the power words–I’ve added this article to my stash of go-to writing resources.
It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut using the same boring words. I appreciate the way you have expanded our vocabularies with this post!
At the same time, I will proceed with caution. Some of the stock words like “insider” create aversion for me, and I imagine they might turn off people in my audience too.
In essence this post is about how to manipulate peoples’ emotions, which many have come to take for granted as a good way to make money. But I personally feel this is a realm in which it’s best to proceed carefully. The main takeaway for me is about enriching my vocabulary. Thanks for the kick in the right place!
Yep. If you think about it, pretty much all writers manipulate the emotions of their readers. It’s just part of what we do.
The key is doing it in a way your readers like and enjoy. That takes careful study and a lot of thought.
It’s like you mentioned above in your post, it takes ages of practice to learn to use all the different writing techniques out there, but using good vocabulary is a good starter. Just gotta be careful that it doesn’t end your career because of overuse!
One of my favourites is “explicit”. Combination of lust and forbidden fruit there. 😉
Good one, Sophie! 😉
That one is definitely going in the next version. 🙂
If you’re going to add “Explicit”, Jon, then “Taboo” deserves strong consideration as well. It’s lust and forbidden fruit all rolled into one. Thanks for the inspiration, Sophie! See what you started??!!!…:-)
I love this post. It along with your 52 Headline Hacks have given me a boatload of ideas for my content.
Here is one possible addition:
Concocted
Great list, but I have taken a vow to stop using the word “amazing.” It is so overused that IMO it has lost its impact. Instead I try for something more descriptive, like “heart-stopping” or “marvelous” or “magical”… you get the picture.
Yep, heart stopping, marvelous, and magical have stronger emotional pulls too.
amazing for conjures up gordon ramsey describing food so for any food might be a good word. marvelous goes with darling and that is Joan Crawford and Joan Rivers so anything Joan or jewelry I would think…
I agree. The same goes for the word “awesome:” enough with it already! I remember when it meant something absolutely extraordinary, and now it has been demoted down to “cool.” I’ve never used the word in my life except to describe schooner sailing, writing, horseback riding, rock climbing, and camping (originally only for sailing). Though I may have slipped a few times…I’m only human, after all.
Your Royal Awesomeness – thank you for the awesome resource. The lists of power words I’ve used in the past pale in comparison to your Awesomeness. I’ve printed and added to my copywriting resource file. Mucho thanks!
I am super excited to get your mind-blowing list of wondrous power words. The post was an eye opener and such a bargain considering all you want in return is an endorsed share. 🙂 Thanks. Did I over do what I learned from your post? 🙂
Hey, at least you got the message down! 🙂
what about things like inspiring.
It would be great to see this topic in an updated headline hacks, or in its own pdf.
I have a God of Writing and his name is Jon.
Are their statues and other symbols for worshiping in your online store. I need many to adorn my home and to spread across the land to start a Morrow cult.
No need for purple Kool-Aid, just meditations where we read your posts and reach higher states of writing consciousness and eventually writing nirvana.
Thanks Jon, you are awesomely admirable.
(laughing) You’re welcome, man.
His Royal Highness, Awesomeness, Power Influencer…
Just printed out the power words to keep forever. Thanks.
Question: Would each industry/niche also have it’s own set of power words? i.e. in the disability community I think they would be: “inclusion, community, natural supports, family, jobs, friends…” –The impossible dream we are all seeking.
Your humble servant:)
I think you can use them all for pretty much all niches.
Jon, A very helpful post and especially timely for me because I’m working on a speech to give on Saturday and need some strong fear words.
Two words you might consider adding to that category are “brutal” and “exhausting” (or “exhausted”).
Super this collection!
The only problem is how to keep this resource handy? 🙂
THank you so much, can’t think of a word you missed before I compute each one you gave us here!
Llyane
Be sure to give it a bookmark. Also, we are preparing a PDF version. 🙂
Hi there Jon! This one really reminds me of a report Henneke Duistermaat launched way back called “21 Easy Tips to Turbocharge Your Web Copy and Win Customers” which touches on the subject of Power Words from another scope… would you call sensory words Power Words? If so, I would put them in categories in which the senses I want to stimulate are the ones that remind me of the category’s emotion right? For example: dazzling reminds me of something shiny and new so maybe I would put it in the Greed or Pep Talk category… other examples would be chirpy, sizzling, bland, smelly and any colorful (maybe this is a Power Word too LOL) adjectives… great post!
Ha, yeah, that would be another interesting way to organize them.
I was thinking exactly the same. That’s one of my favorite categories 🙂
A few more examples:
Gloomy, shadowy, glittering, sparkling, creepy, rotten, moldy, spicy, gritty, drab, roaring, squeaky.
There’s some interesting research into the power of sensory words: http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/metaphor-marketing.htm
Maybe we can create another list for the five senses?
What the hell is this list jon… It’s enthralling. What about slangs, rude words?
Great List. Thanks Jon. The only thing missing is a group of words that create FUD (Fear, uncertainty and doubt).
The first group can probably help you with that.
Thanks Jon for the hard work you’ve done for us.
When I heard that I should use power words in my headlines, headings and in copy I agreed, but when I went to find them I didn’t know where to get them from. Watching news and magazine was an “a-ha” moment for me.
Thanks!!
Stupendous post! Actually I was thinking of writing one along the same lines. There is so much content out there we have to grab the readers attention. Graphic, descriptive phrasing is a way to take them by the throat and force feed them what they need. 😉
Thanks for the eloquent reminder!
Nice idea,Jon. Synonyms are GOOD! Whee! (or Wow!) But, uh, didn’t Roget’s Thesaurus make that point – rather more comprehensively, some 100 year ago? Or am I, in my imbecility,(losing, missing, dropping, overlooking) something here? I love you truly, Jon. (I do.) But please clarify… and tell us, what in this post is truly new? 🙂
These aren’t synonyms. They are words that cause readers to feel a particular emotion.
Take a look again at the Winston Churchill example in the beginning.
Great! A list of powerful words that give much more impression when you used it. Thanks John for sharing.
Dear Jon,
Thank you very much for your lists of powerful words. You are very kind to share them with us, your readers.
Celebrate you.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
A few spur of the moment suggestions:
Big, Grand, Huge, Captivating, Rock Solid, Essential, One of a kind, Satisfying, Legendary, Full Access, Giant, Exquisite, Over the top, Thrilling, Momentuous, Bargain Basement, Free, Available, Now, Right Now, Low Ball, Ace, Prime, Primo, Diamond in the rough, Gem of a Deal, Envy of them all…
Nice list. Thanks Tzod.
Great list of words Jon. A good resource to get the creative juices flowing in telling a story and getting a point across. Thank you.
A generous post and resource thank you Jon. For me it’s a reminder to write with passion – to grab readers’ attention and engage them.
The post is an explanation for why a random post I did a long while back has always been more popular (on view count) than others – Confessions of A Recovering Adrenaline Junkie
As a therapist my work is all about power words. Thinking about recent sessions these come to mind: hunger, desperation, rage, alone, antidote, wish, dreams. Now if I can just hold on to them as move from my arm chair to my desk and write!
So true. Great insights.
Thanks Jon, I am going to love putting these words into use. I think I will even use the ones others have listed.
Senational post, Jon!
This is up there with Headline Hacks for sheer volume of awesome suggestions.
Here are a few that come to mind in no particular order:
Incendiary
Diabolical
Exclusive (can’t believe that didn’t make it into the Greed category)
Dibilitating
Paralysing
Fabulous
Psychotic
Notorious
Funny about the timing of this post. I was about to publish a new post tonight but I’m gojng to go through it and sprinkle a little power fairy dust on it before it goes out.
Thanks again, Jon for some truly helpful ideas!
Awesomeness. Love “diabolical.” 🙂
One of my faves.
Great list. However, the editor in me has to ask about “pommel.” I bet you intended to use, “pummel,” which means to hit someone repeatedly. “Pommel” is a knob or protruding part on a sword or a saddle.
Good catch! Fixed.
Thank you Jon! I’ll definitely file this for safekeeping! 😀
Thanks for this awesome resource! Some of my favorites:
Eye-popping
Juicy
Cute
Weird
Freakish
Geeky
Nerdy
Ugliest
Good ones!
Nice list, Jon.
If I’m learning that there’s one particular weakness in my writing then it’s probably the headline writing so making use of “power words” as you call them should help me out a little!
Bookmarked!
What an incredibly useful post. Many thanks for sharing.
I’m pleased that you have some of my favorite words on your lists. I have a short memory, so if some of these I present to you are already lists above, I apologize in advance.
Some more of my favorite words:
My #1 lately is…
turmoil
Then I list these:
Intricate
Exquisite
Perturbed
Disturbed
Distressed
Dismayed
Discouraged
Empowered
Justice
Scott free (as in getting away with murder, r@pe, etc.)
And also mild swear words that help me keep my blog PG-13:
Jerk (in place of @sshole)
Tail or booty (in place of @ss)
Piece of tail (instead of piece of @ss)
Boink, Bang, Screw, (instead of f*ck)
Frick (instead of f*ck)
Freaking (instead of f*cking)
Bloody freaking miracle (instead of f*cking miracle)
Hell
Sweet lies from Hell
Fresh lies from hell (or fresh hell)
Oh, and of course — last but not least —
Douchebag! LOL
Nice! I’ll have to add some of these.
sweet lies from hell is my new “scam” phrase…. thx
Hi Jon,
I use your headline hacks PDF all the time. In fact, I have officially made it is mandatory reading for all new members of my team. Even if they never write a headline, I think it’s super-important for them to learn good copy-writing skills and Headline Hacks is our go-to resource. Now the lists in these posts are the perfect supplement to help me and my team take our copy-writing to the next level. Awesome!
Thanks so much for continuing to create such great resources. All the best!
Headlines as mandatory reading? Hot damn. I want to come work at your company. 🙂
I think you need a list of words that evoke an image or feeling like “Gobsmacked.”
Best word ever!
impressive top of my list. thx
Thanks Jon. I do know that the power words can make a big difference. Thanks for the list. Now have it printed and good to go with more of your great help from you.
Debbie
Hi Debbie, definitely some super-powerful power words in your blog title! :-]]
Glad my parents, in what I presume was a back-to-the-future move ahead of its time, got hold of your advice just in time for me … lol
Thanks Beat,
I can’t take all the credit for it though. The truth is Jon pretty much came up with that one, with his blogging class I took. It sure is paying off for me.
Actually i just got an email from someone that wants to advertise on my site.
What can i say, Jon is good with the words.
Thanks again and hope you have a great day or evening.
Debbie
Debbie, you have definitely utilized Jon’s lessons well! Your headings are irresistible! I challenge the young and inexperienced to stay away…lol!
Jon, a great post! Tony Robbins also refers to power words. Looking at your list, I see authentic listed under “safe”. I never thought of it that way before. Maybe having worked in the corporate world, authentic seems more audacious to me. Now, I am going to have to change the tagline for my site. 😛
I love the concept of juxtaposition and confluence. Other words I love are those that convey a transitory magical feeling – elusive, evanescent, fleeting.
I am going to have to grab your headline hacks PDF.
Being Authentic is audacious
Interacting with someone who is being authentic is safe
These are delightful (would that be a power word?), but I’m curious about one thing: there are a lot of adjectives in this list. Online marketers and copywriters keep saying it’s best to be simple while also being compelling, which means leaving out adjectives when they’re not necessary.
But it seems you’re making the case that they ARE necessary to a degree, right? Otherwise people won’t emotionally be pulled in by what you’re reading.
That’s absolutely true. 😉
Thanks! Glad to see my love of adjectives doesn’t have to be ENTIRELY thrown out the window. 🙂
Hey Jon,
I feel like I’m on a radio call in show so I’ll start by saying Long time reader, first time commentor. LOL
AWESOME and I mean AWESOME list! I’ll be using these for sure!
I have a few to add if I may:
Transient
Disrupt
Sabotage
Forge
Ravenous
Maverick
Rogue
Emphatic
Boost
Sprint
Drudgery
Fervor
Wrath
Spook
Awe
Moxie
Zest
Zeal
Cachet
Schism
Doctrine
Dogma
Zealot
And I seem to be using this one a lot lately:
PRAGMATIC
Cheers!
Some great words there. Thanks for sharing!
Your Royal Awesomeness, hi … with breathtaking “Thanks!” for your sensational list.
I’ve been bombarded with devastatingly boring power word lists ever since the last millennium, but Your Royal Awesomeness’s volatile compilation of power words is strikingly different. It’s eye-openingly intelligent.
Re the staggering importance of (power) words. “In the beginning was the word”. Not only is it tantalizingly clear – “what part of ‘in the beginning’ do you not understand?” – it’s also a secret and therefore hypnotic wisdom of every sage and wisdom that ever existed, across all time, space and religions, gracefully discounting the usual few exceptions. Yet, I shamelessly admit [in truth I’m thrilled to admit], it took my genius self a revoltingly long time to a) notice, b) to believe and c) to really believe it … and experience the magic of belief in power words.
Now your evil list will quadruple the experience, no doubt about it. Hence my recession-proof thanks.
But I see Your Gifted Awesomeness by now is getting over-powered or disgustingly bored – likely both.
So let me hurriedly take quick leave … by crookedly adding the only other intelligent list of power words in my trusted hands is from Tony Robbins [Unleash the Giant Within]. He lists words in two columns: “good word” and “great word”. Cannot reproduce it here – whoppingly true – because I only have it as a guaranteed jpg file. But if anyone wants the bonanza of a copy, just holler and make sure it includes your prized email, and a power word or two :-]
Great list. My additions:
Silky
Notorious
Jon, mind-blowing stuff! 🙂
How about “because”? Tony Robbins first gave me insight into the power of this word. Years later, Brian Clark reminded me. Tony Robbins suggested doing a little experiment to see how powerful “because” was …
Go to the front of any line of people waiting for something – have a really good excuse ready for why you need to be served [or whatever] first and add “because” like this … “Do you all mind if I go first because …[enter good excuse] my little girl’s lost her teddy and she thinks he might be in here.” Or ..
Other power words: Please. May I? Thank-you. You’re fired! … possibly not in that order 🙂
Great post Jon, thanks… I’ll be using it with your Headline Hacks report to juice up my headlines.
Tony Robbins has a very effective practice to change emotional states by changing our usual, self-talk vocabulary to one peppered with power words; they’re a potent influence. Fab list.
This is a really great list. I have been working on improving my writing and this should really help. Thank you for posting this
Dear “His Royal Awesomeness”!
What an impressive and powerful list of perfectly categorized word groups! I’m sending you a H-U-G !
I’m another fan of “Headline Hacks” that I originally downloaded in March 2012 — it’s been like a word bible!
Thank you Jon!
Holy Forgotten Bonanza Batman! This article has titillated my limp mind!
Thank you!
Wow, what else can I say that hasn’t already been said? Like all those before me, I copied this into a word doc (including most of the comment lists) for even more reference material! Thank you!
Thanks for not including curse words. They’re like that broken screwdriver you keep in the drawer. It might work, but it will probably just make someone really angry at you for using it.
Also, I like: “carnage”, “rock star”, “inevitable”, “betray”, “putrid”, “rotten”, “rat”, “patriot”, “made in America”, “Draconian” (when I can get away with it), and especially “insanity” (because it can be good or bad depending on context).
Jon, I love your article and your list of power words is incredible. I am sure I will be using it all the time. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. It’s always greatly appreciated!
Let’s face it. Everything we do in life relates to our emotions. What this list of words does is help us to communicate better as writers and capture those emotions from our readers.
I offer my sincere appreciation for this list and will be sure to keep it in a safe place along with sharing this great article.
Wishing everyone a great inspiration filled day,
Maurice
Hi Jon. Another staggeringly useful post that will help us to rise to victory. Many thanks.
How about:
dying
awesome
unstoppable
alone
abandoned
fighting
mother
ideals (I wonder where I got those last 3)
surrender
freedom
love
waspish
inspired
struggle
soar
impressive
heady
I can’t see them in your list- but I may have missed them.
This list is almost as useful as Headline Hacks. Magical! Thanks again. Jane
Excellent. I am a great believer in power words and write and rewrite constantly before posting. Thanks for your list.I will add to mine. Great post.
I’m gobsmacked! (Just had to repeat that word.)
Inspired to contribute an ” Old Coots’ Cahoots” annex:
addle
bamboozle
cahoots
cockamamie
codger
coot
craw
curmudgeon
dagnabbit
doddering
dandy
dandified
jim-dandy
fester
foolhardy
frank
gobbedlygook
grog
guffah
habberdashery
hayseed
heyday
hobnob
horsey
kerfuffle
lolligag
rascal
rip-roaring
ripsnorter
shenanigans
skidaddle
skinflint
skullduggery
slapdash
sloe-eyed
small fry
soft shoe
tippled
tomfoolery
toodle-do
toodles
toots
whittle
whollop
whoop-de-do
yackety-yack
yammer
yellow-belly
young ‘un
youza
yuk
yellow-bellied sapsucker
zounds
zowie
zzz
I worry about this type of guide as it lacks so much that is fundamental to the craft of good writing, such as pace, tempo and punctuation. “How to become an instantly better writer,” it says, “it’s simple: Use power words.” If it were that simple there wouldn’t be writers of the calibre we celebrate. If painting were a metaphor, it would say: “it’s simple. Use the colour red.” Picasso painted some of his most famous works in muted blue’s and grey. It goes on to cite a speech of Winston Churchill’s where he uses “power words” yet it brushes over the fact that those words were used in the context of war – a subject of power in itself. it also ignores the power of Churchill’s voice – his pace and tempo and the people who were used to imitate him (there is good evidence that his radio speeches were recorded by a voice artist imitating him). I see so many bloggers applying similar rules while ignoring the power of developing their own style and voice. It is the only way to truly stand out because too many bloggers are taking attention grabbing guides like this to heart.
I understand what you’re saying but blogging is an advanced form of communication that is entirely different than traditional styles of writing. Blogging is meant to attract readers and gain attention because of it’s intimate and quick to read format.
What Jon’s post does is it tells you how to be a better blogger, not to be a better “writer” in the traditional writing sense. Go and read any newspaper and then go read their blog. I’m sure you’ll find very quickly that they are merely curating content with the odd piece thrown in and calling it a blog. That’s not blogging. That’s Journalism.
I was surfing a writers website and looked at their guest post submission guidelines. It asked for a degree in communications and posts must be written in AP style. Since when does AP style have to do with blogging?
I think too many people (along with the so called blogging experts)seem to confuse blogging with the writing we were all taught in school. Two completely different things. Jon doesn’t do that. He has a very clear understanding of what a blog is and what traditional writing is. If you want to write a better fiction novel, screenplay, business letter or speech, take a college level writing class. If you want to learn how to blog, learn from guys who live it.
Just my two cents.
Thanks for your reply, Michael.
Writing forms the basis of blogging, as it does journalism, play writing, speech writing and so on. All of these forms employ words, which are crafted by what we all call WRITING, to attract readers or listeners and gain attention. ALL writing, not just blogging.
Even Jon’s headline states: 317 Power Words That’ll Instantly Make You a Better WRITER. Not a blogger. A WRITER.
People may believe blogging needs to be shorter and punchier to retain peoples attention, but a 2000 word long blog can retain peoples attention if it is WRITTEN well.
Using these so called power words does not make you a better writer. The power of a written piece does not come from individual words, it comes from the context the words are written in; how they relate to other words; sentences; paragraphs and the subject they are describing.
Michael, You say: “I think too many people (along with the so called blogging experts)seem to confuse blogging with the writing we were all taught in school.” This is a ridiculous assumption. The fact that bloggers can string sentences together is a direct result of that schooling. Without it, blogging would not exist.
Indeed, Anton Crone. I’m a novelist myself and come from a world where good, contextual, syntactic writing is as important as vocabulary. But vocabulary’s important too! This list may not touch on everything that makes a good writer, but it specializes in one thing. Why not take that college level writing class Michael mentioned if you want the rest of the picture? And I’m sure there are bloggers out there who specialize in other elements…
Hey Jon,
I’ve got one more word that should definitely be added to your power list.
Ben Casnocha just did an entire post on the power of the word “yet” and it’s ability to motivate.
(here’s the post he wrote: http://casnocha.com/2013/07/the-power-of-the-word-yet.html)
Pretty convincing, no?
No. It is not a “power word” in the context of the blog piece above. It is made “powerful” by its application in the sentences or phrases mentioned in the piece you reference. It is just a word, otherwise you may as well say “the” is a power word, or any other word for that matter. Looking at the words above, a great number of them require context to give them “power”. For example: gift; mother; silly, belief. Some of them aren’t even words. IRS? For crying out loud. Some are more than one word: Sick and tired; marked down?
Come on, Jon.
I know something that would make me a better writer…
Taking this article as well as some of your other awesome basic writing technique articles, and putting them to practice in a system each time I write!
Why do we fail to do what we know to do, especially when someone helps us out (gives us the answers? DOH…
I am determine to get this right….
Thanks for another great one, Jon!
Hi Jon,
Thanks very much for this post. I am always looking for descriptive words to flood my readers’ senses. Ok, maybe that was a tad too dramatic, but I think you understand what I mean.
Anyways, here is a list of words that I’ve used recently:
inexplicable
flashed
twinge
precious
simmering
stewing
gorgeous
excruciating
pristine
guarded
throaty
sneer
struck
conjoined
exude/ooze
venom
ecstasy
barrage
tug-of-war
monologue
blast
inched
sly
ample
paranoia-induced
haze
alienate
chide
inconspicuous
sanctimonious
bastard
unadulterated
Thanks for the article and thanks to all those that took the time to comment. This has given me some fresh ideas.
ha! a list to be reckoned with. Great resource and a very interesting read. Great work.
Love this, thank you!
I think we should petition Microsoft to add high-lightened power words to synonyms. That way it is easy. Sorry. It is the lazy me.
Jon, I forgot to thank you. This is a lot of hard work and the comments have added more to its value. Thanks for this great work. Cheers.
Wow! Much like your former students, I have been looking for this list for years! Thanks for putting this together and now I will print it out and place it in front of me for reference in all my writing. I have also shared it with our writers so they too can benefit from your Uncensored, Mind-Blowing and Victorious list of power words. Thansk!
Jon, my hat off to you. As a former college teacher of rhetoric a Dale Carnegie instructor and writing coach, I watch people struggle to find the right words to appeal to the right emotion. Your explanations and lists are concrete, and once again, very helpful. Thanks for being there for us.
I am the same blowing my hat off to Jon. He has all the right terms to display his thoughts on emotions and all. Well organized and great post to show. Share for for more of this kind Jon. Thanks
I write about natural health and food, and I often find myself using the same old words when posting my recipes (boooring!!!). Food is very much tied in with emotion, so I am going to try some of these “new” words. Thanks so much!
Great list…I may have overlooked it, but it seems like “Insane” might be a great word…as in “Insane Offer” or “you’d be insane to miss this!” What do you think? Thanks for a terrific boost for boring blog posts!
Just thought I’d pop back in to let you know that everyone I’ve shared this with has given me nothing but Thanks so lets cheers to that and keep on rockin with words! 🙂
Jon, this post and all these words are awesome! What makes them all so rich and intense is the way they connect us to our feelings; the way they bring us to something in our lives that matters.
Thank you!
That is hands-down, one of the BEST, most USEFUL posts I’ve seen. I used your Headline Hacks with great success and this is now going to build upon that vision to post powerful headlines with even more powerful content. Thank you!!!!!
Just found you guys and am loving all the words. Smooches.
This list is great! Seems like it would be some good words to use in sales pages as well. Thank you!
Excellent article Jon .Thanks for sharing these power words.
Reading some of the comments makes me think some of them missed the point. These words are power words because they evoke an immediate, emotional and visceral response. That is their power! One of the most powerful words I know is not itself a power word; it does not itself have the power of the words in your blog, it is instead a word that describes them. The word is NUANCE. Why say ‘red’ when you can evoke a more emotional, visceral response by saying ‘scarlet’? The smell of blood is one thing; the smoky copper scent of blood is entirely another. Those descriptive, nuanced words are words of power. That’s what these words are. Thank you so much for adding to my store!
Favorite FB pic I saw lately: Never underestimate the seductive power of a decent vocabulary!
Great content! The “power word” in the title is what got my attention. I’ll be using this for my next e-book and optin form. Thanks!
Jon I cannot thank you enough for this killer list…and everyone else for adding even more! If I could bookmark this more than once, I would!
Pure magic right here!
This is such a helpful post, really grateful you shared. I like to throw in “potentionally award-winning” now and again.
Love it! Save as > Bookmark
Great post. This is clearly valuable information.
I loved reading this post and all of your comments. They were a real source of inspiration and a great learning opportunity, as English is not my main language. This is a great way for me to expand my vocabulary and cultivate a more distinguished communication style, so thank you everyone.
All of the above.
Thanks Jon.
Incredible post and list, Jon.
Peak/peek as in summit or peaked his curiosity. The latter: Get a Special Peek into Our [goods} before [the masses]…I’ve stashed some more away and will come back and add them. Though another source is Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens.He could come up with some doozies! I’ll look through those as well.
We, as novelists, are taught not to use the $10 word when the $1 one would work (thank you, Hemingway). But, though similar, copywriting has its own rules and you are setting up to become the next Merriam Webster (and Mark Twain) of our time. Love this.
The other day I listened to a class you gave on how to make $2000 per post. In it, you talked about using ‘power words’…so I started making a list of what I assumed would be good power words.
THANK GOODNESS I came across this! Saves a lot of time and these ‘power’ words are way better than the list I had started!
Awesome stuff! Thanks.
Thanks for the list Jon. Your list is quite effective. I bookmarked this page for future use while writing new blog posts. This list of words is quite effective and easy to use. Thanks for sharing this list.
Jon… you are the most generous person, really! Sharing so much to ensure others are also successful. Pretty happy with all the word lists I got from your page and comments. I’m a month-old blogger… so just getting going and finding that yes, I love writing.. but catching the attention of a sophisticated and click-happy current social media audienceI is not about presenting a powerful book.. it’s about sound bytes and seconds of their headspace. I agree with the ‘devil’s advocate commentator” re words are really only powerful in their designated context.. but we still need WORDS! So thanks a bunch. Can’t wait to wordsmith… within the context and get myself and my audience stoked
🙂
I love words!! I could take each one and write and paragraph around it. Thanks for so many incredible ideas. It’s quite an undertaking to come up with something like this. I have used a list of words for choosing life values or inspiring a passion statement but never thought about words in this context before. Thanks to everyone for your contribution as well. Much food for thought (and pen).
As someone who has really struggled with my writing, I have found that a thesaurus is truly my strongest asset. But posts like these are a close second. Some of these are words I know, but I just never think of implementing. I’m glad I have a new resource to look back on now for my next blog post! Thanks!
This is an amazing article! with that list no article will be a dull text! I learned so many new power words. And I think I’ll go an fix my article like right now! Thanks a lot for the list!
what a great resource. I love this list, this is pure gold for me. thanks you sooo much. especially the forbidden fruit list is really awsome and great to know these words. with these lists I´m sure I can improve my marketing and especially marketing for offline. thanks again. this blog is officially bookmarked.
Wow… Here’s what I made for easy additions to the list: http://prntscr.com/2nzt5m (I can share the link for those who want it :))
This was, obviously, just for starters, considering all the contributions in the comments 😀
*gasp*
*speechless*
Yesterday I read a blog post on the Internet about powerful words and the one word I think is not included maybe supposedly not included is “viral”. I think the viral word is also a power word. I don’t want to compete with this article I’m just a beginner to blogging so if I’m wrong do let me know
A brilliant piece of work! May I post a link of this article in my blog? My friends will find it very helpful.
Coooooool ! Going to try this out for my future posts
This is an awesome list here. I have looked at it several times when trying to make a query or hook for a book I am writing and found several words that have worked for me. Although during one query I was writing I found that Vigilante worked for me better than Terrorist. I did not see that in one of the lists and do not know if anyone else has mentioned that one yet. If not there is a new word for you.
One word that never loses its power:
New
I have a couple to add:
Erotic (lascivious list)
Dastardly (fear monger list)
Iron clad (make ’em safe list)
And there’s one that I kinda made up “toe curler” as in Stephen King’s novels are so scary and beautifully written that they’re real toe curlers.
🙂
Was so glad I stumbled on this post from Jodie Llyewellyn’s post. Will give me food for thought as I write my next blog entry and then next 2000 words on my next books, today. Here are some power words from my writing, yesterday. I used this as an exercise to explore my writing:
bubbled
smooth
cool
underground
alert
bleary
yawning
licked
high
grating
chest
lifted
feisty
nuzzled
lips
soft
warm
thrumming
bones
stretched
stroked
guttoral
breaking
strip
oblivion
unforgiving
hit
suck
poison
secret
Lots of good ones – i don’t remember seeing
ignite
incite
Jon – congrats – a cracking post, that I use every week as a reference guide when creating and editing my own. It does what it says on the tin, because it absolutely HAS made me a better writer.
We have to use power words and think powerful, great post bro, keep up the good writing, I’m taking notes.
Just so you know, I liked your blog and printed it but your “Grow Your Bog to Six figures” promo blocks the upper left corner of each page so that the keywords behind it on every page I printed are completely blocked. Pretty frustrating!!
Compelling collection of words on this page! Here are a few that I think evoke a lot of emotion:
Train-Wreck
Crushing
Invigorating
Force
Surrounded
Collide
Unknown
Embellish
Calamity
Absorb
Immeasurable
Transparent
Tremble
Vivacious
Thanks Jon, yet another beautiful one.
I have been using these now a few times, but I am struggling with how much I should emulate your style.
German audiences, besides reading a different language, have a bit of a different rhythm.
Also, you tend to hype the living gold out of your articles. Contrary to most other authors, you keep your promises of awesomeness.
But Germans are a little allergic to hype.
The last time Germans believed in hype, in particular political hype, it didn’t go over so well for them and even less for the rest of the world.
Maybe you heard about it.
Anyway, thanks again for making me a better writer and a more conscious promoter. People actually read my posts now.
The secrets of this post can skyrocket anyone’s blog to staggering heights of success. A true gift from a true genius. Thank you.
I completely Agree with some “intriguing” words that you suggest but for some it was too “extreme” so I cant use some of those words to my blog. If I want to straight “extravaganza” and try to attract peoples, I’ll probably will use some harsh words such as N-Word, F-Word, B-Word, FG-Word and many more and I will get some backlash for that.
A million dollar idea – it would be great to have a power word thesauras online.
Here are 120 more power words that I came up with for the Fear Mongering category:
Aching
Adversity
Affliction
Alarming
Ambush
Anguish
Annihilate
Apprehension
Assassination
Attack
Backfire
Bloodbath
Blow
Blunder
Butcher
Calamity
Cancer
Carnality
Cataclysm
Cave in
Cheated
Choke
Conflagration
Confusion
Condemned
Corruption
Crooked
Cruelty
Crush
Curse
Deceptive
Demolish
Deranged
Despair
Devious
Disease
Discretion
Distraught
Distress
Disturbance
Dreadful
Emergency
Endangerment
Epidemic
Exposed
Exterminate
Eye-opening
Fake
Fatal
Fragile
Fury
Grievous
Hallucination
Harrowing
Havoc
Haunt
Heedless
Hijack
Hysteria
Ignorant
Impotent
Incapacitated
Incursion
Infiltration
Innocent
Insane
Insecure
Killing
Lethal
Lechery
Lewd
Liability
Malignant
Massacre
Menace
Misery
Mortal
Mortify
Naive
Nosedive
Onslaught
Outrageous
Persecute
Petrify
Poison
Provocation
Psychopath
Punch
Punishment
Quagmire
Quicksand
Raid
Ravage
Retaliation
Robbery
Ruin
Scourge
Shame
Shenanigans
Shock
Shriek
Sorrow
Steal
Strike
Suffocate
Threat
Tirade
Toil
Topple
Torment
Tragedy
Trauma
Treacherous
Trepidation
Trouble
Trounce
Vacillate
Vigilance
Violent
Weak
How about:
Speedy
Calculating
Sensational
Petrified
Savvy
Treated
Ultimate
Rock Solid 🙂
Great info even if you’re not a PRO writer
These are great words that I can use to get my prospects motivated to call or click on my website.
Thanks,
John
This was a very helpful article. Definitely going to be referring back to it. Thank you so much!
This will be very helpful! I’m going to print out these lists out and stick them up on the wall of my office! Thank you!!! 🙂
Great post! Thank you for making the list so detailed and organized, and sharing it for free.
I’ll definitely add many of these to my posts and make them a permanent part of my vocabulary.
We all know these words, but we often try to think of new, modern, complex ones that we think will grab attention. Eventually, we realize that simplicity is the solution to everything. The simpler, the better.
Savage
Awesome! Thank you for this! Where can I get a copy to have with me at all times?
Hi all,
Great piece here, and what’s more: followed by great comments. Thanks to all.
My humble contribution primarily but not exclusively for political speeches :
– Loyal(ty)
– Patriot
– Country
– Future
– (our) Children
– Safe(ty)
– Promise/pledge
– (our) Duty
– any term linked to physical exercise: run, rush, lift, push…
Hi Jon, Great list, great post! More ideas for your list of 1000 power words when you create it: flee, fan, flame, charge, fury, free (not in the no-cost sense, but in freeing a prisoner), glory, glorify, exuberance, guffaw, volcanic, hassle, harried, hair-tearing, genius, generous, humble, zen-like, ravenous, raging, riotous
Thanks for posting so much great content – and often!
Great List. I have now bookmarked it so that I can keep referring back to it when writing certain blog posts and articles. Thank you.
Great topic. Love the article would consider implementing soon.
thanks, these are seriously awesome words
Thank you! I’m struggling to improve my boring headlines. I appreciate the list being very long.
Good words … but they’re effective only when they’re wrapped around something that’s meaningful to your audience. The word “badass” has become so overused it now seems forced; I avoid reading anything with “badass” in the title. Love the examples from Henneke and Sarah Peterson — their personalities shine through. The words they use fit their brand.
Excellent knowledge pack article … strange only 595 words make me better writer i am really very excited and going to use this soon.
Jon, this post and all these words are awesome! What makes them all so rich and intense is the way they connect us to our feelings; the way they bring us to something in our lives that matters
Great piece of content. I’m a beginner and the list of power words was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a ton Jon.
Learned a lot from your thoughts. Your content always inspires me.Thank You for your powerful words.
Wow, this is an awesome list of words collection.
Learned a lot from your thoughts, your content is precious, easy to read and understand, Thanks for sharing.
Hi! very nice article , I am a digital marketer in a company and i need to enhance my knowledge and skills in writing and absolutely your post has very informative content, so thank you very much for sharing this post.
On the internet we can find lots of information but in the whole thing existence of the reality is very few, so this site i found which is really helped me a lot. thank you so much for sharing nice thing.
Not only is this a valuable list, but this post is a case study in how to write a great blog post.
The information you have published in your blog is really useful and I will apply this useful information to the seo studies of my own website and blog page. It’s a pleasure to take advantage of this useful information on your blog page. Thank you.
You have such a gift for practicing what you preach. Seriously, this is high value for me, and I can implement immediately. Thanks for pouring the work into making this great.
A big thanks for you
You know, it was up until sometime yesterday that I just started to grasp why some blogs convert from some not converting and it’s all in the headline, it’s all in the words that are used and also I gather it’s all about the formatting even down to the headline size all of those matter so you’re very on point with this article absolutely amazing
Great article, I would really thankful for share the article from the digital marketing point of view.
Hey Jon,
Thanks for sharing this article. Great post! Thank you for making the list so detailed and organized, and sharing it for free. I’ll definitely add many of these to my posts and make them a permanent part of my vocabulary. I’ll teach this strategy to my Digital Marketing students so that they can write content easefully.
Great article, I would love to use it in my writing.
Hi,
Great post. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work.
Really informational. Keep posting.
Cheers
– Jatin
Some really interesting details you have written.Aided me a lot, just what I was looking for
Good work bro and I love your all articles and love to read them.
Sir amazing work by you. loved to read this article . I am also a blogger and its a veryhelpful for a blogger like me.
This is literally the best. Thank you for taking the time to write this! I can already see the value in this article and I have shared it with my staff.
Okay. Why am I just finding you again?
This is a great resource. I’ve always noticed catchy headlines and phrases, but never really observed their power points, now you have drawn my attention to those. Thanks. You are a good writer, and this resource you provided will make many more better writers as well.????
Do you think these will be effective in paid ad copies as well? How do “Now” impacts? Every other ad copy uses it!
Very helpful information
Thanks, Jon Morrow for sharing with us
Awesome list Jon, this will help me to create compelling post titles. Thanks a lot for sharing. I always keep watching and reading every post of Smart Blogger and I must say you’re doing a damn good job by helping out the digital community here.
Cheers.
Words can be as powerful as actions if they come from the right mouth… My job demands constant writing and editing. I strive to write only high-quality content with no fluff included. Sometimes it bothers me that I have used so many popular expressions and words and I reach the writer’s block. Mr. Morrow, I would like to personally express my gratitude for the job you have made with this blog post. It can really fire up my next projects!
Language is a communication medium, the words used do the trick. The more apt
the word selected, the purpose served better.Kudos to your ingenuity and benevolence. Jon ,you are a Bruce Lee to English language as is he to marital arts.
Hey Jon !! i just started my career in writing field. my problem is i know what i want to write but when i starts writing i just cant express my feeling into words , but when i saw your post , i got more confident to write but not enough , so could you please suggest me some ideas ?
I just saw this in my email now, opened, read and it was filled with awesomeness ???? I must confess!
I’ve been messing around with words on my blog – trying to sound too seriously lol.
But this just gave me a brand new perspective on how to write better and crank out compelling copies.
Thanks so much Jon!
I have just started to write a blog and recently I just have read your blog and it is helpfully for me to how to write a blog which word should we used to get more audience and how to connect with the audience.
`Believe me when I say this has been the best read for me as a professional writer. It has a considerable part to play in my transition from a content writer to a copywriter. Thanks for the list, Jon.
Hi,
good to see you here for power that words your article to see you here. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
Wow, I really do hear these power words subconsciously but have never really thought of using them. I’ll give it a try. Thanks for sharing this article.
What a great list of powerful words, thank you Jon for this very insightful post. And I thought ‘successfully’ is included but didn’t see anywhere 🙂
Very helpful. I will apply these tips for my new blog. thanks for taking your time to come up with this awesome content
Having these power words can influence your thinking in powerful ways. Superb!
Wow, that is some list you have built there and to be honest, I have not been utilizing power words at all within the articles i have been writing at all. Do the length of an article not throw people off? I am assuming through use of power words, people would feel or be more engaged and as such, would not bounce, what are your thoughts on this?
Wow. What a list with power words 🙂
This is a very good post. Very well done, Jon!
I totally agree that most of us don’t use these kind of powerful words at all. The outcome for me is first of all about strengthening my glossary.
Thanks a lot!
I’ve just started blogging and I’m really trying to learn how to write the content to get the best value. Articles like this area really useful to me so thanks a lot.
Hey Jon, you nailed it brother. What an article!! I really enjoyed a lot. Now understood why some sales copy make millions and why some fails. Power words are really transforming words. Thanks a lot, Jon.
There are 3 power words that I love to use when describing myself, as it boosts my profile before I state what I do for a living (marketing consultant). Those 3 words are: “world-renowned”, “highly-acclaimed”, and “world-class”. Great article on power words.
Thanks for the list, Jon. It definitely gives me some food for thought… but I will tell you that after glancing through the list, it seems like a lot of the words are negative.
This is a very good post. Very well done, Jon!
I totally agree with that words are the most powerful tool humans have developed and they definitively make a big difference in someone life.
Thanks a lot!
Hey Jon,
Great post, very insightful and highly useful. Regarding power words, I totally agree they’re very powerful and make a huge difference. However, what ate your thoughts of including power words in the SEO title of your post? The common perception (mine also) is that they will increase CTR when a person sees your article in the search results. However, some big SEO guys are saying that including power words in the SEO title will actually cause a lower CTR, which doesn’t really make sense to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Many thanks!
Best,
Steve
Hi John,
Thanks for the great post! I have noted down many of them and will definitely use them in my writings. Also, I love the comments below that contributed to the power words list!
Hello John,
Fantabulous post. Power words have a great impact on CTR. Personally, I have tried different power words on my SERP title. Without a doubt, I would say they increase CTR to 200%. Keep posting more!
Your Royal Awesomeness,
I’m not quite sure whether you’re still secretly reading comments on your posts or whether now you only focus on CEO-bossing your team 😉
In any case, I just wanted to express my deepest, groupie-like (without the sex, though) admiration for your work.
Your personal, emotion-infused style succeeded to defibrillate me and inspire me. Like Jack Nicholson said in As Good As It Gets, “you make me want to be a better man”.
In his article THE BRAIN-DEAD SIMPLE BUT ASTONISHINGLY EFFECTIVE WAY TO BECOME A BETTER WRITER, Greg Digneo describes how you hand-copied for months Stephen King’s “On Writing” in order to chisel out your style (any other books or articles, too?).
I plan to hand-copy articles from you, Brian Clark and Henneke Duistermaat. Though each of you has a completely unique voice, you have in common that passionate style filled with sensory words that few other authors master.
If you might have any other suggestion on how to learn sensory writing and an emotion-packed style, please let me know.
In any case, I’ll come back here to continue worshipping (and hand-copy) your posts 🙂
Best,
Fede
Thank you so much, John, for the power words. I have downloaded the list for further reference.
Have you used Coschedule’s Headline Analyzer? What is the highest score you have received?
I am going to use these power keywords and test my headlines to get the best score. Could you share with me some insights to get the best score?
Cheers,
Nirmal Kumar
Thank You John for putting this together. I am going to implement this, I am sure it will improve the click through rate and conversion.
I find this post so fascinating. I mean I read it and I think, you are so right! I wish I could write more powerfully! It all makes sense but I feel like it is something you just have to have a gut instinct for. So much trouble to try figure out what words to use and infuse them into your writing otherwise. Or maybe that makes me sound lazy! I suppose practice would make it come more naturally.
At least we now know for certain that affiliate marketing, blogging, creative content marketing and side hustles online are here to stay. One thing I can say for sure is thought freelancing online with blogging and affiliate marketing has no financial guarantees, it’s surely more stable than going to a cushy day job. 🙂
WOW! What a list. I have this page bookmarked for future reference to help me with my blog posts. Love it!
Hey Jon,
I really appreciate that you shared a very informative list of power words. I am checking your blog too and find very informative. I would love to connect you on linkedin and twitter.
thanks,
adesh from India
Pretty amazing that this was written in 2013 and I still come back to this on a frequent basis. Incredible job!
It’s an awesome article.
I will definitely implement these techniques in my blogs.
Thanks Jon
I struggle sometimes with my headlines and I feel like a lot of them end up being the same or using the same words over and over so having a list really helps. That way I can the style my words around some of the suggestions here. Rather than writing a headline and then trying to use a thesaurus! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Jon,
Knowing about the powerful words, I believe it will help for sure. Thanks for sharing the great post. will be sharing it with my friends as well.
Nice post! Thanks for all the power word suggestions. Will keep them at my fingertips
Hi jon,
this is a great list of power words. I’m definitely going to use them in my blog posts.
I enrolled for the writing machine course and side by side reading these articles. Awesome work Jon. I highly admire your creativity and way of conveying the message across.
Who is your favourite CopyWriter? You obviously study copy and have done for a while!
Excellent post, this has so many applications for email marketing, ad copy, SEO, call to actions, and really every aspect of funnel design and converting traffic. Well done! Now let me practice using power words on social media to share the power words I’ve learned.
Your Royal awesomeness!
Was perusing the web when i came across your salacious list of power words.
Albeit the article was published nearly a decade ago, the incredible list, still hold the test of time, with some rock-solid word suggestions.
Will definitely look at implementing these words.
Hi Jon,
It was a great share! I am a writer too, and I am always looking to improve and leave a mark with my writing. I think adding these words will definitely make a difference. I write all of my blog posts, headlines, and captions myself, and at times I feel short of good words. I will definitely bookmark these words and try to use them in my posts. Thanks a lot for sharing this article, as a writer I acn tell you it was a great read and will be very helpful in my process.
Amazing, amazing, amazing!
Actually, this article is so much helpful for using power words in different fields like your title, domain and business name, etc.
In fact, it will work.
Thanks, John, for making such a great article and giving it a deep time.
Great list Jon, thank you.
You used, what I perceive to be, a power word in your title and sub title, but I couldn’t see it in the list.
Great stuff, Jon. I do wonder that in the 10 years you have written this (!!!) how using power words has changed, for better or worse? Are you seeing an oversaturation of certain terms? Just curious.
It is very common to forget things that is the same thing happened to me. I forgot the use of power words. I need to bookmark this page because it is too much to digest in one go. I will be back on this post every time before posting a new content. Thanks! I appreciate your efforts!
Absolutely gem of content, never thought changing words will be so helpful
that good work on this field I write all of my blog posts, headlines, and captions myself, and at times I feel short of good words. I will definitely bookmark these words and try to use them in my posts. Thanks a lot for sharing this article, As a writer, I can tell you it was a great read and will be very helpful in my process
Jon, What an article!! thank you so much for the efforts, your article is changing lives and businesses. God Bless You!!
What a post I must say. An absolute gold mine for copywriters. Power words add flair and “WOW” factor to content. Think it would suit better for VSL’s or sales ad. Gonna bookmark this hahaha
Hello Jon,
It was an excellent share! I, too, am a writer who is constantly striving to grow and create a lasting impression with my work. I believe adding these words will make a significant effect. I write all of my blog entries, headers, and captions myself, and I occasionally run out of decent words. I’ll certainly bookmark these terms and attempt to include them into my writings. Thank you so much for sharing this post; as a writer, I can tell you it was a terrific read and will be really useful in my work.
This is a very good post. Very well done, Jon!
I totally agree that most of us don’t use these kind of powerful words at all. The outcome for me is first of all about strengthening my glossary.
Thanks a lot!
Brilliant collection!
The only issue is figuring out how to keep this resource accessible. ????
Thanks a lot, I can’t think of a single word you missed before I go through each one you’ve given us here!
Howard.
As a marketer, finding words that truly resonate with your audience is key. This list is a treasure trove of persuasion. Thanks for compiling!
Pretty amazing that this was written in 2013 and I still come back to this on a frequent basis. Incredible job!
Hi Jon,
Wow, this list is a goldmine! I’m curious, do you have any favourite power words you use consistently? I’m definitely adding these to my content creation arsenal. Thanks for sharing!