One of the most abused and overused words in business is “impact”. First, it has been “verbed” – it’s supposed to be a noun, but the usage has now changed, so however grumpy you are about its verbing, you might as well accept it. Second, almost everything is described as “impactful” – to the extent that in many ways, the word has lost all real meaning.
Never fear, I am here to help! Because why use such bland, boring, meaningless words when English is so full of options!
So, instead of saying something “impacted” something or someone else, try one of these:
- affected
- influenced
- changed, altered, modified, transformed
- hit
- shaped
- guided
- swayed
And instead of using “impactful”, try one of these:
- impressive
- exciting
- inspirational
- meaningful
- dramatic
- stirring
- significant
Adjust to context, and watch your writing sparkle!