87 ways to describe 2020
Since nothing else has worked to make 2020 pass more quickly or be any less horrifying, I thought I would try some writing therapy. Below are a few alternatives to the worn-out words and phrases used to describe the events of 2020. Do these fit the feeling of 2020?
Alternatives to “unprecedented”
In 2020, any time a politician or a news anchor describes one event as “unprecedented” another “unprecedented” event occurs, making the first event no longer “unprecedented.” If you’re confused by all of this . . . try using one of these when something unheard-of occurs.
- atypical
- anomalous
- beyond compare
- distinctive
- exceptional
- freakish
- incomparable
- inconceivable
- mind-boggling
- novel
- out of the ordinary
- peculiar
- singular
- uncharacteristic
- unconventional
- uncustomary
- unfamiliar
- unorthodox
- unparalleled
- unrivaled
- unmatched
- unusual
- unsurpassed
- unheard-of
Alternatives to “anxious”
When “anxious” doesn’t quite describe that sinking feeling of dread you wake up to every morning, try one of these.
- aghast
- alarmist
- apprehensive
- beleaguered
- bewildered
- crestfallen
- discomposed
- disheartened
- dispirited
- distraught
- edgy
- flustered
- forlorn
- frazzled
- fretful
- guarded
- haggard
- heavy-hearted
- inconsolable
- overwrought
- perplexed
- preoccupied
- restless
- troubled
- uneasy
- unglued
- unsettled
- wired
“Frustrated” . . . and then some
We’re all a little short-tempered these days. And angry, and disappointed, and disgruntled, and fed up.
- appalled
- at my wit’s end
- at the end of my rope
- beside myself
- combustible
- come apart at the seams
- exasperated
- dismayed
- fly off the handle
- frustrated
- go off the deep end
- go through the roof
- hackles are up
- in a tailspin
- incensed
- inflamed
- infuriated
- irascible
- ireful
- livid
- makes my blood boil
- nonplussed
- on the warpath
- outraged
- piqued
- rabid
- resentful
- riled
- set my teeth on edge
- short-fused
- stirred up
- tear my hair out
- vexed
- volatile
- wound up
Do you have any words or phrases to add to the list?
