In technical writing, avoid the word 'verbose' and keep descriptions concise and clear.

Title: Why “Verbose” Is the Worst Word in a Technical Description—and How to Write Clearly

Let me ask you something: when you land on a user guide, do you skim for the steps or get stuck in a paragraph pile? If your instinct leans toward sprinting straight to the instructions, you’re not alone. In technical writing, readers value clarity over flourish. And there’s one word that almost always signals trouble: verbose. In short, it’s a red flag that your description is too wordy, too roundabout, or too opaque for the task at hand.

What makes something verbose, anyway?

Think of verbose as a wordy detour. It’s the extra clause that doesn’t move the sentence forward, the phrase that sounds impressive but adds nothing essential. In technical descriptions, readers want to know: what should I do? what will happen if I do it? what might go wrong, and how do I fix it? If a sentence trips over itself with adjectives, filler phrases, or multiple dependent clauses, readers pause. And when they pause, they’re more likely to misinterpret or skip a crucial step.

Verbal clutter isn’t just about long sentences. It’s also about vague terms that invite guesswork. Phrases like “handles a variety of cases” or “offers enhanced performance” may be true, but they don’t tell readers anything concrete. If every feature sounds “impressive,” the real value gets lost in the noise. The goal of technical writing isn’t to dazzle with vocabulary; it’s to guide, instruct, and verify.

A quick mental checklist

If you’re unsure whether a sentence is verbose, run a few mental tests:

• Does every word contribute to understanding? If not, trim.

• Is the sentence doing more than one thing at a time? If yes, split it.

• Could a shorter synonym convey the same meaning? Try replacing with a lean option.

• Is the sentence heavy with adjectives or filler phrases like “it should be noted that” or “in order to”? Remove or rephrase.

A few concrete before-and-after examples

Let’s anchor this with simple, practical rewrites. The goal is precise language that a reader can act on right away.

• Verbose: “In the event that a user wishes to start the process, they may, if they desire, click the Start button to initiate it.”

Clear: “Click Start to begin.”

• Verbose: “The system is capable of providing significantly improved performance when compared to the previous version of the software, which was less efficient.”

Clear: “The new version runs faster.”

• Verbose: “It is important to note that the primary objective of this feature is to improve user experience by reducing the amount of time required to complete a given task.”

Clear: “This feature speeds up common tasks and improves user experience.”

Small changes, big wins

The trick isn’t just chopping sentences to a binary minimum. It’s about preserving meaning while sharpening focus. Here are practical tactics that reduce wordiness without losing essential information:

• Prefer concrete actions: Use direct verbs. Instead of “assistance is provided by the tool for the purpose of enabling the user to accomplish…,” say “The tool helps you accomplish…”

• Limit introductory phrases: Phrases such as “it is worth noting that,” “in the event that,” or “due to the fact that” often add distance without value. Replace them with crisp statements.

• Use active voice: “The user installs the driver” beats “The driver is installed by the user.”

• Break long sentences into two: If you’re hitting the 25–30 word zone, consider splitting. Readers appreciate a clear, single idea per sentence.

• Use lists for steps and options: A sequence of actions in bullet form is easier to scan than a long paragraph.

• Define terms once, then stay consistent: If you introduce an acronym, use it consistently and avoid repeating the expanded form in every sentence.

• Watch the adjectives: “Improved,” “enhanced,” or “advanced” are tempting, but they’re not substitutes for evidence. Pair them with specifics when possible (e.g., “reduces load time by 35%”).

When to deploy “new,” “better,” or “impressive”

You’ll hear and see words like new, better, and impressive in technical docs sometimes—and that’s okay, as long as they’re accurate and carefully placed.

• New: Use when you’re describing updates, features, or configurations that genuinely didn’t exist before. Don’t imply novelty where there isn’t any.

• Better: This can be fine when you’re making a factual claim backed by data—faster, more reliable, more secure. Always couple it with a measurable improvement if you can.

• Impressive: It’s a powerful cue, but be cautious. What makes it impressive? If you can quantify or demonstrate it, you’ve earned the adjective. Otherwise, skip the puff and let the numbers speak.

The “digestible” doc mindset

If you want readers to actually use your docs, think about their attention span. Most people skim for action items, checklists, warnings, and outcomes. They want to know:

• What to do first

• What could go wrong

• How to verify it worked

That means structure matters as much as sentences. A well-structured doc guides the eye: a clear purpose, a concise procedure, a brief rationale, and a quick verification step. When you lead with the outcome, your readers feel confident they’re in the right place.

A concise rewriting toolkit

Here’s a compact kit you can keep handy while drafting or revising:

• Short sentences, short paragraphs: Aim for variety, but don’t force length.

• Active voice: “Run the installer” rather than “The installer should be run.”

• Strong nouns and verbs: Swap vague words for precise terms that reflect action or state.

• Bulleted steps: Use bullets for sequences, prerequisites, or options.

• One idea per sentence: If a sentence tries to do too much, split it.

• Minimal modifiers: Rely on facts (numbers, dates, performance metrics) instead of hedging language.

• Readability checks: Tools like Hemingway, Grammarly, or even the built-in Word readability stats can help you aim for a readable range around Flesch Reading Ease 70–85 for general docs. If you’re writing for a technical audience, you might prefer a slightly lower score to convey precision, but stay approachable.

A few practical exercises

Try this as a quick warm-up, even in your spare moments between projects:

• Take a paragraph in your draft that feels long or vague.

• Circle words that don’t shift meaning (the filler words, the “very,” “quite,” “really” that aren’t anchored to a metric).

• Rewrite the paragraph to deliver the same meaning with fewer words.

• Count the words and compare. If you shave 30% with no loss of clarity, you’re on the right track.

And if you want a real-world feel, imagine you’re guiding someone through installing a device or setting up software. People want steps they can follow without getting bogged down in adjectives, mythology, or speculation. They want confidence, not poetry.

Common pitfalls to watch for

Even seasoned writers stumble here. A few traps to keep in mind:

• Excessive hedging: “may,” “could,” or “might” are fine when you need to reflect conditional outcomes, but don’t overdo it. It creates uncertainty about the instructions.

• Overuse of passive voice: It hides responsibility and slows action. Readers often miss who should do what.

• Jargon without guardrails: Technical terms are great, but if you throw in acronyms or terms without definitions, you’re building a barrier for new users.

• Redundancy: “Re-run again” or “each and every” adds nothing new and just looks sloppy.

• Overblown adjectives: “Revolutionary,” “state-of-the-art,” or “cutting-edge” seem impressive but don’t prove anything without data.

From theory to practice, with a human touch

Technical writing isn’t about stripping personality away. It’s about making information usable. That means a tone that’s confident but approachable, precise but not cold, and—crucially—easy to comprehend on a quick read.

If you’ve ever rewritten a paragraph after a colleague asked for a “more concise” version, you know the feeling: you’re chasing a balance between clarity and voice. It’s not a rigid formula; it’s a craft. You want your docs to feel like someone who’s done the work before you, guiding you step by step, without insisting you become a master cryptologist to understand a label or a setting.

A few notes on tone and flow

The rhythm of a document matters. Short, punchy sentences work well for actions. Longer, explanatory sentences can be reserved for rationale or notes, but even then, keep them focused. Use transitions to connect ideas naturally, so readers don’t feel like they’ve wandered into a maze. A well-placed question can re-engage a reader who’s skimming: “What happens if you miss this step?” Then answer it succinctly.

Real-world resources and tools

• Readability tools: Hemingway, Readable, or the built-in checks in Word help you gauge how approachable your text is.

• Editing suites: Grammarly or ProWritingAid offer style recommendations that can flag redundancy and passive voice.

• Documentation ecosystems: Tools like MadCap Flare or Authoring with DITA enable structured writing, reuse, and consistent terminology. They help keep language lean across large docs.

• Style guides: A house style for terms, units, and formats prevents drift. If you consistently define acronyms once and then use them, you’ll save readers a lot of mental effort.

Closing thought: clarity is a practice you can cultivate

Ultimately, the aim isn’t to chase the shortest possible sentences, but to deliver meaning with speed and accuracy. If readers leave with a clear action, a precise expectation, and a sense of confidence, you’ve done your job well. And if you catch yourself leaning on words that hint at verbosity, pause, cut, and rephrase. The reader will notice.

If you’re curious, this approach isn’t just for the manuals. It shows up in every bite-sized instruction you encounter—software prompts, hardware setup guides, even the quick-start pages on a product site. The moment you replace a filler phrase with a crisp verb, you not only improve comprehension—you also earn trust. And in technical communication, trust is the quiet currency that keeps readers coming back for more, not because they have to, but because they want to.

So next time you draft a section, skim for the telltale sign: the word that hints at excess. If you spot verbose language, trim the fat, and let the message breathe. Your readers will thank you with faster decisions, fewer calls to support, and a smoother journey from curiosity to comprehension.