You could certainly say "The path along the ridge was treacherous." But this suggests that any footstep might betray you. But there are many other words that c

You could certainly say "The path along the ridge was treacherous." But this suggests that any footstep might betray you. But there are many other words that could replace "very dangerous" in certain contexts: perilous, deadly, precarious, etc. Each has specific connotations, or only makes sense in specific contexts. Can it be worth replacing "very X" with a more specific word? Perhaps. Mere mechanical search and replace won't work. As Mark Twain wrote: > The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. 'tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. "Very" is a safe choice, and perfectly fine in many sorts of quick, casual writing. Trying to find the perfect word can occasionally be treacherous[1] for non-native speakers. They might choose a word with a unexpected meaning. [1] OK, I did that deliberately. I'm very sorry, but not actually repentant.