Language guide · 19 entries

Sensational language

Adjectives and nouns that manufacture drama beyond the facts.

Every entry says why the wording is loaded and what a neutral writer would use instead. An entry marked “depends on context” is highlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

apocalypticdystopianhellscapenightmare
Imagery in place of facts.
More neutral: describe conditions specifically
Used on both sidesDepends on context
bizarreweird
Verdict on behaviour the reader has not seen.
More neutral: unusual, (omit) and describe
Used on both sidesDepends on context
bombshellexplosivejaw-droppingshockingstunning
Tells the reader how to react instead of what happened.
More neutral: (omit), report, revelation
Used on both sidesDepends on context
brutalcrushingdevastatingsavage
Dramatizes; give the size.
More neutral: decisive, large, describe the effect
Used on both sidesDepends on context
catastrophecatastrophicdisasterdisastrous
Charged when applied to policies or decisions; literal disasters are not charged.
More neutral: describe the scale and consequences
Used on both sidesDepends on context
chaoschaotic
Summary verdict; describe what happened.
More neutral: describe the events
Used on both sidesDepends on context
chillingdisturbinghorrifyingterrifying
Emotional instruction to the reader.
More neutral: (omit) and describe the facts
Used on both sidesDepends on context
circusclown showdumpster firetrain wrecktrainwreck
Ridicule in place of reporting.
More neutral: describe what happened
Used on both sidesDepends on context
collapsedcrateredplummetedplummetingplunged
Motion verbs hide the actual change; give the number.
More neutral: fell (amount or percent)
Used on both sidesDepends on context
crazyderangedinsanelunaticpsychoticunhinged
Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.
More neutral: (omit) and quote the statement
Used on both sides
crisis
Overused to the point of meaninglessness; quantify.
More neutral: give the numbers and the trend
Used on both sidesDepends on context
despicabledisgustingrepugnantvile
Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.
More neutral: (omit) and quote or describe
Used on both sides
enormousepichugemassive
Size words without a size.
More neutral: give the number
Used on both sidesDepends on context
epidemic of gun violencegun violence epidemic
Disease metaphor asserting scale; quantify.
More neutral: give the numbers and the trend
Used mainly on the leftDepends on context
evilmonstermonstrous
Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.
More neutral: describe the act
Used on both sidesDepends on context
explodedskyrocketedskyrocketingsoaredsoaringsurgesurgessurging
Motion verbs hide the actual change; give the number.
More neutral: rose (amount or percent)
Used on both sidesDepends on context
historicunprecedented
Often inaccurate; say what the precedent is.
More neutral: the first since (year), the largest since (year)
Used on both sidesDepends on context
mob
Implies violence and irrationality; describe the crowd and its actions.
More neutral: crowd, group of (number) protesters
Used on both sidesDepends on context
outrageoutrageous
Whose outrage? Name them.
More neutral: (omit), criticism from (name)
Used on both sidesDepends on context