Should the adverb "really" be avoided?

[TheParser]

(1) Ice cream tastes good.

(2) Ice cream tastes really, really good.

Some experts say that intensifiers such as "really" make a sentence sound

weaker, not stronger. These experts say that intensifiers often make us sound

uncertain:

(3) I appreciate your help.

(4) I really appreciate your help.

Do you feel that No. 3 is stronger and more certain than No. 4?


THANK YOU

[SoothingDave]

Do you feel that No. 3 is stronger and more certain than No. 4?

No.

"Really" can become a crutch, a filler. But used sparingly and when the meaning is intended, there is nothing wrong with it, IMO.

[waflob]

Unfortunately, 'really' is one of those words where the tone sets the meaning. Depending on the intonation used, it can mean anything from "that's very interesting, please continue", to "that's the most ridiculous gibberish I've ever heard".

You can also use it to make the sentence drip with sarcasm. Very difficult to tell from the written word alone.

[TheParser]

Thank you, Key Member Dave and Teacher Waflob, for your replies.