“This government sucks,” someone said with an exasperated sigh. May be, but what do you mean? Has it been:

• Inhuman in handling the migrant workers crisis?

• Inefficient in preparing for and managing the country-wide lockdown?

• Fascist in the way it has oppressed Muslims, Dalits, minorities and students?

• Chauvinistic and authoritarian in curbing the freedoms of Kashmiris?

• Contemptuous of small business owners in implementing GST? To say nothing of the high-handed way in which it has treated the States in the GST matter.

• Clueless on how to revive the economy?

• Spineless in threatening the press?

• Unconstitutional in imprisoning activists?

You might mean a combination of all this and more. But when you say “this government sucks”, it doesn’t convey any of this. ‘Sucks’ is an empty word, like ‘awesome’ or ‘totally’ or even ‘asshole’. People know the general emotion of it, but hardly ever understand what it truly means.

To be a good communicator is to be articulate. To speak unambiguously. To put clarity and precision over shock value.

So, the next time you want to criticise the government, choose words that are full of meaning. There are plenty in every language.