I understand your concern; my sense is that, as a writer, my job is
to find the right word for the right job. I could describe a character
as "dumb," but somehow "breathtakingly stupid" just sounds better.

I could describe a car in a story as simply a car, or say that it's
a Mercedes 300E with silver finish and deep, plush seat linings.

I could tell someone to simply go away...or "piss off." And the
latter just tickles me a bit more.

The right word for the right job.

jms