diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 7b55d404..49bdea91 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const exec = require('child_process').exec;
 const gulp = require('gulp');
 const jsonEditor = require('gulp-json-editor');
 const path = require('path');
-const util = require('util');
 
 function execCb(cb, err, stdout, stderr) {
     console.log(stdout);
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ function bump(cb) {
 }
 
 function coverage(cb) {
-    const cmd = util.format('./node_modules/.bin/nyc --reporter=html %s -T', options.nodeBin);
+    const cmd = `./node_modules/.bin/nyc --reporter=html ${options.nodeBin} -T`;
 
     exec(cmd, execCb.bind(null, cb));
 }
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ function lint(cb) {
 }
 
 function test(cb) {
-    const cmd = util.format('%s "%s" -T', options.nodePath, options.nodeBin);
+    const cmd = `${options.nodePath} "${options.nodeBin}" -T`;
 
     exec(cmd, execCb.bind(null, cb));
 }
diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js b/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js
index f24c0f62..3a3e6b14 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/doclet.js
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ const jsdoc = {
 };
 const path = require('jsdoc/path');
 const Syntax = jsdoc.src.Syntax;
-const util = require('util');
 
 function applyTag(doclet, {title, value}) {
     if (title === 'name') {
@@ -383,10 +382,10 @@ class Doclet {
         if (!scopeNames.includes(scope)) {
             filepath = getFilepath(this);
 
-            errorMessage = util.format('The scope name "%s" is not recognized. Use one of the ' +
-                'following values: %j', scope, scopeNames);
+            errorMessage = `The scope name "${scope}" is not recognized. Use one of the ` +
+                `following values: ${scopeNames}`;
             if (filepath) {
-                errorMessage += util.format(' (Source file: %s)', filepath);
+                errorMessage += ` (Source file: ${filepath})`;
             }
 
             throw new Error(errorMessage);
diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/opts/argparser.js b/lib/jsdoc/opts/argparser.js
index 0618511b..ae23432f 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/opts/argparser.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/opts/argparser.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
  * @module jsdoc/opts/argparser
  */
 const _ = require('lodash');
-const util = require('util');
 
 const hasOwnProp = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
 
@@ -252,7 +251,7 @@ class ArgParser {
                 }
 
                 if (option === null) {
-                    throw new Error( util.format('Unknown command-line option "%s".', name) );
+                    throw new Error(`Unknown command-line option "${name}".`);
                 }
 
                 if (option.hasValue) {
@@ -260,7 +259,7 @@ class ArgParser {
                     i++;
 
                     if (value === null || value.charAt(0) === '-') {
-                        throw new Error( util.format('The command-line option "%s" requires a value.', name) );
+                        throw new Error(`The command-line option "${name}" requires a value.`);
                     }
                 }
                 else {
diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/src/astnode.js b/lib/jsdoc/src/astnode.js
index 483797f5..bc676999 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/src/astnode.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/src/astnode.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const cast = require('jsdoc/util/cast').cast;
 const env = require('jsdoc/env');
 const name = require('jsdoc/name');
 const Syntax = require('jsdoc/src/syntax').Syntax;
-const util = require('util');
 
 // Counter for generating unique node IDs.
 let uid = 100000000;
@@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ const nodeToValue = exports.nodeToValue = node => {
             // could be computed (like foo['bar']) or not (like foo.bar)
             str = nodeToValue(node.object);
             if (node.computed) {
-                str += util.format('[%s]', node.property.raw);
+                str += `[${node.property.raw}]`;
             }
             else {
                 str += `.${nodeToValue(node.property)}`;
@@ -293,8 +292,7 @@ const nodeToValue = exports.nodeToValue = node => {
             }
             else {
                 // this shouldn't happen
-                throw new Error( util.format('Found a UnaryExpression with a postfix operator: %j',
-                    node) );
+                throw new Error(`Found a UnaryExpression with a postfix operator: ${node}`);
             }
             break;
 
diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/tag.js b/lib/jsdoc/tag.js
index 3b9376c3..a997c464 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/tag.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/tag.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ const jsdoc = {
     }
 };
 const path = require('jsdoc/path');
-const util = require('util');
 
 // Check whether the text is the same as a symbol name with leading or trailing whitespace. If so,
 // the whitespace must be preserved, and the text cannot be trimmed.
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ function trim(text, opts, meta) {
     text = String(typeof text === 'undefined' ? '' : text);
 
     if ( mustPreserveWhitespace(text, meta) ) {
-        text = util.format('"%s"', text);
+        text = `"${text}"`;
     }
     else if (opts.keepsWhitespace) {
         text = text.replace(/^[\n\r\f]+|[\n\r\f]+$/g, '');
diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/util/markdown.js b/lib/jsdoc/util/markdown.js
index 9ffe36fc..94a0404b 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/util/markdown.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/util/markdown.js
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ const MarkdownIt = require('markdown-it');
 const marked = require('marked');
 const mda = require('markdown-it-anchor');
 const path = require('jsdoc/path');
-const util = require('util');
 
 /**
  * Enumeration of Markdown parsers that are available.
@@ -110,13 +109,13 @@ function highlight(code, language) {
     }
 
     if (language !== 'plain') {
-        classString = util.format(' class="prettyprint source%s"', langClass);
+        classString = ` class="prettyprint source${langClass}"`;
     }
     else {
         classString = ' class="source"';
     }
 
-    return util.format('<pre%s><code>%s</code></pre>', classString, escapeCode(code));
+    return `<pre${classString}><code>${escapeCode(code)}</code></pre>`;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ function getParseFunction(parserName, conf) {
             renderer = new marked.Renderer();
 
             if (!conf.idInHeadings) {
-                renderer.heading = (text, level) => util.format('<h%s>%s</h%s>', level, text, level);
+                renderer.heading = (text, level) => `<h${level}>${text}</h${level}>`;
             }
 
             renderer.code = highlighter;
diff --git a/lib/jsdoc/util/templateHelper.js b/lib/jsdoc/util/templateHelper.js
index fa1604f2..33a4b8ba 100644
--- a/lib/jsdoc/util/templateHelper.js
+++ b/lib/jsdoc/util/templateHelper.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ const env = require('jsdoc/env');
 const inline = require('jsdoc/tag/inline');
 const logger = require('jsdoc/util/logger');
 const name = require('jsdoc/name');
-const util = require('util');
 
 const hasOwnProp = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
 
@@ -315,7 +314,7 @@ function getShortName(longname) {
  * @return {string} The HTML link, or the link text if the link is not available.
  */
 function buildLink(longname, linkText, options) {
-    const classString = options.cssClass ? util.format(' class="%s"', options.cssClass) : '';
+    const classString = options.cssClass ? ` class="${options.cssClass}"` : '';
     let fileUrl;
     const fragmentString = fragmentHash(options.fragmentId);
     let stripped;
@@ -350,8 +349,7 @@ function buildLink(longname, linkText, options) {
         return text;
     }
     else {
-        return util.format('<a href="%s"%s>%s</a>', encodeURI(fileUrl + fragmentString),
-            classString, text);
+        return `<a href="${encodeURI(fileUrl + fragmentString)}"${classString}>${text}</a>`;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/templates/default/publish.js b/templates/default/publish.js
index aaa99b3f..32976d47 100644
--- a/templates/default/publish.js
+++ b/templates/default/publish.js
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ const logger = require('jsdoc/util/logger');
 const path = require('jsdoc/path');
 const taffy = require('taffydb').taffy;
 const template = require('jsdoc/template');
-const util = require('util');
 
 const htmlsafe = helper.htmlsafe;
 const linkto = helper.linkto;
@@ -100,8 +99,7 @@ function updateItemName(item) {
     }
 
     if (attributes && attributes.length) {
-        itemName = util.format( '%s<span class="signature-attributes">%s</span>', itemName,
-            attributes.join(', ') );
+        itemName = `${itemName}<span class="signature-attributes">${attributes.join(', ')}</span>`;
     }
 
     return itemName;
@@ -127,7 +125,7 @@ function buildAttribsString(attribs) {
     let attribsString = '';
 
     if (attribs && attribs.length) {
-        attribsString = htmlsafe( util.format('(%s) ', attribs.join(', ')) );
+        htmlsafe(`(${attribs.join(', ')}) `);
     }
 
     return attribsString;
@@ -146,7 +144,7 @@ function addNonParamAttributes(items) {
 function addSignatureParams(f) {
     const params = f.params ? addParamAttributes(f.params) : [];
 
-    f.signature = util.format( '%s(%s)', (f.signature || ''), params.join(', ') );
+    f.signature = `${f.signature || ''}(${params.join(', ')})`;
 }
 
 function addSignatureReturns(f) {
@@ -175,23 +173,25 @@ function addSignatureReturns(f) {
         returnTypes = addNonParamAttributes(source);
     }
     if (returnTypes.length) {
-        returnTypesString = util.format( ' &rarr; %s{%s}', attribsString, returnTypes.join('|') );
+        returnTypesString = ` &rarr; ${attribsString}{${returnTypes.join('|')}}`;
     }
 
-    f.signature = `<span class="signature">${f.signature || ''}</span><span class="type-signature">${returnTypesString}</span>`;
+    f.signature = `<span class="signature">${f.signature || ''}</span>` +
+        `<span class="type-signature">${returnTypesString}</span>`;
 }
 
 function addSignatureTypes(f) {
     const types = f.type ? buildItemTypeStrings(f) : [];
 
-    f.signature = `${f.signature || ''}<span class="type-signature">${types.length ? ` :${types.join('|')}` : ''}</span>`;
+    f.signature = `${f.signature || ''}<span class="type-signature">` +
+        `${types.length ? ` :${types.join('|')}` : ''}</span>`;
 }
 
 function addAttribs(f) {
     const attribs = helper.getAttribs(f);
     const attribsString = buildAttribsString(attribs);
 
-    f.attribs = util.format('<span class="type-signature">%s</span>', attribsString);
+    f.attribs = `<span class="type-signature">${attribsString}</span>`;
 }
 
 function shortenPaths(files, commonPrefix) {