What is a descriptive word called

Table of Contents

  1. What is a clause definition?
  2. What is described as a group of two or more than two words related to one another that constitute a single?
  3. What do you call a group of words that function as a single part of speech?
  4. What are examples of unique qualities?
  5. How do you describe a unique person?
  6. How do you use the word unique?
  7. How do you describe something unique?
  8. Is being called unique a compliment?
  9. How do you say something is special?
  10. Does Unique mean special?

Most people think of adjectives, words that describe nouns, when they think of descriptive words, but many descriptive words are not adjectives. Descriptive words could also include adverbs, or words that help to describe action. Descriptive words could also be clear, strong verbs or nouns that carry clear meaning.

What is a clause definition?

1 : a group of words containing a subject and predicate and functioning as a member of a complex (see complex entry 2 sense 1b(2)) or compound (see compound entry 2 sense 3b) sentence The sentence “When it rained they went inside” consists of two clauses: “when it rained” and “they went inside.”

A phrase is described as a group of two or more than two words related to one another, that constitute a single unit. On the other extreme, the clause is a part of a sentence, that contains a subject (noun phrase) that actively performs an action (finite verb form).

What do you call a group of words that function as a single part of speech?

Phrases A phrase is a group of related words that functions as a single part of speech. A phrase does not have a subject or a verb.

What are examples of unique qualities?

Here are just some of the things that make YOU unique in this world.

  • Your Personality. An individual’s personality is something that is molded from the moment they are born right through to the present moment.
  • Your Attitude.
  • Your Experiences.
  • Your Habits.
  • Your Creativity.
  • Your Perspective.
  • Your Taste.
  • Your Goals.

How do you describe a unique person?

What Does It Mean To Be A Unique Person? To be a unique person means that you are one of a kind and no other person is exactly like you. This uniqueness partly comes from within, shown through our actions and behaviors. They will appear differently on each person and you will have a unique appearance.

How do you use the word unique?

‘Unique’ is often cited as a word that should never be modified, as its original meanings were “being the only one” and “unequaled.” But ‘unique’ has another meaning, “unusual,” and it’s common to modify the word when it’s used this way.

How do you describe something unique?

alone

  • incomparable.
  • matchless.
  • peerless.
  • singly.
  • singular.
  • solely.
  • unequalled.
  • unique.

Is being called unique a compliment?

In a world full of copycats and wannabes, being unique is one of the best compliments you can get. It means that you are the kind of person who does not settle for the status quo. Instead, you are someone who is not afraid to be yourself, even if that makes you a little different from everyone else.

How do you say something is special?

Special synonyms

  1. unique. Being the only one of its kind:
  2. extraordinary. Going far beyond the ordinary degree, measure, limit, etc.; very unusual; exceptional; remarkable.
  3. particular.
  4. important.
  5. extravaganza.
  6. specific.
  7. express.
  8. exceptional.

Does Unique mean special?

As adjectives the difference between unique and special is that unique is (not comparable) being the only one of its kind; unequaled, unparalleled or unmatched while special is distinguished by a unique or unusual quality.

Adverbs in the Role of Descriptive Words In contrast to adjectives, which give additional description for nouns, adverbs are used to alter other elements of speech such as verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Adverbs are used to describe ideas such as time, location, circumstance, manner, or degree. Adverbs are used to describe concepts such as time, place, circumstance, manner, or degree.

  1. A characterizing word can be either an adjective or an adverb, depending on the situation.
  2. Nouns and pronouns are described by adjectives.
  3. Adverbs are used to characterize verbs.
  4. Describing words provide us with more information about people and locations, as well as making our work more engaging.
  5. When utilized appropriately, these words may aid in the improvement of your grammar and the creation of more descriptive writing.

Contents

  • 1 What are descriptive words called in English?
  • 2 What are words that describe a person called?
  • 3 What are words that describe nouns called?
  • 4 What are words that describe a place called?
  • 5 What do you mean by ‘describing’ word?
  • 6 What do you call a describing word?
  • 7 What is the literal definition of a word called?
  • 8 What are words within words called?

What are descriptive words called in English?

– Responses What are the proper names for descriptive words? Adjectives are words that characterize persons, places, and objects (nouns) in a specific way. Adverbs are words that describe actions (verbs) and are used in conjunction with them. Modifiers are a generic phrase used to describe the meaning of words.

What are words that describe a person called?

• Responses to questions and concerns Is there a name for these kinds of descriptive words? Defining adjectives is the use of words to describe people, places, and things (nouns). Adverbs are words that are used to describe activities (verbs). When characterizing words, a typical phrase is ″modifier.″

What are words that describe nouns called?

Adjectives are words that characterize persons, places, and objects (nouns) in a specific way. Adverbs are words that describe actions (verbs) and are used in conjunction with them. Modifiers are a generic phrase used to describe the meaning of words.

What are words that describe a place called?

What are the proper names for descriptive words? Adjectives are words that characterize persons, places, and objects (nouns) in a specific way. Adverbs are words that describe actions (verbs) and are used in conjunction with them. Modifiers are a generic phrase used to describe the meaning of words.

  1. She gave it to Connie, detailing the front door and the rest of the house.
  2. I suppose the best way to describe it is as a ″situation.″
  3. Carmen and Alex were eating dinner at Katie and Bill’s house again the following weekend, and Alex was discussing a location in Columbia.
  4. Groucho soon went on, recounting the events that had transpired.

What do you call a describing word?

  1. This is said with a voice that does not rise and fall in pitch.
  2. This term is frequently used to describe the dialect of individuals who originate in a given place.
  3. The voice of a person who has a hoarse voice is low and harsh, generally because the person’s throat is in pain.
  4. Although honeyed words or a honeyed voice seem lovely, you should not put your confidence in the person who is speaking.

What is the literal definition of a word called?

The literal definition of a term is referred to as its definition. Answer When referring to the dictionary definition or the literal meaning of any sort of word, denotation is the term that is used in the opposite sense to the connotation.

What are words within words called?

  1. Words that begin with the letter Meaning of the phrase ″inside within″:- Within doors, for example, means within the inner or internal section of the door; within the door; not outside the door.
  2. As an example, within the bounds or scope of; not more than five miles in length; not longer than an hour; not exceeding in quantity; as an example, costs maintained within one’s means of subsistence.

There is always a right time to use descriptive words in any piece of writing. Descriptive words are also adjectives, but to be descriptive means to appeal to the reader or listener’s senses. We can say something is small, but how small? Something might be blue, but what shade of blue? If something is beautiful, in what way is it beautiful? Descriptive words take regular adjectives to the next level. Let’s explore what descriptive writing actually entails.

What Are Descriptive Words?

Descriptive words are words that describe a person, place, thing, or idea in a way that relates to the senses. The five senses are sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. The better the description, the better the reader or listener can picture it in their head. Sometimes the imagery is pleasant and other times it might be frightening, saddening, or even disgusting. For now, we’ll focus on positive descriptions! Let’s take an apple tree for example.

We’ve already described it as a “tall tree”. How tall, though? 40 feet? Now we have a 40-foot tall apple tree. Maybe it’s covered in beautiful pink blossoms. Maybe it smells like heaven. Therefore, we could describe the tree as a “40-foot tall, rosy pink apple tree that smelled as sweet as it looked”. There was nothing initially wrong with saying “the tall apple tree” or even just “the tall tree”, however, if our goal is for the reader to imagine this tree to the best of their ability, the latter description works best.

Here is another example. This time, we’ll keep the descriptions coming until we have a great, imaginative sentence!

  • There was a brown bear.
  • There was a ferocious grizzly bear.
  • There was a ferocious grizzly bear, emitting a low-pitched growl and showing its razor-like teeth.

In a nutshell, this is the definition of how we use descriptive wording! Now let’s find out exactly why descriptive wording is so important.

Why Do We Use Descriptive Words?

We use descriptive words for the sake of the audience and the subject in question. The more important it is that the audience thinks about the subject, the better description we should use. We use descriptive wording most often in fiction because it brings the imagery of the story to life. Just like in the previous example, if the apple tree is important to the scene and/or the story itself, being descriptive paints a picture. If we want people to know that the bear was scary rather than cute and cuddly, we need to let them know. Words like these provide deeper understanding, create emotions, and give your writing or speech a sense of realism. We always want to connect with our audience to the best of our ability.

Now, let’s look at 30 descriptive words that you can use to capture someone’s imagination!

List of Descriptive Words/Terms

Below is the list of common descriptive words that you often see.

  • Stunning
  • Glowing
  • Radiant
  • Sky blue
  • Mossy green
  • Crisp
  • Tart
  • Red-hot
  • Bland
  • Hideous
  • Sickly
  • Buttery-soft
  • Rough
  • Rubbery
  • Scalding
  • Icy
  • Sandy/Grainy
  • Exhausted
  • Ecstatic
  • Joyful
  • Devastated
  • Disappointing
  • Raging
  • Fiery
  • Brainy
  • Cunning
  • Scaly
  • Savory
  • Dreamy
  • Wild

List of Descriptive Words and Their Synonyms

Large

  • Vast
  • Giant
  • Wide
  • Massive
  • Spacious
  • Immense
  • Gigantic
  • Enormous
  • Broad
  • Hefty

Fast

  • Rapid
  • Quick
  • Nimble
  • Brisk
  • Agile
  • Swift
  • Speedy
  • Active
  • Accelerated
  • Fleet

Said

  • Replied
  • Answered
  • Told
  • Responded
  • Called
  • Stated
  • Remarked
  • Asked
  • Exclaimed
  • Expressed

Hard

  • Tough
  • Solid
  • Strong
  • Demanding
  • Complicated
  • Tricky
  • Challenging
  • Rigid
  • Puzzling
  • Firm

Happy

  • Cheerful
  • Delighted
  • Glad
  • Joyous
  • Merry
  • Pleasant
  • Jubilant
  • Overjoyed
  • Contented
  • Joyful

Kind

  • Gracious
  • Affectionate
  • Friendly
  • Gentle
  • Generous
  • Kindly
  • Loving
  • Thoughtful
  • Humane
  • Kindhearted

Small

  • Short
  • Narrow
  • Modest
  • Little
  • Tiny
  • Wee
  • Meager
  • Miniature
  • Microscopic
  • Minute

Walk

  • Hike
  • Stroll
  • Wander
  • March
  • Parade
  • Pace
  • Strut
  • Shuffle
  • Saunter
  • Ramble

Funny

  • Whimsical
  • Playful
  • Hilarious
  • Droll
  • Comical
  • Humorous
  • Amusing
  • Witty
  • Jolly
  • Entertaining

Easy

  • Obvious
  • Effortless
  • Simple
  • Uncomplicated
  • Straightforward
  • Apparent
  • Smooth
  • Snap
  • Elementary
  • Evident

Run

  • Spurt
  • Race
  • Rush
  • Hurry
  • Jog
  • Pace
  • Dart
  • Dash
  • Bound
  • Sprint

Sad

  • Sorrowful
  • Sorry
  • Wistful
  • Melancholy
  • Somber
  • Dismal
  • Gloomy
  • Miserable
  • Bitter
  • Mournful

Descriptive Words | Infographic

What Are Descriptive Words? List of Descriptive Words and Their SynonymsPin

3.8
8
votes

Article Rating

Describing words! Heard of them? What do you think they are? Any idea what part of speech they belong to? Well, check out the article to find out answers to all these questions.

Table of Contents

  • What are Describing Words? – Meaning, Definition and Functions
  • Types of Describing Words in English
    • Adjectives
    • Adverbs
  • 20 Describing Words that are Commonly Used in English
  • Describing Words that Start with the letters ‘A’ to ‘Z’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘A’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘B’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘C’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘D’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘E’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘F’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘G’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘H’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘I’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘J’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘K’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘L’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘M’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘N’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘O’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘P’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘Q’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘R’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘S’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘T’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘U’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘V’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘W’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘X’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘Y’
    • Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘Z’
  • Frequently Asked Questions on Describing Words

What are Describing Words? – Meaning, Definition and Functions

Describing words are words that are used to describe or provide additional information about a thing. Such words are used to describe a person, place, event, situation etc. In most cases, a descriptive term is used to intensify the expression of the individuals.

The word ‘describe’, according to the Collins Dictionary, is defined as something that is used “to represent or delineate by a picture or figure”, and according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘describe’ is defined as “to say or write what someone or something is like.” Hence, it can be said that words that are used to say or write about how something is done or how someone or something behaves in a given situation.

As far as the functions of describing words are concerned, it can be said that they perform the roles of adverbs and adjectives. In simpler terms, it can be said that adverbs and adjectives can be considered as describing words.

Take a look at the types of describing words in the English language to attain a little more clarity.

Types of Describing Words in English

There are mainly two types of describing words in English. They are the ‘adjectives’ and the ‘adverbs’. Both adjectives and adverbs are very useful and are frequently used in conversations to describe or provide more information about a noun, a verb, and adjective or an adverb.

Adjectives

As we all know, an adjective is used to describe a noun or a pronoun that acts as a subject or an object. Adjectives can provide additional information about a noun or a pronoun, like its size, shape, colour, look, etc.

A few examples of adjectives are given below.

  1. The boy is tall.
  2. She is very smart.
  3. Our car is red in colour.
  4. He is an American citizen.
  5. It is a luxurious hotel.
  6. He is an intelligent boy.
  7. The dish was very spicy.
  8. She wore a beautiful dress.
  9. My table is a short one.
  10. That man was very kind to her.

Adverbs

An adverb describes a verb or anything in the sentence apart from a noun and pronoun. It modifies a verb, an adjective, a clause, or even another adverb.

A few examples of adverbs are given below.

  1. The birds were chirping loudly.
  2. The girl sang melodiously.
  3. He drives very carefully.
  4. He quickly climbed the wall.
  5. She swims well.
  6. Stars were twinkling brightly.
  7. She is a quick learner.
  8. The deer ran very fast to escape from its predator.
  9. That lady frequently visited the shop.
  10. He behaved strangely last night.

20 Describing Words That Are Commonly Used in English

A list of 20 frequently used describing words in the English language is given below. Go through the list and learn them to improve your communication skills.

Amazing Interesting Charming Pleasurable
Kindly Sincerely Lovingly Quickly
Usually Commonly Normally Generally
Terribly Remarkably Significantly Tremendously
Absolutely Happy Delightful Pleasing

Describing Words that Start with the Letters ‘A’ to ‘Z’

With the use of describing words, a person can provide additional details about the condition of something. Describing words lessen the complexity of expressions by providing more information with the use of little words. A comprehensive list of describing words in alphabetical order is given below. Go through the list and learn them.

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘A’

Abandoned Aesthetic Abundant Awful
Attentive Acceptable Accomplished Authentic
Active Adequate Adorable Adventurous
Affordable Alert Ambitious Amused
Arrogant Adaptable Admiring Abnormal
Ageless Academic Achy Aweless

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘B’

Beautiful Barbaric Brilliant Beneficial
Babyish Blue-eyed Bookish Balanced
Baffling Basic Blushing Brainy
Bewildered Busy Bewildering Bossy

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘C’

Calm Cute Cunning Carefully
Cautiously Currently Clever Charmingly
Crisp Clear Captivating Charisma
Casual Carefree Creative Comfortable
Cheerful Courageous Captivating Careless

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘D’

Dear Dangerous Daring Dominant
Depressed Dramatic Damaged Defeated
Determined Decent Dynamic Dutiful
Delightful Delicious Diverse Divine
Deep Different Deluxe Discrete

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘E’

Eagerly Efficient Effortless Enigmatic
Energetic Easily Entirely Exemplary
Elegant Exciting Enchanting Eye-catching
Emotional Easy-Going Earthly Enthusiastic
Empty Eccentric Exclusive Ecstatic

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘F’

Frequently Fast Flawlessly Finely
Fabulous Forgiving Fearless Faithful
Factual Fine Fancy Frightened
Free Famous Fascinated Fake
Fashionable Foreign Fatherly Fantastic

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘G’

Good Great Generous Giant
Ghostly Glad Glowing Grateful
Glamorous Gloomy Grieving Guarded
Good-looking Graceful Gentle Gifted

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘H’

Heartfelt Hard Hurry Harmonious
Humourless Hilarious Handsome Harmful
Handed Healthy Heroic Humongous
Homely High-spirited Heavenly Humane

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘I’

Iconic Idolise Impossible Idle
Improper Icy Immune Inexpensive
Intense Improbable Intriguing Immortal
Illegal Idealistic Inspiring Ideal

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘J’

Jolly Jovial Joyful Joyous
Judicious Jealous Jarring Jaunty
Jubilant Jumpy Justifying Justifiable

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘K’

Kind Known Kind-hearted Kingly
Kinetic Keen Knowledgeable Kindred

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘L’

Lovingly Lasting Lately Loudly
Lavish Living Large Luxurious
Lingual Logical Lion-hearted Less
Lonely Local Lucky Lyrical
Lazy Legitimate Legendary Leading
Long Lenient Lawful Limited

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘M’

Melodiously Miniscule Musically Majestic
Motherly Magnificient Masculine Malicious
Magical Mandatory Malleable Manipulative
Man-made Master Massive Materialistic
Marginal Manageable Married Melancholic
Mathematical Memorable Maternal Marvellous
Medicinal Moderate Merry Modern

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘N’

New Nearby Noble Nice
Naughty Nameless Nasty Nervous
Necessary Native Neat Neutral
Narcissistic Noticeably Negligible Normally
Narrowly Newsworthy Nowhere Nonstop
Needy Natural Naiive Navigational

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘O’

Ordinary Outstanding Original Organic
Obedient Optimistic Opposing Odourless
Occasional Orthodox Oriental Overrated
Omniscient Occupied Opposite Offer
Overthink Openhearted Official Odd
Overprotective Observingly Overjoyed Old-fashioned

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘P’

Patriotic Pleasurably Protective Pleasingly
Periodically Playfully Passively Progressively
Puzzling Peaceful Precise Proper
Painful Premium Painless Pretty
Productive Passionately Popular Provocative
Pessimistic Paranormal Parliamentary Pathetic

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘Q’

Quickly Questioning Quietly Quotable
Queer Quirky Quarrelsome Qualified

Describing Words that Starts with the letter ‘R’

Real Radiant Recognisable Rejuvenating
Remarkable Reasonable Reliable Rare
Revolutionary Reliable Responsible Renowned
Romantic Rampant Repulsive Reluctant

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘S’

Super Socially Sincerely Strict
Strongly Significant Secretly Scientific
Striking Selfless Sporty Sharp
Sweet Speedy Stereotypical Sarcastic
Special Sublime Spirited Stunning
Stylish Sophisticated Safely Splendid
Sad Strange Sleepy Shy
Sensitive Sly Sparkling Slow

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘T’

Trustable Tactical Tasty Tender
Tasteful Thoughtful Thrilling Terrific
Talented Touching Truthful Triumphant
Tough Tight Tempting Thankful
Talkative Tall Tremendous Trustworthy

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘U’

Urgent Useless Unique Useful
Unfamiliar Unfocused Unfriendly Unhappy
Unfavourable Unhealthy Unfortunate Ungraceful
Uninterested Ugly Ultimate Universal
Unaffected Unbelievable Unusual Unpleasant

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘V’

Versed Versatile Virtuous Vulnerable
Verifiable Villainous Voluntary Voiceless
Victorious Various Vigilant Valuable

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘W’

Warmhearted Well-behaved Wild Weak
Wise Whimsical Wealthy Wicked
Witty Wordy Wonderful Winning
Warm Wholeheartedly Willfully Wanted

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘X’

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘Y’

Young Youthful Yawning Yummy

Describing Words that Start with the Letter ‘Z’

Zealful Zealous Zestful Zoological

Frequently Asked Questions on Describing Words

Q1

What are describing words and what are the benefits of using them in the English language?

Describing words are words that are used to describe or provide additional information about a thing. Such terms are used to describe a person, place, event, situation etc. There are numerous describing words in the English language. In most cases, a descriptive word is used to intensify the expression of the individuals.

Q2

What are the different types of describing words in the English language?

There are mainly two types of describing words in the English language. They are ‘adjectives’ and ‘adverbs’. An adjective is used to describe a noun or pronoun. They provide additional information about a noun or pronoun, like its size, shape, colour, look, etc. In contrast, an adverb describes a verb or anything in the sentence apart from a noun and pronoun.These describing words are very useful and are frequently used in conversations in English.

Q3

List some describing words in the English language.

Active, Adequate, Adorable, Adventurous, Affordable, Alert, Ambitious, Amused, Beautiful, Barbaric, Brilliant, Beneficial, Babyish, Patriotic, Protective, Pleasingly, Pleasurably, Periodically, Passively, Progressively, Playfully, Urgent, Unique, Useful, Useless, Unfamiliar, Unfriendly, Unhappy, Unifocused, Unfavourable, Unfortunate, Ungraceful, Trustable, Tasty, Tender, Tactical, Tasteful, Thrilling, Terrific, Thoughtful, Talented, Truthful, Frequently, Fast, Fantastic, Fascinated, Fabulous, Forgiving, Fearless, Melodiously, Musically, Manly, Marvellous, Motherly, Masculine, Magnificient, Majestic, Magical, Jolly, Jovial, Justifying, Joyous.

When speaking or writing in the English language you are going to need to use descriptive words. But what are these types of describing words and how can we use them? We will look at the answers to these questions and look at examples of the different types of descriptive words.

You may be tired of always using the same adjectives and are in desperate need to add some new ones to your vocabulary. If that’s the case, then you’re in the right place! Here we will be sharing with you, the most common descriptive words and describing words. As well as, how to use gerunds, verbs, and nouns as descriptive words.

What Are Descriptive Words?

A descriptive word is a word that is used to describe something, that something could be a person, a place, a situation, or an item amongst other things. These words enable you to better explain the condition of something, for example, if you were talking about a person, you might use descriptive words to explain how that person looks. If you were talking about a country, you would use descriptive words to talk about the size of the country for example.

A descriptive word can also help you to intensify the meaning of a word or phrase.

Learn 250 Useful Descriptive Words to Improve Your General Fluency in English

YouTube video

Descriptive Words to Describe Colors

Word Example
Crimson The crimson sun set over the horizon. (Deep red)
Scarlet She wore a scarlet dress to the party. (Bright red)
Burgundy The burgundy wine had a rich, complex flavor. (Dark red or purple)
Rose The rose petals were soft and delicate. (Light pink)
Magenta The magenta flowers added a pop of color to the garden. (Purplish-red)
Lavender The lavender fields stretched out as far as the eye could see. (Pale purple)
Indigo The indigo dye gave the fabric a deep, rich color. (Deep blue-purple)
Azure The sky was a brilliant shade of azure. (Bright blue)
Sapphire The sapphire earrings sparkled in the light. (Rich blue)
Turquoise The turquoise waters of the Caribbean were crystal clear. (Blue-green)
Olive The olive trees provided shade from the hot sun. (Yellow-green)
Lime The lime juice gave the drink a refreshing tang. (Bright green)
Emerald The emerald ring gleamed on her finger. (Deep green)
Chartreuse The chartreuse walls of the room added a bold splash of color. (Yellow-green)
Gold The gold medal gleamed in the athlete’s hand. (Yellow-orange)
Tangerine The tangerine sunset painted the sky with vibrant hues. ( Bright orange)
Rust The rust-colored leaves fell gently from the trees. (Orange-red)
Chocolate The chocolate cake was rich and indulgent. (Dark brown)
Beige The walls were painted a soft shade of beige. (Light brown)
Ivory The ivory wedding gown was stunning. (Creamy white)
Pearl The pearl necklace shimmered in the light. (Pale grayish-white)
Silver The silver car gleamed in the sun. (Shiny gray)
Charcoal The charcoal drawing was incredibly detailed. (Dark gray)

Descriptive Words to Describe Shapes

Word Meaning
Circular Having the shape of a circle
Oval Having the shape of an ellipse
Square Having four equal sides and four right angles
Rectangular Having four sides with opposite sides parallel and equal in length
Triangular Having three sides
Diamond Having a rhombus shape
Pentagon Having five sides
Hexagon Having six sides
Octagon Having eight sides
Sphere A three-dimensional circular object
Cube A three-dimensional object with six square sides
Cylinder A three-dimensional object with circular bases and straight sides
Cone A three-dimensional object with a circular base and a pointed tip
Pyramid A three-dimensional object with a polygonal base and triangular sides that meet at a point
Diamond A two-dimensional shape with four straight sides of equal length, arranged in a diamond shape

Descriptive Words to Describe Sizes

Word Meaning
Tiny Extremely small
Petite Small and delicate
Miniature Small in size, but accurately detailed
Compact Small and efficiently designed
Little Small in size or amount
Dainty Small and delicate in a pleasing way
Slim Narrow or thin in shape
Narrow Long and thin in shape
Short Not tall in height
Average A typical or common size
Moderate Of medium size or amount
Large Big in size
Grand Impressive or magnificent in size
Massive Extremely large or heavy
Colossal Enormous in size or scale
Giant Very large in size or stature

Descriptive Words to Describe Age and Time

Word Example
New She bought a new car last week.
Fresh The bakery sold fresh bread every morning.
Young The young puppy was full of energy.
Juvenile The juvenile delinquent was arrested for theft.
Infant The infant slept soundly in her crib.
Toddler The toddler stumbled while taking her first steps.
Adolescent The adolescent struggled with peer pressure.
Teenage She was a typical teenage girl, always on her phone.
Mature The mature oak tree provided shade on a hot day.
Elderly The elderly man needed help crossing the street.
Aged The aged book was a valuable antique.
Ancient The ancient ruins of Rome attract millions of tourists every year.
Timely The timely arrival of the ambulance saved his life.
Prompt The prompt response to the emergency call was appreciated.
Current The current pandemic has affected people all over the world.
Contemporary The contemporary art exhibit featured works by modern artists.
Outdated The outdated technology was replaced with newer models.
Obsolete The obsolete machinery was sold for scrap metal.

Descriptive Words to Describe Taste

Word Example
Bitter Coffee, dark chocolate, tonic water
Sweet Candy, fruit, honey
Sour Lemon, vinegar, sour cream
Salty Chips, salted nuts, seaweed salad
Savory Steak, bacon, mushroom soup
Spicy Chili peppers, hot sauce, curry
Tangy Pickles, mustard, citrus fruits
Mild Cream cheese, rice, cucumber
Rich Chocolate cake, beef stew, creamy pasta
Tart Green apples, yogurt, sourdough bread
Bland Plain rice, boiled potatoes, tofu
Astringent Red wine, tea, unripe fruit
Earthy Beets, mushrooms, root vegetables
Fruity Berry jam, tropical juice, apple cider
Nutty Almond butter, pecan pie, peanut brittle
Smoky Grilled meat, smoked salmon, roasted nuts
Herbal Basil pesto, rosemary chicken, mint tea
Floral Rosewater, lavender honey, chamomile tea
Citrusy Orange juice, lemon zest, grapefruit slices
Robust Espresso, dark beer, aged cheese

Descriptive Words to Describe Sounds

Word Example
Loud Thunder, explosion, car horn
Soft Whisper, rustle, purr
Shrill Scream, alarm, screech
Mellow Jazz music, warm voice, cello
Melodic Singing, bird chirping, guitar solo
Harmonious Chorus, symphony, choir
Grating Nails on a chalkboard, metal scraping
Jarring Siren, slamming door, breaking glass
Clanging Bell, metal drum, cymbal
Thumping Bass drum, heartbeat, pounding feet
Whirring Fan, blender, air conditioner
Buzzing Bee, electrical wires, phone
Rustling Leaves, paper, fabric
Sizzling Bacon, steak, frying pan
Crackling Fire, popping popcorn, twigs
Screeching Brakes, metal scraping, chalkboard
Murmuring Whispering, water flowing, wind
Gurgling Waterfall, creek, stomach
Cooing Pigeon, baby, dove

Descriptive Words to Describe Touch

Descriptive Word Examples
Soft The baby’s skin was soft like silk.
Rough The surface of the rock was rough and jagged.
Smooth The polished marble was smooth to the touch.
Prickly The cactus had prickly spines all over its surface.
Cold The ice cube was cold to the touch.
Warm The cup of tea was warm to the touch.
Wet The raincoat was wet from the rain.
Dry The desert sand was dry and gritty.
Bumpy The dirt road was bumpy and rough to drive on.
Furry The cat was furry and cuddly.
Slimy The slug left a slimy trail behind it.
Sticky The tape was sticky and adhered to the paper.
Tingly The minty toothpaste left a tingly sensation in my mouth.
Numb My hand felt numb after holding the ice pack for too long.
Jarring The impact of the car accident was jarring and painful.
Ticklish I’m ticklish on my feet and it always makes me laugh.

Descriptive Words to Describe Smell

Descriptive Word Examples
Sweet The aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls was sweet and inviting.
Sour The smell of spoiled milk was sour and unpleasant.
Floral The bouquet of roses filled the room with a sweet and floral fragrance.
Earthy The smell of freshly cut grass was earthy and refreshing.
Spicy The curry had a spicy smell that made my nose tingle.
Smoky The campfire had a smoky smell that lingered on our clothes.
Musky The perfume had a musky smell that was alluring and sensual.
Fruity The bowl of fresh fruit had a fruity smell that was refreshing.
Herbal The tea had an herbal smell that was calming and soothing.
Woody The cabin had a woody smell that reminded me of the forest.
Chemical The cleaning solution had a chemical smell that made my eyes water.
Rancid The old cheese had a rancid smell that made me feel nauseous.
Metallic The smell of the metalwork shop was metallic and sharp.
Fishy The fish market had a fishy smell that was overwhelming.
Musty The old attic had a musty smell that was unpleasant.
Aromatic The herbs had an aromatic smell that filled the kitchen with deliciousness.
Pungent The onions had a pungent smell that made my eyes water.
Foul The garbage had a foul smell that made me gag.

Descriptive Words to Describe Quantity

  1. Small quantity:
Word Meaning
Scanty Barely sufficient or inadequate
Meager Lacking in quantity or quality
Sparse Thinly scattered or distributed
Paltry Insignificant or small in amount
Modest Limited or moderate in amount
  1. Medium quantity:
Word Meaning
Adequate Sufficient or satisfactory
Ample Enough or more than enough
Sufficient Adequate or enough to meet a need or demand
Considerable Large or significant in amount
Substantial Large or considerable in amount
  1. Large quantity:
Word Meaning
Abundant Plentiful or ample in quantity
Copious Large in quantity or number
Profuse Abundant or excessive in quantity
Overflowing Filled beyond capacity or brimming over
Innumerable Too many to be counted or too numerous to mention

Descriptive Words to Describe Quality

  1. Poor quality:
Word Meaning
Shoddy Poorly made or inferior in quality
Inferior Lower in quality or value
Substandard Below the accepted standard or quality
Defective Faulty or imperfect in quality
Flawed Containing defects or imperfections
  1. Average quality:
Word Meaning
Mediocre Neither good nor bad; average
Decent Adequate or satisfactory in quality
Standard Conforming to the accepted standard or norm
Acceptable Suitable or satisfactory in quality
Tolerable Bearable or acceptable in quality
  1. High quality:
Word Meaning
Superior Higher in quality or value
Excellent Exceptionally good or of high quality
Premium Of superior quality and value
Exceptional Unusually good or outstanding in quality
Top-notch Of the highest quality or excellence

Descriptive Words to Describe the Weather

Word Example
Sunny It’s a sunny day, let’s go to the beach.
Cloudy The sky is cloudy, it might rain later.
Rainy It’s a rainy day, don’t forget your umbrella.
Windy It’s very windy outside, hold on to your hat.
Stormy The stormy weather caused power outages throughout the city.
Snowy The snowy landscape looks beautiful in winter.
Foggy The foggy morning made it hard to see the road.
Misty The misty morning made everything look mysterious.
Hazy The hazy afternoon made the distant mountains barely visible.
Humid It’s very humid outside, it feels like a sauna.
Dry The dry heat made it difficult to breathe.
Hot It’s too hot to go outside, let’s stay indoors.
Cold The cold weather made me shiver even with my coat on.
Freezing The freezing weather caused the roads to be covered in ice.
Chilly The chilly breeze made me put on a sweater.
Pleasant The weather is so pleasant today, let’s have a picnic.
Unpleasant The weather is so unpleasant today, I don’t want to go outside.
Dreary The dreary weather matched my mood.
Muggy The muggy weather made it hard to breathe.
Breezy The breezy day made flying kites so much fun.

Descriptive Words to Describe the Environment

Word Example
Pristine The pristine beach was untouched by tourists.
Lush The lush rainforest was home to many species of animals.
Arid The arid desert had very little rainfall.
Barren The barren land had no plants or trees.
Serene The serene lake was a great place to meditate.
Polluted The polluted air in the city made it difficult to breathe.
Noisy The noisy construction site made it hard to concentrate.
Vibrant The vibrant city was alive with activity.
Tranquil The tranquil forest was a great place to escape from the city.
Industrial The industrial park was home to many manufacturing companies.
Rural The rural farm was miles away from the nearest town.
Urban The urban landscape was full of skyscrapers and bustling streets.
Picturesque The picturesque village looked like it came straight out of a postcard.
Secluded The secluded beach was only accessible by boat.
Majestic The majestic mountains were a sight to behold.
Prickly The prickly cactus was a common sight in the desert.
Rustic The rustic cabin was a perfect getaway for those seeking a quiet retreat.
Scenic The scenic drive along the coast was breathtaking.
Wild The wild animals in the jungle were dangerous and unpredictable.
Eerie The eerie silence in the abandoned house made us feel uneasy.

Learn more: Words to Describe Someone

Types of Describing Words

What types of descriptive words are there? There are two main types of descriptive words. Adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives are extremely important and useful in the English language. They have been around for many years, largely influential people like Shakespeare invented many during his time on Earth. They provide us with the access to describe the things around us, which comes in handy in many situations. For example, if you’re going to see a doctor about a specific issue, you’ll need to be able to describe it. If you’re writing a story, adjectives will help your audience to visualize your story more vividly. If you looking to complement or describe someone, adjectives are crucial.

Gerunds, verbs, and nouns can also be used as descriptive words. Let’s look at each of these types of descriptive words in a little more detail.

Descriptive Adjectives

An adjective is used to modify or describe a noun. The adjective can give more information about a noun such as things like its size, shape, texture, or color.

An adjective is useful when there is a selection of the same objects which have subtle differences, for example, if there were a group of fish, each one a different color. You are asked ‘which fish do you like?’ You can reply to this question by simply using the adjective, and you could say ‘the blue one.’

Here are a few examples of adjectives in use:

  • The building is modern.
  • The pizza is delicious.
  • Her dress is elegant.
  • The concert was loud.
  • The movie was exciting.
  • The flowers are fragrant.
  • The sky is blue.
  • The lake is crystal-clear.
  • The city is vibrant.
  • The sunset was breathtaking.

It is worth noting that an adjective is likely end with the following letters:

Suffix Examples
-al Logical, Rational, Regional, Principal, Clinical
-an American, Mexican, Human, Suburban, Urban
-ar Popular, Clear, Lunar, Regular, Cellular, Solar
-ent Decent, Magnificent, Excellent, Independent, Fluent
-ful Beautiful, Blissful, Helpful, Grateful, Successful
-ic Athletic, Majestic, Historic, Romantic, Comedic
-ical Magical, Fantastical, Chemical, Logical, Historical
-ine Feminine, Ovine, Porcine, Marine, Alpine
-ile Immobile, Juvenile, Agile, Hostile, Infantile
-ive Aggressive, Adaptive, Creative, Positive, Productive
-less Colourless, Thoughtless, Endless, Fearless, Pointless
-ous Ginormous, Luminous, Dangerous, Courageous, Enormous
-some Awesome, Boresome, Tedious, Troublesome, Fearsome

However, as with many grammar rules there are exceptions and so sometimes an adjective might not fall into one of these categories. Some of the less common endings for adjectives can be -ing, -er, -y, -ary, -ate.

These types of descriptive words can appear anywhere in a sentence.

Related: 515 Descriptive Adjectives to Describe Everything in English!

Descriptive Adverbs

An adverb is the other type of descriptive word that we are going to look at. An adverb is a word that can further explain an adjective or many other types of words such as verbs, phrases, sentences, or even other adverbs. This type of descriptive word is more often than not, placed directly before or after the verb in the sentence you are creating. Usually, you will find that an adverb ends in the letters -ly, but as with adjectives, this rule can waiver from time to time, and not all adverbs will end in these letters.

Here are some examples of adverbs in a sentence:

  • The old man walks slowly along the street.
  • She danced gracefully on the stage.
  • The toddler is running excitedly toward the playground.
  • He spoke softly to avoid waking the baby.
  • The chef cooked the steak perfectly.
  • She sings beautifully in the choir.
  • He writes legibly on the chalkboard.
  • The bird flew gracefully through the air.
  • The boxer punches powerfully in the ring.
  • The dog barks loudly at strangers.

You can also use two adverbs together to form an adverb phrase, here are some examples of this.

  • The runners sprinted effortlessly down the track.
  • She sang beautifully during the performance.
  • He solved the math problem surprisingly quickly.
  • The chef cooked the meal extremely well.
  • The flowers bloomed suddenly after the rain.

Gerunds, Verbs, and Nouns Used As Descriptive Words

Gerunds Used As Descriptive Words

Encase you’re unfamiliar with gerunds; a gerund is verb ending in -ing, which acts as a noun. Some examples of gerunds are: asking and running. If used correctly, these words can be used as adjectives by modifying adverbs.

Here are some examples of how to use gerunds as descriptive words:

  • “She enjoys painting landscapes on the weekends”
  • “The rushing waterfall was a breathtaking sight”
  • “The boiling tea kettle let out a high-pitched whistle”
  • “The blinding sunshine made it difficult to see”
  • “The dazzling fireworks lit up the night sky”
  • “The deafening music was too loud for my ears”

Verbs Used As Descriptive Words

Verbs are used to describe actions, states and occurrences. Commonly used verbs include: achieve, limit and receive. Verbs ending in -ed and -ing used to describe, can be disguised as adjectives. Another way would be to use a verb to modify a noun or a pronoun.

Here are some examples of how to use verbs as descriptive words:

  • “Her story was extremely puzzling
  • “I am so satisfied with my work”
  • “I’m just always bored for some reason”
  • “Never go near a smiling crocodile”
  • “My dad is going to repair our broken porch”

Nouns Used As Descriptive Words

A noun is a word which is used to identify specific things, this could be a place or an animal, even an object. To use a noun as a descriptive word, you will have to use it to modify another noun. This is called an adjectival noun or noun modifying.

Here are some examples of how to use nouns as descriptive words:

  • “I love race cars”
  • “I bought my son a bed in the shape of a sports car”
  • Good always wins and bad always loses”
  • -“The ugly is on its way”
  • “The rich should help the poor

Describing Words (from A-Z)

Descriptive Words that Start with A

  • Abandoned
  • Abnormal
  • Abundant
  • Abusive
  • Academic
  • Acceptable
  • Accomplished
  • Achy
  • Active
  • Adaptable
  • Adorable
  • Adventurous
  • Affordable
  • Alert
  • Ambitious
  • Amused
  • Arrogant

Descriptive Words that Start with B

  • Babyish
  • Baffling
  • Baggy
  • Balanced
  • Basic
  • Beaming
  • Beautified
  • Beneficial
  • Bewildered
  • Blue-Eyed
  • Blushing
  • Boisterous
  • Bookish
  • Brainy
  • Brash
  • Brilliant
  • Brittle

Descriptive Words that Start with C

  • Calculating
  • Calm
  • Captivating
  • Carefree
  • Casual
  • Cautious
  • Cerulean
  • Charismatic
  • Charming
  • Cheerful
  • Clever
  • Combative
  • Comfortable
  • Courageous
  • Creative
  • Crisp
  • Cyan

Descriptive Words that Start with D

  • Damaged
  • Dangerous
  • Dark
  • Decent
  • Deep
  • Defeated
  • Delicious
  • Delighted
  • Deluxe
  • Depressed
  • Determined
  • Different
  • Discreet
  • Diverse
  • Divine
  • Dominant
  • Dynamic

Descriptive Words that Start with E

  • Eager
  • Earthly
  • Easy-Going
  • Efficacious
  • Effortless
  • Elegant
  • Emotional
  • Empty
  • Enchanting
  • Enraged
  • Enthusiastic
  • Equable
  • Evanescent
  • Exciting
  • Exemplary
  • Exuberant
  • Eye-catching

Descriptive Words that Start with F

  • Fabulous
  • Factual
  • Faithful
  • Fake
  • Famous
  • Fancy
  • Fascinating
  • Fashionable
  • Fearless
  • Feisty
  • Fierce
  • Fine
  • Flawless
  • Flustered
  • Foreign
  • Free
  • Frightened

Descriptive Words that Start with G

  • Gaping
  • Generic
  • Generous
  • Gentle
  • Giant
  • Gifted
  • Glamorous
  • Gleaming
  • Gloomy
  • Glowing
  • Glum
  • Goal-oriented
  • Good-looking
  • Graceful
  • Grieving
  • Grumpy
  • Guarded

Descriptive Words that Start with H

  • Handed
  • Handsome
  • Harmful
  • Harmonious
  • Hasty
  • Hated
  • Hazel
  • Headstrong
  • Healthy
  • Heavenly
  • Helpful
  • Heroic
  • Hideous
  • High-spirited
  • Hilarious
  • Homely
  • Humongous

Descriptive Words that Start with I

  • Iconic
  • Icy
  • Ideal
  • Idealistic
  • Idolised
  • Illegal
  • Immortal
  • Immune
  • Impervious
  • Impossible
  • Improper
  • Inclined
  • Inexpensive
  • Inquisitive
  • Intense
  • Intriguing
  • Introverted

Descriptive Words that Start with J

  • Jaded
  • Jagged
  • Jam-packed
  • Jangling
  • Jarring
  • Jaunty
  • Jealous
  • Jeering
  • Jesting
  • Jewelled
  • Jittery
  • Jolly
  • Joyful
  • Joyous
  • Jubilant
  • Jumpy
  • Juvenile

Descriptive Words that Start with K

  • Kaleidoscopic
  • Kaput
  • Keeled
  • Keen
  • Keyless
  • Kind
  • Kindhearted
  • Kindly
  • Kindred
  • Kinetic
  • Kingly
  • Kissable
  • Klutzy
  • Knockout
  • Knotted
  • Knowledgeable
  • Known

Descriptive Words that Start with L

  • Ladylike
  • Lame
  • Lanky
  • Lawful
  • Lazy
  • Legendary
  • Lesser
  • Liberated
  • Licit
  • Lively
  • Livid
  • Lonely
  • Loud
  • Lovable
  • Lucky
  • Luxurious
  • Lyrical

Descriptive Words that Start with M

  • Macabre
  • Machiavellian
  • Mad
  • Magical
  • Magnanimous
  • Maladapted
  • Malefic
  • Malleable
  • Marvellous
  • Memorable
  • Mindful
  • Modern
  • Motionless
  • Motivated
  • Motivational
  • Musical
  • Mysterious

Descriptive Words that Start with N

  • Naive
  • Narcissistic
  • Narrow
  • Nasty
  • Native
  • Natural
  • Naughty
  • Nauseated
  • Nauseating
  • Nauseous
  • Neat
  • Necessary
  • Needed
  • Needy
  • Nervous
  • New
  • Nice

Descriptive Words that Start with O

  • Obedient
  • Obnoxious
  • Obscure
  • Observant
  • Odd
  • Odorous
  • Official
  • Old-fashioned
  • Openhearted
  • Open-minded
  • Original
  • Outgoing
  • Out-of-this-world
  • Outrageous
  • Overjoyed
  • Overprotective
  • Overthinker

Descriptive Words that Start with P

  • Panicky
  • Participant
  • Passionate
  • Patient
  • Peaceful
  • Perceptive
  • Perfect
  • Persistent
  • Personable
  • Petty
  • Placid
  • Playful
  • Powerful
  • Precious
  • Pretty
  • Professional
  • Proud

Descriptive Words that Start with Q

  • Quaint
  • Qualified
  • Quality
  • Quarrelsome
  • Queasy
  • Queer
  • Quenched
  • Querulous
  • Questionable
  • Questioning
  • Quick
  • Quiet
  • Quirky
  • Quiver
  • Quixotic
  • Quotable

Descriptive Words that Start with R

  • Rabid
  • Racy
  • Radiant
  • Radical
  • Radioactive
  • Rakish
  • Rampant
  • Rare
  • Raspy
  • Rational
  • Reachable
  • Real
  • Relieved
  • Repulsive
  • Respectable
  • Responsible
  • Romantic

Descriptive Words that Start with S

  • Sad
  • Safe
  • Salty
  • Sanctimonious
  • Sanguine
  • Sarcastic
  • Sassy
  • Scented
  • Scintillating
  • Sedentary
  • Self-assertive
  • Selfless
  • Sensitive
  • Silky
  • Sparkling
  • Splendid
  • Strange

Descriptive Words that Start with T

  • Talented
  • Talkative
  • Tall
  • Tantalising
  • Tasteful
  • Tasty
  • Tempting
  • Tenacious
  • Tender
  • Terrible
  • Thankful
  • Thoughtless
  • Tinted
  • Tolerant
  • Tremendous
  • Trustful
  • Trustworthy

Descriptive Words that Start with U

  • Uber
  • Ugly
  • Ulterior
  • Ultimate
  • Unaffected
  • Unbelievable
  • Unbroken
  • Uninterested
  • Universal
  • Unlucky
  • Unpleasant
  • Unused
  • Unusual
  • Up-front
  • Uptight
  • Useful
  • Utter

Descriptive Words that Start with V

  • Vainglorious
  • Valiant
  • Valid
  • Validatory
  • Valorous
  • Valuable
  • Vast
  • Vaulting
  • Versatile
  • Vibrant
  • Victorious
  • Vigilant
  • Vigorous
  • Vivacious
  • Vivid
  • Vociferous

Descriptive Words that Start with W

  • Wacky
  • Wanted
  • Warm
  • Warmhearted
  • Wasteful
  • Weak
  • Wealthy
  • Well-behaved
  • Whole
  • Wicked
  • Wide-awake
  • Wild
  • Witty
  • Wordy
  • Worrisome
  • Worshipful
  • Wrong

Descriptive Words that Start with X

  • Xanthospermous
  • Xanthous
  • Xebec
  • Xeme
  • Xenial
  • Xenodochial
  • Xenogeneic
  • Xeric
  • Xerothermic
  • Xylographic
  • Xystus

Descriptive Words that Start with Y

  • Yappy
  • Yawning
  • Yearly
  • Yeasty
  • Yellow
  • Yellowish
  • Yern
  • Yiddish
  • Yodelling
  • Young
  • Young-at-heart
  • Youthful
  • Yummy

Descriptive Words that Start with Z

  • Zaftig
  • Zany
  • Zazzy
  • Zealand
  • Zealful
  • Zealous
  • Zenithal
  • Zestful
  • Zesty
  • Zigzag
  • Zingy
  • Zionist
  • Zippy
  • Zoological
  • Zootrophic
  • Zymotic

List of Descriptive Words

Descriptive Adjectives

Here is a comprehensive list of descriptive adjectives.

  • Abandoned
  • Able
  • Academic
  • Acclaimed
  • Accomplished
  • Acrobatic
  • Active
  • Adible
  • Admirable
  • Adorable
  • Adventurous
  • Afraid
  • Aggresive
  • Agile
  • Alarmed
  • Ample
  • Amused
  • Ancient
  • Angelic
  • Angry
  • Babyish
  • Bad
  • Baggy
  • Beloved
  • Bewitched
  • Bitter
  • Blank
  • Bleak
  • Blind
  • Boring
  • Bouncy
  • Brave
  • Bright
  • Brilliant
  • Buoyant
  • Burly
  • Busy
  • Buttery
  • Buzzing
  • Calm
  • Carefree
  • Careful
  • Cautious
  • Cavernous
  • Chubby
  • Classic
  • Clean
  • Clear
  • Clever
  • Cloudy
  • Clumsy
  • Cluttered
  • Coarse
  • Cold
  • Colourful
  • Comfortable
  • Common
  • Composed
  • Concerned
  • Conventional
  • Crowded
  • Cuddly
  • Curly
  • Damaged
  • Dangerous
  • Dark
  • Dazzling
  • Dear
  • Decent
  • Deep
  • Defiant
  • Delicious
  • Delirious
  • Demanding
  • Dense
  • Devoted
  • Dim
  • Dirty
  • Disfigured
  • Early
  • Easy
  • Elastic
  • Elderly
  • Electric
  • Elementary
  • Embellished
  • Emotional
  • Empty
  • Enchanted
  • Energetic
  • Ethical
  • Euphoric
  • Everlasting
  • Evil
  • Exotic
  • Faithful
  • Famous
  • Fancy
  • Fashionable
  • Fatal
  • Fearful
  • Female
  • Filthy
  • Firm
  • Flat
  • Flawed
  • Flustered
  • Focused
  • Foolhardy
  • Gregarious
  • Grim
  • Handsome
  • Handy
  • Intelligent
  • Intrepid
  • Joyful
  • Jubilant
  • Keen
  • Kooky
  • Lanky
  • Lazy
  • Limp
  • Luxurious
  • Mediocre
  • Mellow
  • Miserable
  • Naive
  • Nasty
  • Nautical
  • Neat
  • Needy
  • Negative
  • Nervous
  • Nice
  • Nocturnal
  • Ordinary
  • Organic
  • Ornate
  • Powerless
  • Practical
  • Precious
  • Puzzled
  • Questionable
  • Quirky
  • Ragged
  • Rapid
  • Ready
  • Recent
  • Red
  • Regal
  • Reliable
  • Sad
  • Sandy
  • Sane
  • Scarce
  • Scented
  • Scornful
  • Secret
  • Selfish

Descriptive Adverbs

Now we have a list of adverbs.

  • Accidentally
  • Always
  • Amusingly
  • Angrily
  • Anxiously
  • Apathetically
  • Assertively
  • Awkwardly
  • Badly
  • Begrudgingly
  • Blindly
  • Blissfully
  • Boastfully
  • Boldly
  • Bravely
  • Brightly
  • Cheerfully
  • Cooly
  • Coyly
  • Crazily
  • Defiantly
  • Deftly
  • Deliberately
  • Devotedly
  • Doubtfully
  • Dramatically
  • Dutifully
  • Eagerly
  • Elegantly
  • Enormously
  • Evenly
  • Eventually
  • Exactly
  • Faintly
  • Faithfully
  • Finally
  • Foolishly
  • Frequently
  • Frivolously
  • Gleefully
  • Gracefully
  • Greedily
  • Happily
  • Hastily
  • Honestly
  • Hopelessly
  • Hourly
  • Hungrily
  • Innocently
  • Inquisitively
  • Intelligently
  • Irritably
  • Jealously
  • Justly
  • Kindly
  • Lazily
  • Loosely
  • Madly
  • Meagerly
  • Merrily
  • Methodically
  • Mortally
  • Mysteriously
  • Neglectfully
  • Nervously
  • Never
  • Normally
  • Obediently
  • Obnoxiously
  • Occasionally
  • Often
  • Only
  • Perfectly
  • Pointlessly
  • Politely
  • Poorly
  • Powerfully
  • Promptly
  • Quickly
  • Rapidly
  • Rarely
  • Rashly
  • Regularly
  • Rudely
  • Safely
  • Seldom
  • Selfishly
  • Seriously
  • Shakily
  • Sharply
  • Silently
  • Slowly
  • Solemnly
  • Sometimes
  • Speedily
  • Sternly
  • Tactfully
  • Technically
  • Tediously
  • Tragically
  • Unexpectedly
  • Usually
  • Vacantly
  • Victoriously
  • Vivaciously
  • Vividly
  • Warmly
  • Wearily
  • Weekly
  • Weirdly
  • Wildly
  • Yearly
  • Youthfully
  • Zealously

Synonyms for Common Descriptive Words

INTERESTING

  • Absorbing
  • Amusing
  • Captivating
  • Compelling
  • Diverting
  • Engaging
  • Engrossing
  • Entertaining
  • Enthralling
  • Fascinating
  • Gripping
  • Intriguing
  • Riveting
  • Striking

AMAZING

  • Astonishing
  • Awesome
  • Breathtaking
  • Brilliant
  • Extraordinary
  • Fabulous
  • Fantastic
  • Incredible
  • Marvelous
  • Overwhelming
  • Phenomenal
  • Prodigious
  • Remarkable
  • Significant
  • Spectacular
  • Staggering
  • Stunning
  • Stupendous
  • Tremendous
  • Unbelievable
  • Unexpected
  • Unimaginable
  • Wonderful

NICE

  • Admirable
  • Amiable
  • Charming
  • Congenial
  • Considerate
  • Courteous
  • Delightful
  • Enjoyable
  • Gracious
  • Kind
  • Lovely
  • Pleasant
  • Pleasing
  • Pleasurable

GREAT

  • Awesome
  • Excellent
  • Exceptional
  • Extraordinary
  • Incredible
  • Magnificent
  • Marvelous
  • Outstanding
  • Phenomenal
  • Spectacular
  • Superb
  • Superior
  • Terrific
  • Wonderful

HAPPY

  • Amused
  • Blissful
  • Bright
  • Charmed
  • Cheerful
  • Contented
  • Delighted
  • Eager
  • Ecstatic
  • Elated
  • Enthusiastic
  • Excited
  • Exultant
  • Glad
  • Gleeful
  • Hopeful
  • Joyful
  • Loving
  • Marvelous
  • Merry
  • Optimistic
  • Overjoyed
  • Pleased
  • Positive
  • Satisfied
  • Thrilled

GOOD

  • Amazing
  • Excellent
  • Exceptional
  • Fantastic
  • Marvelous
  • Outstanding
  • Pleasant
  • Splendid
  • Stupendous
  • Super
  • Terrific
  • Wonderful

FUNNY

  • Amusing
  • Comical
  • Droll
  • Entertaining
  • Farcical
  • Gleeful
  • Goofy
  • Hilarious
  • Humorous
  • Hysterical
  • Jocular
  • Laughable
  • Ludicrous
  • Nonsensical
  • Sidesplitting
  • Whimsical

BAD

  • Awful
  • Crummy
  • Despicable
  • Disagreeable
  • Disgraceful
  • Dreadful
  • Horrible
  • Lousy
  • Nasty
  • Naughty
  • Outrageous
  • Rotten
  • Terrible
  • Unpleasant
  • Wicked
  • Wretched

SMALL

  • Diminutive
  • Little
  • Mini
  • Miniature
  • Minute
  • Petite
  • Skimpy
  • Slight
  • Teeny-weeny
  • Tiny
  • Wee

IMPORTANT

  • Consequential
  • Critical
  • Crucial
  • Decisive
  • Essential
  • Eventful
  • Extensive
  • Far-reaching
  • Fundamental
  • Great
  • Imperative
  • Key
  • Major
  • Paramount
  • Serious
  • Significant
  • Substantial
  • Urgent
  • Vital

RICH

  • Affluent
  • Deep-pocketed
  • Fat cat
  • Flush
  • In the money
  • Loaded (Slang)
  • Moneyed
  • Opulent
  • Prosperous
  • Wealthy
  • Well-fixed
  • Well-heeled
  • Well-off/better off (informal)
  • Well-to-do

SAD

  • Blue
  • Cheerless
  • Dejected
  • Depressed
  • Desperate
  • Discouraged
  • Disgusted
  • Downcast
  • Forlorn
  • Frustrated
  • Gloomy
  • Hateful
  • Heartbroken
  • Heavy
  • Melancholy
  • Miserable
  • Mournful
  • Somber
  • Sorrowful
  • Tearful
  • Unhappy
  • Upset
  • Weepy
  • Woeful
  • Wretched

KIND

  • Amiable
  • Attentive
  • Avuncular
  • Benevolent
  • Benign (formal)
  • Caring
  • Compassionate
  • Congenial
  • Considerate
  • Friendly
  • Generous
  • Gentle
  • Gracious
  • Kindhearted
  • Nice
  • Sympathetic
  • Thoughtful

ATTRACTIVE

  • Alluring
  • Beautiful
  • Cute
  • Glamorous
  • Good-looking
  • Gorgeous
  • Handsome
  • Lovely
  • Pretty
  • Stunning

REALLY

  • Certainly
  • Easily
  • Genuinely
  • Honestly
  • Positively
  • Precisely
  • Truly
  • Undoubtedly
  • Unmistakably
  • Unquestionably
  • Verily

VERY

  • Absolutely
  • Acutely
  • Awfully (informal)
  • Decidedly
  • Deeply
  • Eminently
  • Exceedingly
  • Excessively
  • Greatly
  • Highly
  • Jolly (Br.E)
  • Noticeably
  • Particularly
  • Profoundly

EXTREMELY

  • Really
  • Remarkably
  • Seriously
  • Significantly
  • Singularly
  • Supremely
  • Terribly
  • Terrifically
  • Thoroughly
  • Tremendously
  • Truly
  • Uncommonly
  • Unusually

NORMALLY

  • Almost always
  • As a general rule
  • As a rule
  • By and large
  • Commonly
  • For the most part
  • Generally
  • In general
  • In the general run of things
  • Mainly
  • Most of the time
  • Mostly
  • Ordinarily
  • Usually

QUICKLY

  • Swiftly
  • Rapidly
  • Hurriedly
  • Speedily
  • Fast
  • Quick
  • Hastily
  • Briskly
  • At high speed
  • Apace (literary)
  • At full speed

SERIOUSLY

  • All joking aside
  • Honestly
  • In earnest
  • No joking (informal)
  • Sincerely
  • To be serious
  • Truly
  • Truthfully

KINDLY

  • Affectionately
  • Agreeably
  • Cordially
  • Generously
  • Graciously
  • Helpfully
  • Lovingly
  • Obligingly
  • Politely
  • Tenderly
  • Thoughtfully

FINALLY

  • At last
  • At length
  • At long last
  • At the end of the day
  • At the last
  • At the last moment
  • Eventually
  • In the end
  • In the long run
  • Ultimately
  • In conclusion

ONLY

  • At a push
  • At most
  • But
  • Just
  • Merely
  • No more than
  • Nothing but
  • Purely
  • Simply

Describing Words Infographic 

Descriptive Words Infographic 1

Descriptive WordsPin

Descriptive Words Infographic 2

Descriptive Words: 700+ Describing Words with ExamplesPin

Describing Everything with Words

  • Adjectives List
  • Words to Describe Someone
  • Descriptive Adjectives
  • Sensory Words
  • Negative Adjectives
  • Negative Adjectives to Describe a Person
  • Adjectives To Describe A Person
  • Adjectives to Describe Yourself
  • Describing Physical Appearance
  • Personality Adjectives
  • Personality Traits
  • Character Traits
  • Mood Words
  • Feeling Words & Emotion Words
  • List of Emotions
  • Opposite Adjectives
  • Strong Adjectives
  • Positive Words
  • Positives Adjectives
  • Positive Adjectives to Describe a Person

Last Updated on April 10, 2023

Subjects>Hobbies>Toys & Games

User Avatar

Wiki User

∙ 14y ago


Best Answer

Copy

Words that describe people, places and things (nouns) are called
adjectives. Words that describe actions (verbs) are called adverbs.
A general term for describing words is modifier.

User Avatar

Wiki User

∙ 14y ago

This answer is:

User Avatar

Study guides

Add your answer:

Earn +

20

pts

Q: What are descriptive words called?

Write your answer…

Submit

Still have questions?

magnify glass

imp

Related questions

People also asked

Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Descriptive words are help visualize, describe, define, or explain information about people, places, things, situations, or actions. Most people think of adjectives, words that describe nouns, when they think of descriptive words, but many descriptive words are not adjectives. Descriptive words could also include adverbs, or words that help to describe action. Descriptive words could also be clear, strong verbs or nouns that carry clear meaning. The purpose of descriptive words is to clarify a topic.

For instance, the use of adjectives can help describe a person, place, or thing. Imagine you read a book about a superhero. You might describe this superhero as a brave superhero. The word brave gives us a better idea of what kind of person the superhero is or what he does. Other adjectives could help us understand more about this superhero. He may be tall and strong. Both these tell us about this superhero’s physical features. The descriptive words, in this case adjectives, help us clarify details about the superhero.

Adverbs can also be used as descriptive language to help describe action, or how someone does something. Instead of simply saying, “John ran down the street,” we can describe how he ran. We might say, instead, “John quickly ran down the street.” The descriptive word quickly helps us to have a better picture of how John went down the street.

Descriptive words can also be words that carry clear meaning. For instance, the word “teacher” indicates someone who instructs students or someone who conveys information to others. However, other words can carry clearer meaning. A “professor” is also a teacher, but we generally think of a “professor” as someone who teaches within a college or university. The word “professor” is more descriptive and distinct than “teacher,” which is a vague word.

Verbs can also be used carefully to help paint a clearer picture of what someone is doing. When we hear the word “talking,” we think of someone calmly discussing a topic with someone else. When we hear the word “yelling,” we think of the opposite of “talking.” The word “yelling” makes us think of someone raising his/her voice at someone else. The word “walking” is different than the word “running.” The language we use helps paint a picture of what is happening around us and what is happening in stories.

Descriptive words take all of our five senses into account–touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound. A room may look tidy or dirty. Cookies may smell sweet. Lemons can taste bitter. A lollipop might feel sticky. Descriptive language better explains what something is like, what people are like, or how someone takes action. Descriptive language can tell us what the weather is like. For instance, it may be raining or drizzling outside. Descriptive language tells us the shapes of things, such as square or circular. These words can describe color, such as red or green. They can also tell us what people do, such as artist, storyteller, costume designer, athletic trainer, coach, or chef.

Descriptive words Worksheets

This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use Descriptive words worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of what Descriptive words are. You can use these Descriptive words worksheets in the classroom with students, or with home schooled children as well.

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Descriptive Words Examples & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com — KidsKonnect, November 27, 2017

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

  • What Are Describing Words?

  • What Are The Types Of Describing Words?

  • List of Describing Words For Kids

  • Descriptive Words That Begin With Letter ‘A’ To ‘Z’

  • How Can You Help Your Child Learn Describing Words Easily?

Much of our communication involves describing things, shapes, sizes, feelings, events and other things. Having precise words for describing helps us communicate better. Children need to learn the meaning of describing words as early as possible to develop good communication skills. By learning to describe words they can explain things better or communicate their feelings well. In this article, we go through describing words for classes 1, 2 and 3. Use these words frequently and with the intent to build a habit of using the right describing word for the right thing in your child.

What Are Describing Words?

Descriptive words are used to describe something or to intensify the meaning of words. Describing words can be used to describe everything from a person to a place, situation, things, feelings and thoughts, etc. Use of the right describing words paints the right picture of what you are trying to convey. Describing words can also be used to intensify or dilute the meaning of other describing words. For example, when you talk about a person, you describe their height, expressions and other features. When you describe a place, you use a combination of describing words that convey both the nature of the place and your feelings about it.

What Are The Types Of Describing Words?

In English, there are two ways to write describing words; adjectives and adverbs.

1. Adjectives

Adjectives are words used to describe nouns and pronouns acting as “subject” or “object” in a sentence. They give additional information about nouns or pronouns, such as shape, size, colour or other attributes. Examples include:

  • He is tall.
  • She is pretty.
  • The car is blue.
  • The food was spicy.
  • She is an intelligent girl.

2. Adverbs

Adverbs are words that describe verbs. They describe things other than nouns and pronouns. They can also modify adjectives and other adverbs. The describing words examples include:

  • He quickly climbed the wall.
  • The stars were shining brightly.
  • He is a quick learner.
  • She behaved strangely at the party.
  • She can sing melodiously.

List of Describing Words For Kids

Describing words and examples need to be studied to learn adjectives and adverbs. Here, we present a list of describing words for classes 1, 2 and 3:

Commonly Used Describing Words

Commonly used describing words are adverbs that give us a measure of time, place, degree, manner and circumstances. They are part of our everyday conversation. Here are 20 of the most commonly used words that children need to learn to build good communication skills:

Amazing Kindly Usually Terribly
Absolutely Interesting Sincerely Commonly
Remarkably Happy Charming Lovingly
Normally Significantly Delightful Pleasurable
Quickly Generally Tremendously Pleasing

Describing Words to Describe Personality & Feelings

Every time we describe people, we use personality describing words that hint at one or more qualities of the person. The same idea applies to feelings- we often use more than one word to describe what we are feeling and going through. Here are some of the common descriptive words for personality and feelings:

Personality Feelings
Creative Happy
Kind Joyful
Cheerful Ecstatic
Adventurous Glad
Brave Serene
Funny Angry
Honest Sad
Calm Gloomy
Silly Respectful
Loyal Miserable
Proud Moody
Nervous Selfish
Clumsy Grumpy
Friendly Merry
Nice
Inventive
Lively
Caring
Helpful
Wise
Strong

Describing Words to Describe Food & Colors

Children love eating different types of food and need to learn a variety of words to describe its taste and texture. The same applies to colours as they are related to learning, painting, segregating and playing. Here are describing words for food and colours:

Food Colours
Sweet Red
Spicy Yellow
Tart Blue
Sour Green
Bitter Orange
Sharp Purple
Pungent Violet
Delicious Pink
Yummy Colourful
Peppery Bright
Salty Vivid
Savoury Brilliant
Tangy Vibrant
Bland Colourless
Buttery Opaque
Fresh Dim
Fruity
Nutty

Describing Words to Describe Smell & Sounds

Smells are closely related to taste and have similar-sounding meanings in a few descriptive words. Sounds produce an entirely different sensation and have some words to describe the same. Here are frequently used descriptive words for smells and sounds:

Sound  Smell
Loud Aromatic
Noisy Fishy
Quiet Odorous
Silent Piquant
Raspy Scented
Melodious Rosy
Flowery
Stinky

Positive Describing Words For Children

It’s important to regularly use good descriptive words to elicit positive thoughts and feelings in children. These words will later become a part of their inner voice that shapes their personalities. Here is a list of positive words your children should regularly use:

Affectionate Charming
Generous Creative
Determined Imaginative
Likeable Diplomatic
Sincere Helpful
Capable Glittering
Productive Motivated

Descriptive Words That Begin With Letter ‘A’ To ‘Z’

Now that we know the essential descriptive words, we can go deeper into words children can learn over time. Descriptive words make it precisely express our thoughts, ideas or feelings. Children need to be aware of many such words to construct and communicate complex concepts as they grow older. Here are descriptive words from A to Z.

Abandoned Ambitious Alert
Affordable Arrogant Amused
Adaptable Beautiful Brilliant
Baffling Basic Blushing
Busy Bossy Calm
Cunning Clever Captivating
Crisp Casual Creative
Daring Dangerous Dominating
Decent Diverse Divine
Deep Eagerly Effortless
Easily Energetic Exciting
Eccentric Empty Frequently
Flawless Fabulous Fine
Fancy Fashionable Fantastic
Good Great Giant
Glamorous Grieving Gentle
Glad Heartfelt Healthy
Hurry Harmful Hard
Humane High-spirited Idolise
Impossible Idle Improper
Illegal Intriguing Immoral
Jolly Jovial Joyous
Jarring Jealous Juvenile
Judicious Kind Known
Kinetic Keen Knowledgeable
Kingly Kindred Lovingly
Large Lately Lonely
Lucky Legendary Liberated
Majestic Magnificent Massive
Marginal Merry Moderate
Malicious Nearby Noble
Naughty Native Neutral
Natural Needy Nowhere
Ordinary Outstanding Organic
Orthodox Overrated Overhang
Omniscient Protective Periodically
Playfully Precise Peaceful
Productive Popular Queer
Quickly Quietly Quirky
Quarrelsome Qualified Radiant
Reliable Rare Remarkable
Romantic Rampant Reluctant
Striking Speedy Spirited
Sophisticated Sleepy Sly
Stylish Tactical Terrific
Talkative Tempting Tight
Tough Tempt Urgent
Unique Unfriendly Ugly
Unaffected Unusual Universal
Versatile Virtuous Vulnerable
Verifiable Vigilant Valuable
Voluntary Valiant Villainous
Wise Whimsical Wicked
Witty Warm Wealthy
Whole-heartedly Wanted Xenodochial
Xeric Young Youthful
Yawning Yummy Zealful
Zealous Zestful Zoological

How Can You Help Your Child Learn Describing Words Easily?

Language develops slowly over the years as it takes time for children to add words to their vocabulary. While some describing words are best learnt through practice via adjective games, most can be used in everyday conversations. To make it easy for them to remember the words, you can introduce them in the form of games such as “describe yourself” in one word or sentence that uses a new describing word. You can also ask them to describe different flavours and sounds when the opportunity presents itself. Feelings and emotions take longer to recognise and label. However, they can learn through stories and experiences.

When it comes to learning descriptive words, practice and variety are key. While it is impossible to learn all the words in a short time, frequent use of words makes it easy for the kids to grasp the meaning of words and use it in sentences. Over the years, your child will add dozens of new words to their vocabulary as their communication refines.

Also Read:

Words that Start with Ch for Kids to Learn
Words that Start with Dis for Children
Compound Words for Kids with Types and Examples

Do you want to make your writing more engaging? Check out this descriptive words list with 400 words you can use today. 

As you strive to be a more engaging writer, using descriptive words can help. It’s easy to over-use these words, but sprinkling them in here and there is a great way to colorize your writing.

Descriptive words are adjectives, which describe nouns and pronouns, or adverbs, which describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Identifying and using these will help you write stronger pieces and descriptive essays.

This descriptive words list is a good place to start. It also pairs nicely with our list of mood words.

Contents

  • Descriptive Words List: 400 Words to Make Your Writing More Colorful
  • List of Descriptive Adjectives in English
  • A Final Word on Descriptive Words List
  • FAQs on Descriptive Words List
  • Author

Descriptive words list

Descriptive words take writing from boring to engaging. Consider this sentence:

  • She swam across the water.

While this tells you what is happening, it has little to help you imagine the scene. If you add some adjectives and adverbs and transform the statement to this:

  • She swam speedily across the choppy water.

Now you have a better picture of what happened. In order to transform your writing in this way, you need a number of descriptive words at the ready, and this list of descriptive words will help.

List of Descriptive Adjectives in English

Descriptive words list

Most common type of descriptive words are adjectives

Adjectives are the most common type of descriptive words, so first we will look at these. These words describe features like shape, texture, color, and size. They help differentiate between items in a group by calling out distinguishing features.

In English grammar, you can use the following to describe nouns and pronouns:

  1. Abandoned
  2. Abrupt
  3. Academic
  4. Acute
  5. Admirable
  6. Adorable
  7. Adventurous
  8. Acclaimed
  9. Accomplished
  10. Acrobatic
  11. Afraid
  12. Aggressive
  13. Alarmed
  14. Amused
  15. Ancient
  16. Angelic
  17. Angry
  18. Babyish
  19. Bad
  20. Baggy
  21. Beloved
  22. Bewitched
  23. Bitter
  24. Blank
  25. Bleak
  26. Blind
  27. Blushing
  28. Bored
  29. Bouncy
  30. Brave
  31. Bright
  32. Brilliant
  33. Buoyant
  34. Busy
  35. Buzzing
  36. Calm
  37. Carefree
  38. Careful
  39. Cautious
  40. Cavernous
  41. Charming
  42. Cheerful
  43. Chubby
  44. Classic
  45. Clean
  46. Clear
  47. Clever
  48. Cloudy
  49. Cluttered
  50. Clumsy
  51. Course
  52. Cold
  53. Colorful
  54. Comfortable
  55. Common
  56. Composed
  57. Concerning
  58. Confusing
  59. Creepy
  60. Cruel
  61. Cuddly
  62. Curious
  63. Curly
  64. Cute
  65. Damaged
  66. Dangerous
  67. Dark
  68. Dazzling
  69. Dear
  70. Decent
  71. Deep
  72. Defiant
  73. Delicious
  74. Demanding
  75. Dense
  76. Devoted
  77. Dim
  78. Dirty
  79. Disfigured
  80. Drab
  81. Dull
  82. Early
  83. Easy
  84. Easy-going
  85. Edible
  86. Elastic
  87. Elderly
  88. Electric
  89. Embellished
  90. Emotional
  91. Empty
  92. Enchanted
  93. Energetic
  94. Envious
  95. Enthusiastic
  96. Ethical
  97. Euphoric
  98. Everlasting
  99. Evil
  100. Exotic
  101. Exuberant
  102. Fashionable
  103. Faithful
  104. Famous
  105. Fancy
  106. Fantastic
  107. Fatal
  108. Fearful
  109. Female
  110. Filthy
  111. Firm
  112. Flat
  113. Flawed
  114. Flustered
  115. Focused
  116. Foolhardy
  117. Gregarious
  118. Grim
  119. Handsome
  120. Handy
  121. Intelligent
  122. Intrepid
  123. Jocular
  124. Jovial
  125. Joyful
  126. Jubilant
  127. Keen
  128. Kind
  129. Lanky
  130. Lazy
  131. Limp
  132. Luxurious
  133. Mediocre
  134. Mellow
  135. Miserable
  136. Nocturnal
  137. Naive
  138. Nasty
  139. Neat
  140. Needy
  141. Negative
  142. Nervous
  143. Nice
  144. Organic
  145. Ornate
  146. Ordinary
  147. Powerless
  148. Practical
  149. Precious
  150. Puzzled
  151. Quarrelsome
  152. Querulous 
  153. Questionable
  154. Quirky
  155. Ragged
  156. Rapid
  157. Ready
  158. Recent
  159. Regal
  160. Reliable
  161. Sad
  162. Sandy
  163. Sane
  164. Scarce
  165. Scented
  166. Scornful
  167. Secret
  168. Selfish
  169. Super
  170. Talented
  171. Tame
  172. Tasty
  173. Tender
  174. Tense
  175. Terse
  176. Terrible
  177. Thankful
  178. Thoughtful
  179. Thoughtless
  180. Tired
  181. Tough
  182. Troubling
  183. Ugly
  184. Uninterested
  185. Unusual
  186. Upset
  187. Uptight
  188. Varied
  189. Vast
  190. Victorious
  191. Vivacious
  192. Wandering
  193. Weary
  194. Wicked
  195. Wide
  196. Wild
  197. Witty
  198. Worrisome
  199. Wrong
  200. Young
  201. Zealous

This list is not exhaustive, and there are many synonyms and other words that could be added. In addition, all colors are considered adjectives and describing words. Nationalities, like American or English, can also fit this list.

As you work on creating descriptive writing, get used to using these and similar words. You might also find our list of pronouns useful.

Example Sentences Using Adjectives

To better understand how adjectives look in sentences, consider these examples:

  • The fuzzy red fox jumped over the tall fence. (red, tall)
  • We like to visit the beautiful forest (beautiful)
  • The garden shed feels damp this morning. (garden, damp)
  • The trip to Disney World was magical. (magical)
  • The beautiful bird sat on the rough branch and sang. (beautiful, rough)
  • The woman is short, but her husband is tall. (short, tall)
  • I prefer cold climates. (cold)
  • The luxurious hotel included soft robes for each guest. (luxurious, soft, each)

Common Endings for Adjectives

Because listing all adjectives in the English language is impossible, knowing their endings is helpful, especially for ESL language learners. Some of the common endings for adjectives include:

  • -al
  • -an
  • -ar
  • -ful
  • -ic
  • -ical
  • -ine
  • -ile
  • -ive
  • -less
  • -ous
  • -some

If you see a word ending in one of these, and you know it isn’t a noun, chances are high it is an adjective.

List of Adverbs in English

The English language also uses adverbs to describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. These descriptive words show intensity, number and extent. They often end in -ly.

  1. Abnormally
  2. Accidentally
  3. Actually
  4. Aggressively
  5. Always
  6. Amusingly
  7. Anxiously
  8. Angrily
  9. Annually
  10. Apathetically
  11. Assertively
  12. Astronomically
  13. Awkwardly
  14. Badly
  15. Bashfully
  16. Beautifully
  17. Begrudgingly
  18. Bitterly
  19. Blindly
  20. Blissfully
  21. Blearily 
  22. Boastfully
  23. Boldly
  24. Bravely
  25. Brightly
  26. Briskly
  27. Broadly
  28. Busily
  29. Carefully
  30. Carelessly
  31. Cheerfully
  32. Clearly
  33. Closely
  34. Cooly
  35. Coyly
  36. Crazily
  37. Crossly
  38. Daily
  39. Daintily
  40. Deceivingly
  41. Deeply
  42. Defiantly
  43. Definitely
  44. Deftly
  45. Deliberately
  46. Devotedly
  47. Differently
  48. Diligently
  49. Dimly
  50. Doubtfully
  51. Dramatically
  52. Dutifully
  53. Eagerly
  54. Early
  55. Easily
  56. Elegantly
  57. Emotionally
  58. Enormously
  59. Equally
  60. Especially
  61. Evenly
  62. Eventually
  63. Exactly
  64. Exceptionally
  65. Faithfully
  66. Faintly
  67. Faithfully
  68. Far
  69. Fast
  70. Fervently
  71. Fiercely
  72. Finally
  73. Finitely
  74. Foolishly
  75. Frequently
  76. Frightfully
  77. Frenetically
  78. Frivolously
  79. Gladly
  80. Gleefully
  81. Gracefully
  82. Graciously
  83. Greatly
  84. Greedily
  85. Happily
  86. Hard
  87. Hastily
  88. Honestly
  89. Hopelessly
  90. Hourly
  91. Humorously
  92. Humbly
  93. Hungrily
  94. Hysterically
  95. Innocently
  96. Inquisitively
  97. Irritably
  98. Intelligently
  99. Impressively
  100. Jealously
  101. Jovially
  102. Jubilantly
  103. Justly
  104. Kindly
  105. Knowingly
  106. Late
  107. Lazily
  108. Less
  109. Loosely
  110. Lovingly
  111. Ludicrously
  112. Madly
  113. Meagerly
  114. Mercifully
  115. Merrily
  116. Methodically
  117. Morally
  118. More
  119. Mortally
  120. Mysteriously
  121. Naturally
  122. Nearly
  123. Neglectfully
  124. Nervously
  125. Never
  126. Nicely
  127. Normally
  128. Not
  129. Obediently
  130. Obnoxiously
  131. Occasionally
  132. Often
  133. Only
  134. Perfectly
  135. Politely
  136. Poorly
  137. Powerfully
  138. Promptly
  139. Pointlessly
  140. Powerfully
  141. Quickly
  142. Rapidly
  143. Rarely
  144. Really
  145. Regularly
  146. Rashly
  147. Rudely
  148. Safely
  149. Seldom
  150. Selfishly
  151. Seriously
  152. Shakily
  153. Sharply
  154. Significantly
  155. Silently
  156. Slightly
  157. Slowly
  158. Solemnly
  159. Sometimes
  160. Speedily
  161. Splendidly 
  162. Straight
  163. Sternly
  164. Substantially
  165. Tactfully
  166. Tragically
  167. Technically
  168. Tediously
  169. Unexpectedly
  170. Uprightly
  171. Urgently
  172. Usefully
  173. Usually
  174. Vacantly
  175. Vastly
  176. Very
  177. Victoriously
  178. Vitally 
  179. Vivaciously
  180. Vividly
  181. Voluntarily
  182. Warmly
  183. Weakly
  184. Wearily
  185. Weekly
  186. Weirdly
  187. Well
  188. Wholly
  189. Wildly
  190. Willfully
  191. Wisely
  192. Worriedly
  193. Wrong
  194. Wrongly
  195. Yearly
  196. Yearningly
  197. Yesterday
  198. Youthfully
  199. Zealously
  200. Zestfully

Again, this is not an exhaustive list. As you learn to identify adverbs or use them in your own writing, look for words that describe verbs and other descriptive words and end in -ly.

Editing tip: Sometimes adverbs can also serve as filler words that you can remove or use to slow down or speed up a piece.

Example Sentences Using Adverbs

To better understand how adverbs show up in sentences as descriptive words, consider these examples:

  • The electric car drove so quietly we didn’t hear it coming. (so, quietly)
  • My dog barked angrily at the intruder. (angrily)
  • The girls sang beautifully. (beautifully)
  • He swam across the pool quickly. (quickly)
  • The box is surprisingly heavy for its size. (surprisingly) 
  • The toddler walked very carefully across the slippery floor. (very, carefully)
  • Language learning is incredibly easy for some students, and incredibly hard for others (incredibly)

A Final Word on Descriptive Words List

As you learn how to become a better writer, descriptive language is a big part of the picture. Adjectives and adverbs are the parts of speech that allow you to describe other things vividly. While you can overuse them, they can add color and interest to your writing when used well.

Keep this list of descriptive words handy. When you have a need, pull it out and find one that fits your writing. Whether you’re writing a sentence, short story or an entire novel, you’ll find it easier to get descriptive when you have these words on hand.

Check Like this? Check out our list of sensory words.

FAQs on Descriptive Words List

What are some good descriptive words?

Descriptive words are words that make something easier to identify by describing its characteristics. Some good words that fit this include:
Bright
Adventurous
Jovial
Charming
Peaceful

What words describe movement?

Some descriptive words describe the movement of an object. These include:
Swiftly
Fluidly
Gracefully
Smoothly
Disjointedly

Join over 15,000 writers today

Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing.

  • Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today’s online marketing world.

    View all posts

1 Answer

Lupa N.


Mar 24, 2016

A descriptive word is a word that describes another word.

Answer link

Related questions
  • If you added -ed to the noun scent, what part of speech is the resulting word?

  • What is a direct object?

  • Whom: direct or indirect object?

  • The correct possessive spelling of lady? is it Lady’s, Ladys’ Ladies’?

  • What is a possessive noun and could you give me a few examples?

  • What is the difference between its and it’s? Thank you!!

  • What is a possessive pronoun?

  • What is the plural possessive form of «people»?

  • What is an example of the singular possessive case?

  • Just curious: do other languages, besides English, have as many tenses? Like do all languages…

See all questions in Other Parts of Speech

Impact of this question

1137 views
around the world

You can reuse this answer

Creative Commons License

Like this post? Please share to your friends:
  • What is a compound noun that is a combined word
  • What is a complimentary word
  • What is a complicated word
  • What is a complex word in english
  • What is a column charts in excel