Word to describe a party

The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it’s like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). While playing around with word vectors and the «HasProperty» API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. Eventually I realised that there’s a much better way of doing this: parse books!

Project Gutenberg was the initial corpus, but the parser got greedier and greedier and I ended up feeding it somewhere around 100 gigabytes of text files — mostly fiction, including many contemporary works. The parser simply looks through each book and pulls out the various descriptions of nouns.

Hopefully it’s more than just a novelty and some people will actually find it useful for their writing and brainstorming, but one neat little thing to try is to compare two nouns which are similar, but different in some significant way — for example, gender is interesting: «woman» versus «man» and «boy» versus «girl». On an inital quick analysis it seems that authors of fiction are at least 4x more likely to describe women (as opposed to men) with beauty-related terms (regarding their weight, features and general attractiveness). In fact, «beautiful» is possibly the most widely used adjective for women in all of the world’s literature, which is quite in line with the general unidimensional representation of women in many other media forms. If anyone wants to do further research into this, let me know and I can give you a lot more data (for example, there are about 25000 different entries for «woman» — too many to show here).

The blueness of the results represents their relative frequency. You can hover over an item for a second and the frequency score should pop up. The «uniqueness» sorting is default, and thanks to my Complicated Algorithm™, it orders them by the adjectives’ uniqueness to that particular noun relative to other nouns (it’s actually pretty simple). As you’d expect, you can click the «Sort By Usage Frequency» button to adjectives by their usage frequency for that noun.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source mongodb which was used in this project.

Please note that Describing Words uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.

«Well,« began Thurston, «one reason we meet here to—night is because I wanted to explain to you fellows that we can’t have any more of those pleasant little parties in my studyat all events, for the present.

But the most singular part of the scene was a number of little boys, dressed in black and white, who all wore badges of the parties to which they belonged, and were provided with a syringe, and two canteens, one filled with rose—water, and the other with a black liquid, of a very offensive smell, the first of which they squirted at their favourite candidates and voters, and the last on those of the opposite party.

In forwarding sums of money for clubs of subscribers, drafts | | or money orders should always be used, as, if lost or | | stolen, they can be duplicated, and no financial loss will | | be sustained by the parties interested.

In the spring of this year (1855) a pro—slavery party came to our house to search for father; not finding him, they departed, taking with them my pony, Prince.

Consequently there arose for the first time a powerful anti—slavery party, which, while denying that it had any purpose of meddling with that institution in the States where it already existed, declared that it should never be extended into any more of the national domain.

«Fancy his being the guilty party after all,« he added, with the tone of satisfaction still more evident in his voice.

The letter was unanswered for over a year; but coming at a time when the man of twenty—five was beginning to find that there were better things to be done in life than cliff—climbing in the country, or giving pleasant parties at Oxford, it wrought its purpose, and formed the first step towards the new life.

At length it became positively perilous for the weaker party to go beyond the precincts of their own citadel except in bodies of three or four together.

In the spring of this year (1855) a pro—slavery party came to our house to search for father; not finding him, they departed, taking with them my pony, Prince.

One night at a party in the Faubourg St. Germain, I saw a well—known fashionable woman of the extreme Legitimist party turn her back on the Comtesse de Paris.

The Canadian patrols were very active; every night reconnaissances were made all along the Canadian front, and numerous hostile working parties engaged in strengthening German trenches and entanglements were dispersed by Canadian rifle fire.

They surely know that complete Home Rule for all the component parts of the Empire was a fundamental point of all the Liberal and Radical parties.

For an armed party of nearly thirty to cross an open plain, supposedly under the very eyes of the enemy‘s sentinels, without being discovered, is something of which to boast, yet we Minute Boys of the Mohawk Valley did it without raising an alarm.

But so well and skilfully did he assume, not merely the sedate and stately dignity of the lords, and the undaunted freedom of the commons, but also the tone of the respective parties, that the public imagined they recognised the individual manner of the different speakers.

All America was rushing to get married; from Seattle to Key West the railroads were blocked with bridal parties; a vast hum of merrymaking resounded from the Golden Gate to Governor‘s Island, from Niagara to the Gulf of Mexico.

The royal party disembarked at Ceuta, and were conveyed to Agmat, to be confined in a fortress.

Down in the box—room, a good—sized apartment boarded off from the gymnasium, Jack Vance was serving out a ration of plum—cake to a select party, consisting of his two chums and Carton, when the ex—Philistine strolled up and joined himself to the group.

She threw herself between the fire of two hostile parties at Bordeaux, and, while men were falling each side of her, compelled them to peace.

«And when Father Orloff of the Russian mission told us that he was already having trouble with the two big rival parties frozen in the ice below Ikogimeut« «Gosh!

« Germany‘s revolutionary party lost no time in hoisting the banner of «no annexations.«

Women of advanced views, aided by the members of the socialist party, are now seeking universal suffrage and a law making them eligible to parliament and to membership in the provincial and municipal councils.

At this juncture the senate met, and the moderate party so far prevailed as to send their own leaders, M. Horatius Barbatus and L. Valerius Potitus, to negotiate with the insurgents.

But all who know the world in its various phases, and especially what are called the religious world, and the philanthropic world, and the political world, know too well that men, not otherwise bad men, will do things and say things, to carry out some favourite project or movement, or to support some party, religious or other, which they would (I hope) be ashamed to say and do for their own private gain.

So did the adverse party make inquire, But either fall full of contrary desire: The old king‘s part would kill me being stain’d; The young king‘s keep me from their violence.

One evening they had a particularly gay party.

We all love to attend parties, be it birthday parties,office parties, anniversary parties and so on. How do we describe a party we attend? In this Spoken English Lesson we will look at phrases to describe an event or a party we attended.

Below are the phrases that can be used when someone asks you in general about what you did at the party:-

1. Chatted up with friends – Spent time talking to them
2. Danced all night long – It means you had a great time dancing
3.Had couple of drinks – Enjoyed drinking
4.Flirted/Socialized – Met new people and had interesting conversations.

Below are the phrases to describe the music that was played at the party:-

1.Right up my street – Something that you really enjoy listening to
2. It was upbeat / Rocking – Fun and kept the party alive

Below are the phrases to describe the atmosphere of the party:-

1. It was laid back – Had a nice time
2.It was chilled out – Nice smooth party
3. It was electrifying – Wild Party

The decor also plays an important role in a party ,if you would like to describe the way the place was decorated for the party, below are some phrases that will help you to do so:-

1. Funky – Interesting Decor
2. Cool – Nicely decorated
3. A bit Tacky – Cheap and bad decor
4. Themed – The decor had a particular theme or setting.

Use these phrases the next time you describe an event or party to someone.

Sample 1:

You should say:

• When was it
• Who joined you? 
• What happened in the party

– I have celebrated many parties in my life.
– But here I would like to talk about a birthday party, which I enjoyed a lot
– It was the birthday of my younger brother.
– It was his eighteenth birthday
– I threw a surprise party for him.
– My parents were also with me in this plan.
– We invited a few of his close friends and some relatives.
– After my brother left for college that morning, I decorated our home with buntings and balloons.
– My mother baked and iced the cake.
– Actually she has a gifted hand at cooking and baking.
– I ordered some fritters, spring rolls, sandwiches and pastries for the guests.
– I even organised some games such as musical chairs, treasure hunt and passing the parcel.
– When my brother came home that day, we all were waiting for him.
–  We welcomed him by playing the birthday tune.
– Everyone clapped and wished him happy birthday.
– He was really surprised and very happy. I could tell it from his face.
– The he cut the cake and we all enjoyed the cake and snacks
– Then we played the games.
– Everyone enjoyed a lot.
– I gifted a cell phone to my brother.
– He always wanted it but my parents wouldn’t let him buy one.
– I always felt his desperation for the phone, so I had planned to gift him one on his birthday.
– He received many other gifts also but my gift was the most special for him.
– We all danced a lot that day.
– I felt great happiness that day.
– I realised that true happiness lies in giving happiness to others.
– My brother is very dear to me
– May God give him a long and happy life!

Part 3 – Follow Up Questions

1. Do children like to party?

Yes, they do. Party means fun and enjoyment to them. It means new clothes, lots to eat and a chance to dance and make merry.

2. Do adults like to party?

Yes, adults like to party. To adults, it means a time to get together with friends and family. It means having a break from the monotonous routine life. It is a time to recharge one’s batteries.

3. Do you like loud music in party?

No, personally I don’t. It gives me a headache. But most of my friends do. They think that any party is incomplete without loud music.

Sample 2 :

You should say:   

• When it took place
• Where it was
• Whose party it was 
• What you did there  
•  How you felt about the party

It’s my pleasure to share with you about my attendance at a recent party. It was a birthday party of my friend – Hung, who turned 22 that day. This was also his farewell party just before his departure to Canada to further his study. 

The party just happened last month at his own house in the hometown. Hung invited almost all of his buddies and we attended the birthday celebration together. Apart from us, there were more than 30 other guests on this occasion. They seemed to be unfamiliar with me but my guess was that they would be mostly Hung’s relatives, neighbors and his father’s colleagues.

We congregated and bought a present for him. It was such astonishment of us when we saw his huge birthday cake. 22 candles of different colors were lit around the cake and the whole house was redecorated for the occasion. We sang the birthday song when Hung cut the cake. We congratulated him and wished him an excellent academic term ahead and a prosperous life afterwards. Then we tasted the cake and had a good feast, the foods were quite tasty. 

To me, this birthday party brought its own meaning. It was a valuable chance for us to gather together, talk to each other our daily life and share about our childhood memories. This party left a lasting impression on me and honestly, it is still fresh in my mind until now.

1.   What types of party do people have?

There are many different kinds of party that people can take part in such as birthday party, celebration  party  or  farewell  party.  Each  party  brings  its  own  meaning  but  most  of participants always feel on the cloud nine.

2.   Why are parties important?

People have parties to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, weddings, or the beginning of a new year. I think it’s important to celebrate these things because they are milestones in our lives. Parties are a good way to bring people together, and they’re an opportunity to let off some steam.

3.   Do you think parties will become more popular in the future?

No, I don’t think anything will change. People have always had parties, and I’m sure they always will in the future. Humans need to socialise and enjoy themselves, and parties are one of the best ways to do that.

4.   Do people spend a lot of money on these parties in your country?

I would say my answer is yes. People think they can splash out in some special cases such as

Sample 3:

You should say:

• What was it about?
• Where was it held?
• What did people do at the party?
• Explain what you enjoyed at this party?

Life has given me a lot of happiness and moments to celebrate with my near and dear ones. I have celebrated many happy moments by hosting parties for someone and attending other people’s parties as well.

I have attended many parties on different occasions in my life but the most enjoyable one was a party that I held to mark my elder sisters twenty-fifth birthday. It was a surprise party that I planned with the help of my mother. It was on the twenty-fifth of September last year, and I had started to plan it two days before. After my sister left for work in the morning I started decorating our garden and installing the setup including the tables and chairs. My mother started baking her favorite chocolate cake while I called all her friends and our relatives to the party in the evening. I then proceeded to order snacks and appetizers along with the beverages for the evening. The celebrations finally commenced and all the guests had arrived before she came. We welcomed her with the birthday song and hugs from everyone.

We all had an amazing time at the party. Everybody socialized, we played party games, danced and had a lot of fun throughout the evening. The best part was the fact that everyone was happy with the celebration and there were smiles all around me. My sister got gifts from everyone and was all smiles when I gifted her a necklace. She was spellbound and thanked me profusely for organizing such an amazing party.

(267 words)

• what type of party it was
• where the party was held
• who attended the party

and describe what you did at that party.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Part 3: Details Discussion:

•  What are the differences between a serious party and a friendly party?
•  Why are some people late for parties intentionally?
•  Why do some people like the party while others hate it?
•  What would you do if the guests you have invited to a party feel bored?
•  Will there be more and more people to attend parties?
•  Why do some people like to host parties at a restaurant or hotel rather than home?

Model Answer 1:
I never really like to consider myself as a “party animal”, but I don’t really mind attending a party once in a while, especially, when I become a bit more “burned out” than usual from my job. So, a few months ago, when I got an invitation from a friend to celebrate his new job, offered by one of the prestigious accounting firms in my country, I just couldn’t wait to attend the party!

But, before that special day actually arrived, my friend had to wait almost one agonizing year, after quitting his last job, as he had to go through numerous job interviews one after another. So, when the good news had arrived, my friend immediately decided to celebrate at one of the biggest hotels in his home town because he wanted to invite all of his friends and classmates from his high school and university as well as all of his family members and relatives. Besides, he also wanted the occasion to be really special because it was his ‘dream job’ that he was celebrating, for which, he studied and worked really hard for years.

So, anyway, everybody, invited to the party, started to get busy talking and laughing with each other while enjoying some drinks and snacks, as soon as they arrived in the evening. I, along with my old school and university friends, got busy catching up with each other’s life story of the past years during which we didn’t get to meet. We also enjoyed a special music show by one of our local musical bands. Some of the guests even joined the music band to display their “musical talent” which was refreshing and entertaining. Finally, it was time for us to enjoy the food which, I must say, was cooked and made to perfection. In fact, there were just so many different kinds of dishes that one just had no choice but to satisfy his or her appetite completely. Anyway, having said and done everything, it was a great party at the end of the day, and everybody left the hotel with some great memories in their minds.

Sample Answer 2:
Today I’m going to tell you about a particular party I attended earlier this year. I’ll tell you where it was held, who was present at the party and what I was up to whilst I was there!

Honestly speaking, I can be a bit grumpy about going to parties!  I never know what to wear as I don’t really like dressing up for parties. I feel self-conscious in dresses and too much of a scruff if I don’t make an effort. I worry about whether I’ll know anyone, and I dread sit-down meals because I’m a vegetarian and I always seem to be a problem. This being so when a close friend of mine announced she would have a big celebration for her fiftieth birthday, my heart sank a bit. Of course, I put on a smile, and said ‘that’s great!’ but I wasn’t really looking forward to it. I knew that it was important to her, though, so I was determined to make a real effort, and of course, I agreed I would go.

Well, I should have had more faith. The party was great. It was held in a beautifully converted barn in a rural location on the edges of Sheffield in England. The venue had a wooden polished floor and was very simply decorated with some tastefully positioned fairy lights and candles. There was low-level music playing and lots of places to sit and chat or mingle with other guests. If I remember correctly, there were white tablecloths over the tables and some simple but lovely floral decorations. The food was provided by a friend of the Birthday Girl, who specialises in fast street food. You could queue up for a delicious meal presented in a wrap from a very jolly woman serving from an open-sided vehicle parked in the cobbled courtyard outside.  In a separate annexed room inside was a table almost collapsing under the weight of delicious home-made cakes and puddings on one side, and glorious British cheeses on the other. There was also a small bar serving drinks, for which my host picked up the bill at the end, it was beautifully done – very tasteful, calm and joyful too.

My friend, whose birthday it was, has a really wide network of friends. She decided to invite anyone and everyone from her social circle. So there were old school friends; people she knew from her voluntary activities with scouts; fellow runners – she is very active in a number of running clubs. Former work colleagues; people she’d come to know just from waiting with other parents at the school gates when her children were little; fellow entrepreneurs (she runs her own small business) as well as neighbours and acquaintances from every area of her life.

Before I went, I was worried about whether I’d know anyone else there. I hadn’t been living in the area for all that long before being invited, and so I was a bit hesitant about what to expect. I should have remembered what a good judge of character my fantastically friendly friend is! What did I do at the party? Apart from eating my body weight in delicious food, I met and talked to many interesting people that I might otherwise never have come across!  This included the self-employed interior designer, marathon runners, a former Bluebell girl, artists, writers, medical doctors, IT workers, academics and students. It was a remarkable cross-section of fascinating folk. I had a wonderful time.

What’s more, I discovered that actually, I did know quite a few people there after all. It was great fun trying to discover how we all came to be there and what connected each of us to the – “hostess with the mostest” to coin the old phrase! I am almost won over. Next time she offers to host a party, I might even find myself looking forward to it, you never know.

[ Written by – Lucy Marris |  Careers Adviser (UK), TEFL teacher (Vietnam) ]

Model Answer 3:
The party I would like to describe for this topic is a New Year Eve party that I attended two years ago. My university friends invited me to join the party and I thought it would be fun to be there. It was held at a 3-star hotel where the teachers, students and a few of their relatives were present.

A week before the New Year eve, one of my friends called on my mobile phone and informed me that I am expected to be present at the party. On the day, when the party was supposed to take place, I took a taxi to reach the hotel. The name of the hotel was (..say a name you prefer…) and it was one of the best hotels in our town, renowned for its hospitality and delicious food. After I reached the hotel, I found that it had been gorgeously decorated and most of my friends from university and some of the teachers were already enjoying the party. We gathered on the 2nd floor and the vibrant atmosphere and melodious music were breathtaking. A local music band performed at the party and people were dresses adequately for the party except for a few friends of mine who do not care much about dressing up for the occasion.

I enjoyed the performance of the music band and sat at a corner most of the time. I was not really in a mood to blend in and cheer up most of the time. Rather, I was thinking about my New Year resolutions and enjoying the colourful gathering all around me. I did, however, enjoyed the meal and drinks and I loved a few continental dishes the hotel served us. When the clock ticked at the “zero hour” everybody became ecstatic and started exchanging new year wishes. I also talked to a teacher who was at the party and then sat on a couch to enjoy the lively ambience around me. If I remember correctly, I stayed at the party till 2.00 am and then returned to my room after enjoying one of the most fabulous parties in my whole life.

Tips for answering this cue card topic:

You are free to talk about any sort of party you like for this cue card topic as it has not specifically mentioned any particular party type like the New Year party, school party, family party, birthday party and so on.

Following are some of the points you can pick up for answering this cue card topic:

1. Types of party: Birthday of a friend or a family member (you can also talk about your birthday party), New Year party, a family party, reunion party, a small party arranged by your friends, A party celebrated because one of your great achievements, a business party you threw for a business success or you attended a business party that was thrown by your business partner, a party arranged by your office/ university etc.

2.  Where it was held: It would depend on who threw the party. If this party was arranged by you or your family, say that it held at your house. Alternatively, the party can be held at a restaurant, hotel or a party centre. University or office parties usually are held on their premises. The party can be held on your friend, relative or business partner’s house or guest house. Finally, it could be an outdoor party as well.

3.  Who attended the party: For family parties, mostly your family members, close friends and relatives would be joining. If this is an office or business party, your colleagues or associates would be there. For university parties thrown by your friends, you will mostly have your friends and classmates and sometimes teachers as well. If the party is thrown by a friend or their family, then there would be some of your friends you know and others you won’t know.

4.  Some of the common features of a party: You gather and meet others, you bring a gift, you talk to others, you enjoy food & drinks and depending on the party there would be music, dancing and other activities. You either enjoy a party or you don’t. Sometimes you meet new people and talk to them.

Part 3: Details Discussion:

Q. What are the differences between a serious party and a friendly party?
Answer: I think that there are many differences between these two kinds of party. In the former, the attire is often more elegant with guests wearing costumes and ties, while in the latter, this doesn’t always happen and people wear more casual clothes, such as jeans, t-shirts and so on. In addition, serious parties are often more of a professional type, whilst with friendly parties, this isn’t always the case. For example, a serious party includes a party with a person’s colleagues, employer and boss and in case of a friendly party, some peers, fellow students or relatives enjoy the party. Moreover, it could be argued that serious parties are mostly held in restaurants or bars and most of the time are expensive, while friendly parties are held at our houses or cafeterias and are cost-saving.

Q. Why are some people late for parties intentionally?
Answer: This is a really interesting question and to be honest, I have never thought about it. I can’t find a logical explanation of why someone will do something like that and I would describe it as an immature and unscrupulous action. But, unfortunately, there are many, who belong to this category and some of them are friends of mine as well. A reason that comes to my mind is that someone doesn’t want to go to a party but they are forced to do so. Indeed, there are many occasions and especially related to workplace or parties thrown by relatives where people are sometimes forced to be present. In this case, the only solution is going many hours after the commencement of the party. This is the only reason I can think of and partly justify this action.

Tips: If you are one of them who intentionally go to a party late, just say the reason you do so and give the best possible explanation you can think of to convince the examiner that your action is justifiable.

Q. Why do some people like the party while others hate it?
Answer: I don’t really know for sure, but I would say that it’s a matter of individual character and preference. Some people are introvert and like to keep a low profile who don’t like places and events which are crowded. Furthermore, if parties are held in houses, the mess is unavoidable and oftentimes the damages are irreparable, so for the host, it could be said that is a traumatic experience.

Moving to those who love parties, it could be argued that it’s a way in which people come together and have fun. It’s arguably true that due to the excessive working hours and the busy lifestyle, people have drifted apart and become alienated. Parties are great opportunities for reunions and substantial conversations. A further reason which is a little ludicrous is because of the tasteful and delectable food. I can say about some of my friends that – the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear that they are invited to parties is ‘food’ and they are instantly inundated with positive feelings.

Q. What would you do if the guests you have invited to a party feel bored?
Answer: The first thing I would do if my guests are bored at a party that I have hosted is to turn on the music or change my playlist. Some people don’t like conventional and rife types of music and prefer something else. If music couldn’t help, I would ask them what they want to do to have fun and adjust to their desires and preferences, if possible. Furthermore, if nothing of the above could produce a positive result and change their mood, I would play a game to attract their interest or tell some stories from our different experiences and stages of life, which would definitely lead to some laughter and joy. I would finally arrange some indoor games and would declare some prizes for the winners to warm up the guests.

Tips: Some other options to cheer up the bored guests in a party could be- changing food and drinks, sugar and coffee sometimes make someone recharged, introducing each other so that they can talk, giving them space and autonomy is useful as well because they are free to do whatever they want without restrictions.

Q. Will there be more and more people to attend parties?
Answer: Yes I think so. I truly believe that the number of party lovers will increase in the future. The opportunities to gather together with friends and relatives are shrinking in modern days and people would not want to miss parties where they can meet people, relatives and enjoy their time. Parties would be a way of relaxing and taking breaks for many busy employees and the increasing number of party attendees these days gives hints that in the future it will increase further.

Q. Why do some people like to host parties at a restaurant or hotel rather than home?
Answer: For some, arranging a party at home takes too much effort and time. Decorating the home, cooking different food items and then worrying whether the guests would like the taste, as well as cleaning the house, and doing the dishes are difficult. Giving the location of the venue to guests is not easy either. Moreover, in our modern outset, inviting many guests at a small apartment is not feasible. So, it’s only natural that many people these days prefer to hire a party centre at a hotel or a community centre to throw a party.

[Part 3 questions’ answers are written by – Mary, Economist & Business Consultant, UK]