250+ Describing Words by Category, and How to Choose Them

Describing words are words that tell you what something is like: its size, colour, sound, feel, mood or character. Most of them are adjectives, such as tiny, golden, creaky or stubborn, and they sit next to a noun or after a verb like is, seems or looks. Some describing words are adverbs instead: they describe how something is done, as in she laughed nervously.

Below are the most useful describing words sorted by what you are trying to describe, with an example sentence for each group, then the part most lists skip: how to choose the right one, the mistakes that make description go flat, and a short practice set with answers.

What counts as a describing word?

“Describing word” is the everyday name for what grammar calls an adjective. If you can put the word between the and a noun (the muddy boots) or after is (the boots are muddy), it is almost certainly an adjective.

Three other kinds of word also describe, and it helps to know them apart:

• Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives or whole sentences: walked slowly, surprisingly heavy.
• Nouns used as describers sit in front of another noun: a kitchen table, a winter coat. They are not adjectives, but they do the same job.
• Participles are verb forms used to describe: a broken window, a terrifying noise.

For writing, the label matters less than the effect. For grammar homework, it matters a lot, so the lists below are adjectives unless a note says otherwise.

Describing words for how things look

Size

tiny, minute, small, little, compact, petite, slight, medium, large, big, huge, enormous, vast, massive, towering, hulking, bulky, sprawling, narrow, wide

A towering crane swung over the narrow street. For more, see adjectives for size.

Shape

round, square, flat, curved, crooked, straight, pointed, jagged, oval, hollow, lumpy, slender, chunky, twisted, tapered, angular

She found a hollow, twisted branch on the path. More in adjectives for shape.

Colour and light

pale, bright, dark, dull, faded, glossy, shimmering, glowing, gloomy, vivid, rosy, golden, inky, murky, sunlit, shadowy

The murky water turned golden where the sun hit it.

Age and condition

new, fresh, young, old, ancient, antique, worn, shabby, battered, rusty, crumbling, spotless, pristine, dusty, cracked, tattered

He kept his grandfather’s battered suitcase on top of the wardrobe.

Describing words for the other senses

Sight words are the ones writers reach for first. Sound, touch, smell and taste words are rarer on the page, which is exactly why they make description feel real.

Sound

loud, quiet, silent, hushed, shrill, deep, booming, muffled, crackling, creaky, squeaky, buzzing, rumbling, rhythmic, piercing, melodic

A muffled thud came from the flat upstairs. More in adjectives for sounds.

Touch and texture

smooth, rough, soft, hard, silky, coarse, fluffy, prickly, sticky, slimy, gritty, damp, icy, warm, velvety, brittle

The cat’s fur was velvety, but its tongue was rough. More in adjectives for texture.

Smell

fragrant, fresh, musty, smoky, sour, sweet, earthy, floral, pungent, rancid, stale, spicy, damp, piney

The cellar had a musty, earthy smell. More in adjectives for smells.

Taste

sweet, salty, bitter, sour, tangy, savoury, bland, rich, zesty, buttery, creamy, crisp, juicy, spicy, smoky, tart

The soup was bland until she added something tangy. More in adjectives for taste.

Describing words for people

Personality

kind, generous, honest, patient, cheerful, curious, brave, loyal, witty, thoughtful, stubborn, selfish, moody, arrogant, shy, bossy, lazy, reliable, easy-going, sincere

My easy-going brother and my bossy sister somehow never argue. For a longer list sorted by trait, see adjectives to describe someone.

Appearance

tall, short, slim, stocky, muscular, freckled, pale, tanned, bearded, wrinkled, elegant, scruffy, neat, graceful, broad-shouldered, wiry

A wiry, bearded man held the door open. More in adjectives for appearance.

Feelings and mood

happy, glad, delighted, content, calm, relieved, proud, nervous, anxious, worried, afraid, lonely, sad, miserable, angry, furious, frustrated, bored, confused, embarrassed

She was relieved but still a little embarrassed. These come in strengths, which matters more than people think; adjectives for emotional states sorts them from mild to intense.

Describing words for places, time and movement

Places

busy, crowded, quiet, peaceful, remote, cosy, spacious, cramped, bustling, deserted, scenic, rugged, lush, barren, grimy, tidy

The bustling market was deserted by nine. More in adjectives for places.

Weather

sunny, cloudy, overcast, rainy, drizzly, stormy, windy, breezy, foggy, misty, humid, muggy, frosty, freezing, mild, scorching

It was a muggy, overcast afternoon.

Time

early, late, brief, long, endless, recent, ancient, modern, daily, weekly, sudden, gradual, overdue, temporary, permanent

After a brief pause, the endless meeting carried on. More in adjectives for time.

Movement

fast, quick, swift, slow, sluggish, steady, smooth, jerky, graceful, clumsy, frantic, lazy, nimble, wobbly, brisk

The puppy’s first steps were wobbly and surprisingly brisk. More in adjectives for movement.

Describing words for opinions

Some describing words tell the reader what you think rather than what something is like. They are useful, but they carry less information than the words above.

good, bad, nice, great, lovely, awful, terrible, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, ugly, interesting, boring, strange, perfect, fantastic, horrible, pleasant

It was a lovely evening tells us you enjoyed it. It was a warm, still evening lets the reader feel why.

How to choose the right describing word

Describe what you can sense before what you think. “The kitchen was disgusting” is an opinion. “The kitchen was greasy, and the bin smelled sour” is evidence. Readers trust evidence, and they reach the opinion themselves.

Pick one exact word over two vague ones. Very big becomes huge; very tired becomes exhausted; really cold becomes freezing. The exact word is shorter and stronger. Here are some common swaps:

Match the word to who is speaking. A ten-year-old narrator who calls a storm “tempestuous” sounds odd; one who calls it “loud and scary” sounds real. A report calls a room “spacious”, a friend calls it “massive”. The best describing word is the one your reader expects from that voice.

Use fewer than you think. One well-chosen describing word per noun is usually enough. Stacking three (the dark, cold, gloomy cellar) tends to blur the picture rather than sharpen it; the cold cellar with one smell or sound added does more.

Putting several describing words in order

When you do use more than one adjective before a noun, English has a usual order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose. That is why a lovely little old wooden box sounds right and a wooden old little lovely box does not. The full rule, with the exceptions, is in the order of adjectives.

Adjectives of the same kind are separated by commas (a warm, friendly smile); adjectives of different kinds are not (a big red bus). A quick test: if you can put and between them and it still sounds natural, use a comma.

Common mistakes with describing words

• Using an adjective where an adverb belongs. She sings beautiful should be She sings beautifully, because the word describes how she sings, not her. The exception is after linking verbs: The song sounds beautiful is correct.
• Doubling comparisons. More happier and most tallest are wrong. Use either -er/-est or more/most, never both.
• Confusing -ed and -ing words. Bored is how you feel; boring is what causes it. I was boring in the lesson means something you probably did not intend.
• Leaning on opinion words. A paragraph full of nice, good and amazing tells the reader you liked it without showing them anything.
• Clichés. Pitch black, crystal clear and ice cold are fine in speech but go unnoticed on the page. If a pairing comes to mind instantly, it has probably been used a million times; look for the detail only you would notice.

Practice: improve the description

Replace the underlined phrase with one stronger describing word, or fix the error.

1. The dog was very big.
2. After the race, I was very tired.
3. He spoke quiet so he wouldn’t wake the baby.
4. This is the most easiest exercise in the book.
5. The film was so bored that I fell asleep.
6. The bread was not soft any more.
7. She has a kind friendly face. (punctuation)
8. The room was very, very small.

Answers

1. huge, enormous or massive
2. exhausted
3. quietly (it describes how he spoke, so it needs the adverb)
4. easiest
5. boring
6. stale
7. a kind, friendly face (same kind of adjective, so a comma)
8. tiny, cramped or poky

Where to go next

This page gives a working set for each category. When you need more depth on one subject, the site has full guides with meanings and examples, including adjectives for objects, adjectives for feelings, adjectives for nature and words to describe yourself. And if you are not sure whether a word is an adjective at all, start with what an adjective is.

Checked against Merriam-Webster, the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook. Spotted an error? Tell us — see our editorial policy.