List of Descriptive Words in English

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In this article, we will provide a comprehensive list of adjectives for four of our senses: smiling, hearing, touching, and smelling. These lists will include descriptive words that can be used to paint a vivid picture of the subject matter, whether in a story, a poem, or a descriptive essay.

Descriptive Words in English

Descriptive words, also known as adjectives, are words that describe or modify a noun or pronoun. They provide additional information about a person, place, thing, or idea.

Some examples of descriptive words are:

• Color (e.g. red, blue, green)
• Size (e.g. big, small, tall)
• Shape (e.g. round, square, rectangular)
• Age (e.g. young, old, new)
• Texture (e.g. smooth, rough, soft)
• Temperature (e.g. hot, cold, warm)
• Emotion (e.g. happy, sad, angry)
• Sound (e.g. loud, quiet, musical)
• Quantity (e.g. many, few, several)
• Appearance (e.g. beautiful, ugly, handsome)

Descriptive words can also be used to express sensory details such as taste, touch, smell, sound, and sight, to make a picture more vivid in the reader’s mind.

Examples:

• The warm sun shone on the golden sand.
• The sweet fragrance of the roses filled the air.
• The soft fabric of the blanket felt cozy against my skin.
• The loud explosion echoed across the city.
• The bright colors of the sunset painted the sky.

List of Descriptive Words in English

Learn a useful list of Adjectives illustrated with pictures and examples.

Words You Can Use to Describe a Smile

• Cheerful
• Radiant
• Beaming
• Grinning
• Smirking
• Laughing
• Giggling
• Chuckling
• Beaming
• Joyful
• Pleased
• Delighted
• Happy
• Content
• Pleased
• Amused
• Lighthearted
• Carefree
• Playful
• Elated
• Thrilled
• Ecstatic
• Blissful
• Gratified
• Satisfied
• Appreciative
• Charmed
• Puckish
• Mischievous
• Witty
• Teasing
• Sarcastic
• Wry
• Winking
• Dimpled
• Infectious
• Contagious
• Engaging
• Alluring
• Magnetic
• Captivating
• Enthralling
• Enchanting
• Enraptured
• Mesmerizing
• Irresistible
• Enticing
• Tempting
• Bewitching
• Spellbinding
• Hypnotic
• Appealing
• Attractive
• Pleasing
• Beautiful
• Lovely
• Handsome
• Cute
• Adorable
• Endearing
• Precious
• Sweet
• Darling
• Angelic
• Heavenly
• Divine
• Seraphic
• Seraphical

Descriptive Words List of Adjectives for Touching

• Soft
• Gentle
• Delicate
• Tender
• Smooth
• Silky
• Soothing
• Caring
• Kind
• Warm
• Loving
• Affectionate
• Fond
• Intimate
• Sensuous
• Passionate
• Erotic
• Sensual
• Pleasurable
• Cozy
• Comforting
• Nurturing
• Embracing
• Snug
• Protective
• Secure
• Supportive
• Cuddly
• Snuggly
• Snuggy
• Fuzzy
• Fluffy
• Velvety
• Furry
• Hairy
• Downy
• Feathery
• Fluffy
• Fuzzy
• Soft
• silky
• Smooth
• Caressing
• Massaging
• Stroking
• Rubbing
• Touching
• Tingling
• Tickling
• Pinching
• Squeezing
• Gripping
• Clasping
• Cradling
• Cupping
• Brushing
• Patting
• Scratching
• Picking
• Poking
• Pinching
• Prodding
• Pressing
• Squeezing
• Tugging
• Pulling
• Twisting
• Wrapping
• Clasping
• Holding
• Clutching
• Clasping
• Crushing
• Embracing
• Enfolding
• Enveloping
• Hugging
• Snuggling
• Snatching
• Squeezing
• Touching
• Trailing
• Tracing
• Tugging
• Twining
• Wrapping

Descriptive Words List of Adjectives for Hearing, Smelling and Tasting

Hearing Words:

• Buzz
• Coo
• Gurgling
• Purring
• Sloshing
• Squeal
• Wail
• Whistling

Smelling Words

• Burning
• Fresh
• Roasted
• Salty
• Stale
• Stinky
• Sweet
• Vile

Tasting Words

• Bitter
• Bland
• Nutty
• Salty
• Sour
• Spicy
• Tangy
• Tart

Descriptive Words List of Adjectives for Seeing

• Bent
• Burnt
• Cluttered
• Crooked
• Foggy
• Graceful
• Immense
• Lovely
• Massive
• Neglected
• Shabby
• Tidy
• Tiny
• Wispy

Common Descriptive Words

Here is the list of synonyms for these descriptive words below:

Examples of Descriptive Words in English

Nice

• enjoyable: Games can make learning more enjoyable.
• pleasurable: We do everything we can to make your trip pleasurable.
• thoughtful: It was really thoughtful of you to remember my birthday.
• courteous: The hotel staff are friendly and courteous.
• lovely: That was a lovely cup of tea.
• likeable: She’s warm, friendly and likeable.
• pleasing: The new building was pleasing to the eye.

Good

• excellent: Second-hand computers can be excellent value.
• amazing: He’s an amazing player to watch.
• marverlous: I can’t stand him, but my wife thinks he’s marvellous.
• fantastic: It’s a fantastic place, really beautiful!

Bad

• awful: The weather was awful.
• rotten:  He’s a rotten driver.
• naughty: You’re a very naughty boy! Look what you’ve done!
• terrible: Their son had been injured in a terrible accident.
• nasty: There’s a nasty streak in her character.

Happy

• cheerful: She’s feeling more cheerful today.
• delighted: Sandy will be delighted to see you.
• pleased:  She seemed pleased by the compliment.
• glad: I’m really glad I don’t have to go back there again.
• joyful: Christmas is a joyful occasion for children.

Big

• huge: These shoes make my feet look huge.
• giant: He’s a giant of a man.
• enormous: The team made an enormous effort.
• large: Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US.

Difficult

• thorny: There are still some thorny questions to be answered.
• acute: The housing shortage is more acute than first thought.
• challenging: Teaching young children is a challenging and rewarding job.
• tricky: I can get you tickets for the show but it’ll be tricky.
• complex: Photosynthesis is a highly complex process.

Interesting

• exciting: I’ve got some very exciting news for you.
• fascinating: That sounds absolutely fascinating.
• thrilling: It’s not a thrilling task but is easy and only takes minutes.

Useful

• beneficial: Cycling is highly beneficial to health and the environment.
• viable: The committee came forward with one viable solution.
• workable: I’m sure we can come to some workable arrangement.
• efficient: We offer a fast, friendly and efficient service.
• profitable: The advertising campaign proved very profitable.

Angry

• touchy: She is very touchy about her past.
• mad: Are you still mad at me?
• cross: She gets cross when he goes out drinking.
• enraged: Many readers were enraged by his article.

Fast

• agile: Dogs are surprisingly agile.
• brisk: They set off at a brisk pace.
• quick: She walked with short, quick steps.
• speedy: We hope you make a speedy recovery.

Kind

• courteous: The staff are always courteous and helpful.
• helpful: She’s a helpful child.
• considerate: It was very considerate of you to let us know you were going to be late.

Easy

• simple: There is no simple answer to this question.
• uncomplicated: Why can’t I have an uncomplicated life?
• obvious: The obvious way of reducing pollution is to use cars less.

Funny

• comical: The note of pure panic in his voice was almost comical.
• gleeful: The park was full of gleeful children playing on sleds.
• humorous: The film has some mildly humorous moments.
• entertaining: Children’s TV nowadays is much more entertaining.

Little

• small: The T-shirt was too small for him.
• tiny: She always felt a tiny bit sad.
• minute: You only need a minute amount.
• slight: The picture was at a slight angle.

Smart

• bright: He was an exceptionally bright child.
• clever: Lucy is quite clever and does well at school.
• brainy: He always was the brainy one.
• brilliant: I think that’s a brilliant idea.

Pretty

• beautiful: She was even more beautiful than I had remembered.
• lovely: She had a lovely face.
• attractive: Women seem to find him attractive.
• cute: The baby’s so cute.

Sad

• gloomy: Anne dismissed these gloomy thoughts from her mind.
• unhappy: Leslie had an unhappy childhood.
• downcast: Penelope sat silently, her eyes downcast.
• mournful: Durant was thin, mournful and silent.