Descriptive Words: 700+ Describing Words with Useful Examples

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.

Descriptive Words, Describing Words

What Is A Descriptive Word?

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

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 woman is tall.
• That car is rather large.
• There is a red card on the table.
• I prefer the hot weather.
• It is a bit damp in the garden shed.
• The man is American.
• We like to go to the pretty forest.
• The beach is clean.
• Our hotel was luxurious.
• I found the subject to be tiresome.
• The Harry Potter books were magical.
• The bird is beautiful.
• There will be a solar eclipse next week.

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

• -al-typical, maniacal
• -an-Australian, urban
• -ar-popular, clear, lunar
• -ent-decent, magnificent
• -ful-beautiful, blissful
• -ic-athletic, majestic
• -ical-magical, fantastical
• -ine-feminine, ovine
• -ile-immobile, juvenile
• -ive-aggressive, adaptive
• -less-colourless, thoughtless
• -ous-ginormous, luminous
• -some-awesome, boresome

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.

Descriptive Adverbs

An adverb is the other type of descriptive word that we are going to look at. An adverb is a word which 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 the 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 supercar drives quickly.
• My cat mewed hungrily.
• The girls sang happily.
• Parrots speak noisily.
• Farmers work messily.
• He rapidly swam across the ocean.
• My daughter dutifully brings me my slippers every night.
• The girl sang the opera beautifully.
• I find that he draws terribly.
• The cow is enormously heavy.
• She always drives her car carefully.

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

• I saw a dog walking very carefully along a beam.
• I find language learning incredibly easy.

The words many, much, very, and more can also be used as adverbs, in an example like one of the following;

• Many people will visit the park today.
• I find it very annoying.
• Much of the food was eaten.
• I like to have more time to sleep.

An adverb is used to intensify the meaning of a word, quite often an adjective, and to add more information about it.

Gerunds, Verbs, 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:

– “Many countries still do not have access to running water”

– “I love Autumn because of all the falling leaves”

– “Do you have any interesting book suggestions”

– “My family is buying a swimming pool for the Summer”

– “The food at school is disgusting“

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“

Descriptive Words

Most Common Descriptive Words/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
• active
• admirable
• adorable
• adventurous
• acclaimed
• accomplished
• acrobatic
• 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
• cluttered
• coarse
• clumsy
• 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
• adible
• elastic
• elderly
• electric
• elementary
• embellished
• emotional
• empty
• enchanted
• energetic
• ethical
• euphoric
• everlasting
• evil
• exotic
• fashionable
• faithful
• famous
• fancy
• 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
• nocturnal
• naive
• nasty
• nautical
• neat
• needy
• negative
• nervous
• nice
• organic
• ornate
• ordinary
• 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
• awkwardly
• always
• anxiously
• angrily
• apathetically
• amusingly
• assertively
• badly
• blindly
• boastfully
• boldly
• bravely
• brightly
• begrudgingly
• blissfully
• cheerfully
• coyly
• cooly
• crazily
• defiantly
• deftly
• deliberately
• devotedly
• doubtfully
• dramatically
• dutifully
• eagerly
• elegantly
• enormously
• evenly
• eventually
• exactly
• faithfully
• finally
• foolishly
• faintly
• frequently
• frivolously
• gleefully
• gracefully
• greedily
• happily
• hastily
• honestly
• hopelessly
• hourly
• hungrily
• innocently
• inquisitively
• irritably
• intelligently
• jealously
• justly
• kindly
• lazily
• loosely
• madly
• merrily
• mortally
• mysteriously
• meagerly
• methodically
• neglectfully
• nervously
• never
• normally
• obediently
• obnoxiously
• occasionally
• often
• only
• perfectly
• politely
• poorly
• powerfully
• promptly
• pointlessly
• quickly
• rapidly
• rarely
• regularly
• rashly
• rudely
• safely
• seldom
• selfishly
• seriously
• shakily
• sharply
• silently
• slowly
• solemnly
• sometimes
• speedily
• sternly
• tactfully
• tragically
• technically
• tediously
• unexpectedly
• usually
• vacantly
• victoriously
• vivaciously
• vividly
• warmly
• wearily
• weekly
• wildly
• weirdly
• 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 Words Infographic 2

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