List of Descriptive Words

Explanation

Sometimes it's hard trying to figure out how to describe someone's eyes, the odor of a room, or the feel of an object.  There are just so many words to use.  So I've been searching online for various lists.  Three of the sites I found had quite a lot of useful words.  After combining them and spending countless hours sorting them alphabetically and removing duplicates, I came up with an extremely useful lists.

I've left pictures out of this blog post so that it copies easily for anyone who wants to use it. :)

These are the three sites I found the words from.

From msgarrettonline:  http://www.msgarrettonline.com/descripwords.html
From diabeticonline through Scribd:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/9664427/Descriptive-Words
From World Food and Wine:  http://world-food-and-wine.com/describing-food

The list

Sight - Appearance    

adorable, alert, alluring, beautiful, blinding, blonde, blushing, bright, brilliant, brilliant, broad, chubby, clean, clear, cloudy, colorful, contoured, crinkled, crooked, crowded, crystalline, curved, cute, dark, deep, dim, distinct, drab, dull, elegant, fancy, filthy, flat, fluffy, flushed, foggy, fuzzy, glamorous, glassy, gleaming, glistening, glowing, graceful, grizzly, grotesque, hazy, high, hollow, homely, iridescent, light, lithe, low, milky, misty, motionless, muddy, murky, nappy, narrow, obtuse, opaque, pale, pearly, poised, quaint, rotund, ruddy, shadowy, shady, shallow, sheer, shimmering, shiny, skinny, smoggy, smoky, snowy, sooty, sparkling, spotless, steep, stormy, straight, strange, translucent, transparent, twinkling, ugly, unsightly, unusual, weird, wide, wizened

Colors

amber, amethyst, aqua, aquamarine, avocado, azure, bistre, black, blue, brass, brindle, bronze, buff, burgundy, canary, carmine, carnelian, cerise, charcoal, chartreuse, chestnut, chocolate, chrome, citrine, claret, cobalt, copper, coral, cordovan, cream, crimson, crystalline, cyan, dun, ebony, emerald, flesh, fuchsia, garnet, gold, green, henna, indigo, ivory, jade, jet, khaki, lake, lavender, lemon, lilac, lime, magenta, mahogany, maize, maroon, mauve, mint, mustard, navy, obsidian, ocher, olive, onyx, orange, orchid, peach, pearl, pink, plum, poppy, primrose, puce, purple, red, rose, ruby, rust, sable, saffron, salmon, sapphire, scarlet, sepia, sienna, silver, slate, spruce, tan, topaz, turquoise, ultramarine, umber, vermilion, violet, walnut, white, wine, yellow

Smell - Taste    

abrasive, abundant, acerbic, acid, acidic, acrid, aftertaste, alcohol, ambrosia, ample, antiseptic, appealing, appetizing, apples, ardent, astringent, bacon, baking, balmy, barbed, biting, bitter, bland, blazing, blissful, blistering, bodied, boiling, bookish, brackish, briny, candied, caustic, celestial, charming, choking, choking, cigarettes, citrus, clean, coffee, cutting, decadent, delectable, delicious, delightful, dirty, disgusting, divine, doggy, dripping, dry, dulcet, dull, earthy, engaging, enjoyable, enticing, excoriating, fantastic, fascinating, fervent, fetid, fiery, fishy, flat, flavored, flavorful, flavorless, flavorsome, flowery, foul, fragrant, fresh, fruity, full, gamy, gardenias, gentle, godly, gorgeous, great, gross, harsh, heady, heavenly, heavy, honeyed, hot, insipid, intense, interesting, inviting, jasmine, juicy, lavish, lemon, likable, lilac, lilies, lime, loaded, loamy, lovely, luscious, lush, lusty, luxurious, marinated, marvelous, matured, medicinal, mellow, mild, mildewed, minty, moist, moldy, mordant, mouth, musky, musty, nasty, nauseating, nutty, odor, olives, opulent, overpowering, palatable, patchouli, penetrating, peppery, perfumed, pickled, piercing, piquant, plain, plastic, pleasant, potent, prickly, pungent, putrid, rancid, redolent, relish, repulsive, revolting, rich, ripe, robust, rosy, rotten, rough, rubbing, saccharine, saline, salty, sapid, satisfying, savory, scathing, scent, scorching, scrumptious, searing, severe, sharp, sickening, sizzling, skunky, smacking, smelly, smoky, soap, soft, sophisticated, sour, spicy, spoiled, stale, sticky, stimulating, stinging, stinking, strong, stuffed, stuffy, stylish, sublime, succulent, sugarcoated, sugared, sugary, sweat, sweaty, sweet, sweetened, syrupy, tanginess, tangy, tantalizing, tart, tasteless, tasty, temperate, tender, toothsome, torrid, tranquil, unappealing, unappetizing, unflavored, unpleasant, unsavory, unseasoned, unsweetened, vehement, vinegary, vitriolic, warm, watering, weak, well, wonderful, yummy, zesty, zing

Sound    

babble, bang, barking, bawling, bay, beat, bellowing, blaring, blast, bleat, booming, bray, bubbling, bumping, burping, buzz, cackling, cacophonous, cawing, chant, chattering, cheeping, chime, chirping, clanging, clangor, clank, clapping, clash, clattering, click, clucking, cooing, coughing, crack, crackle, crackling, crashing, creak, croaking, crooning, crowing, crunching, crying, deafening, din, drone, drumming, faint, fanfare, fizzing, gagging, gasping, gibberish, grating, groan, growling, grumble, grunting, gurgle, harsh, high-pitched, hissing, hoarse, honking, hoot, howling, hullabaloo, hum, hushed, husky, jingle, keening, loud, melodic, melodious, meow, mewing, moaning, mooing, mumble, mumbling, murmuring, mute, mutter, neigh, noisy, patter, pealing, peeping, piercing, pitch, popping, purring, quack, quiet, racket, raspy, rattling, raucous, resonant, rhythmic, ringing, ripping, roaring, rumble, rumbling, rustling, scratching, scream, screaming, screech, shouting, shriek, shrill, shuffling, sighing, silent, singing, sizzle, smashing, snapping, snarling, sneezing, sniveling, snoring, snorting, sobbing, soft, soothing, splashing, squall, squeak, squealing, swishing, tapping, tearing, thrum, thud, thumping, thunderous, tick, tinkle, tinkling, tinkling, tolling, tone, toot, tootle, tranquil, trill, trumpeting, tune, twang, twittering, voiceless, volume, wail, warble, wheezing, whining, whir, whispering, whistling, whooping, yapping, yelling, yelping, zap, zip

Touch    

abrasive, biting, boiling, boiling, breezy, bubbly, bumpy, burning, bushy, chapped, chilly, clammy, coarse, cold, cool, corduroy, corrugated, cottony, creamy, creepy, crisp, cuddly, curdled, curly, cushioned, damp, dank, dirty, dirty, downy, dry, dusty, engraved, fiery, filthy, fine, flaky, fluffy, fluted, fluttering, foamy, freezing, frosty, furry, fuzzy, glassy, glossy, gooey, grainy, greasy, grimy, gripped, gritty, grooved, grubby, hairy, hard, hot, icy, inlaid, itching, ivory, keen, kiss, knobbed, lacy, loose, matte, matted, melted, metallic, moist, numbing, patina, piercing, plastic, pocked, polished, pressed, prickly, pulpy, rainy, rasping, raw, rocking, rough, rutted, sandpapery, sandy, scalding, scaled, scarred, scorching, scratchy, sculptured, searing, shaggy, sharp, sheen, sheer, shiny, silky, slick, slimy, slippery, slushy, smooth, soapy, soft, solid, sopping, spiky, splintered, steely, sticky, stinging, stinging, stubbly, tangled, tender, tickling, tight, tweedy, uneven, vaporous, velvety, warm, waxen, waxy, wet, wooden, woolly, yielding

Size    

ample, average, behemoth, big, bulky, colossal, diminutive, dwarfed, elfin, enormous, fat, giant, gigantic, great, huge, hulking, immense, large, little, long, mammoth, massive, microscopic, middle-sized, miniature, minute, petite, portly, prodigious, puny, short, small, stupendous, tall, tiny, towering, vast, voluminous, wee

Time    

ancient, annual, brief, brisk, centuries, continual, crawling, dawn, daybreak, daylight, decade, dusk, early, eons, evening, fast, flash, intermittent, late, lengthy, long, modern, moments, noon, noonday, old, old-fashioned, outdated, periodic, punctual, quick, rapid, short, slowly, speedy, sporadic, sunrise, sunset, swift, tardy, twilight, whirlwind, yearly, years, young

Pattern and Shape

adjacent, aquiline, arc, baggy, ball, banded, box, breadth, checkered, concave, concentric, cone, contoured, convex, corkscrew, crescent, crested, crowned, crystalline, cube, cupped, curly, curved, cylinder, dappled, depressed, depth, diagonal, disc, drooping, ellipsoidal, elliptical, erect, fanned, fat, flat, frail, girth, globe, height, helix, hemisphere, hexagon, horizontal, lanky, length, long, narrow, octagon, orb, oval, oval, ovate, palmate, parallel, pentagon, pied, pinnate, plate, plump, pointed, polyhedron, protruding, pyramid, rectangle, reticulated, rolling, round, rounded, serpentine, shallow, shapely, sharp, short, sinuous, solid, spherical, spiked, spotted, square, streamlined, sunken, swollen, terrain, tetrahedral, thin, thread, tight, trapezoid, triangle, veined, vertical, wide, width, winding, worm-like

Movement    

amble, blunder, bolt, bounce, bound, canter, catapult, charge, clatter, clump, coast, crawl, creep, cruise, dance, dart, dash, dawdle, dive, dodge, drag, drift, duel, file, flee, flip, flit, float, flounder, flow, fly, frolic, gallop, glide, hasten, hike, hobble, hop, hurdle, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jog, jump, lead, leap, limp, linger, loaf, lumber, lunge, lurch, lurk, march, meander, mosey, navigate, pace, pad, parade, pivot, plod, plunge, ply, pounce, prance, prowl, race, ramble, range, roam, roll, romp, rove, rush, sail, sashay, saunter, scamper, scoot, scuff, scurry, shake, shimmy, shuffle, skate, skid, skim, skip, slide, slink, slither, slump, sneak, speed, sprawl, spring, sprint, stagger, stalk, stampede, step, stomp, straggle, stretch, stride, stroll, struggle, strut, stumble, swagger, sway, swept, swerve, swing, tip, toddle, toe, topple, track, traipse, tramp, travel, tread, trek, trip, tromp, trot, trudge, tumble, turn, twirl, twist, undulate, vault, waddle, wade, walk, wallow, waltz, wander, wend, wiggle, wobble, zip, zoom

Quantity    

abundant, ample, chock-full, copious, dearth, empty, few, heavy, lavish, liberal, light, loads, lots, many, meager, much, numerous, oodles, paucity, plentiful, plenty, profuse, scads, scant, scarcity, skimpy, sparing, sparse, sufficient, well-stocked

Ability - Condition    

able, adequate, alive, assured, authoritative, bold, brainy, brave, busy, capable, careful, cautious, clever, competent, concerned, confident, courageous, curious, daring, determined, durable, dynamic, eager, easy, effective, energetic, fearless, firm, forceful, gallant, gentle, hardy, healthy, heavy, heroic, important, influential, innocent, inquisitive, intense, jerky, knotted, light, lively, loose, lucky, manly, mighty, modern, open, outstanding, powerful, real, relaxed, rich, robust, secure, sharp, shy, skillful, smooth, spirited, stable, steady, stouthearted, strong, super, sure, tame, tough, victorious, virile, zealous

Anger - Hostility    

aggravated, aggressive, agitated, angry, annoyed, arrogant, belligerent, biting, blunt, bullying, callous, combative, contrary, cool, cranky, creepy, cross, cruel, defiant, disagreeable, enraged, envious, evil, fierce, furious, hard, harsh, hateful, hostile, impatient, inconsiderate, insensitive, intolerant, irritated, mad, mean, nasty, obnoxious, obstinate, outraged, perturbed, repulsive, resentful, rough, rude, savage, severe, spiteful, tense, terse, vicious, vindictive, violent, wicked, wrathful

Depression - Sadness - Gloom    

abandoned, alien, alienated, alone, awful, battered, blue, bored, burned, cheapened, crushed, debased, defeated, degraded, dejected, demolished, depressed, desolate, despairing, despised, despondent, destroyed, discarded, discouraged, dismal, downcast, downhearted, downtrodden, dreadful, estranged, excluded, forlorn, forsaken, gloomy, glum, grim, hated, homeless, hopeless, horrible, humiliated, hurt, jilted, kaput, loathed, lonely, lonesome, lousy, low, miserable, mishandled, mistreated, moody, mournful, obsolete, ostracized, overlooked, pathetic, pitiful, rebuked, regretful, rejected, reprimanded, rotten, ruined, rundown, sad, scornful, sore, stranded, tearful, terrible, tired, unhappy, unloved, whipped, worthless, wrecked

Distress    

affected, anguished, awkward, baffled, bewildered, clumsy, confused, constrained, disgusted, disliked, displeased, dissatisfied, distrustful, disturbed, doubtful, foolish, futile, grief, helpless, hindered, impaired, impatient, imprisoned, lost, nauseated, offended, pained, perplexed, puzzled, ridiculous, sickened, silly, skeptical, speechless, strained, suspicious, swamped, tormented, touchy, troubled, ungainly, unlucky, unpopular, unsatisfied, unsure, weary

Fear - Anxiety    

afraid, agitated, alarmed, anxious, apprehensive, bashful, dangerous, desperate, dreading, edge, eerie, embarrassed, fearful, frantic, frightened, hesitant, horrified, insecure, intimidated, jealous, jittery, jumpy, nervous, on, overwhelmed, panicky, restless, scared, shaky, shy, strained, tense, terrified, timid, uncomfortable, uneasy, upset, worrying

Inability - Inadequacy    

anemic, ashamed, broken, catatonic, cowardly, crippled, defeated, defective, deficient, demoralized, disabled, exhausted, exposed, fragile, frail, harmless, helpless, impotent, inadequate, incapable, incompetent, ineffective, inept, inferior, insecure, meek, mummified, naughty, powerless, puny, shaken, shaky, shivering, sickly, small, strengthless, trivial, unable, uncertain, unfit, unimportant, unqualified, unsound, useless, vulnerable, weak

Joy - Elation    

amused, blissful, brilliant, calm, cheerful, comical, contented, delighted, ecstatic, elated, elevated, enchanted, enthusiastic, exalted, excellent, excited, exuberant, fantastic, fit, funny, glad, glorious, good, grand, gratified, great, happy, hilarious, humorous, inspired, jolly, jovial, joyful, jubilant, magnificent, majestic, marvelous, overjoyed, pleasant, pleased, proud, relieved, satisfied, smiling, splendid, superb, terrific, thrilled, tremendous, triumphant, vivacious, witty, wonderful

Love - Affection - Concern    

admired, adorable, affectionate, agreeable, altruistic, amiable, benevolent, benign, brotherly, caring, charitable, charming, comforting, congenial, conscientious, considerate, cooperative, cordial, courteous, dedicated, devoted, empathetic, fair, faithful, forgiving, friendly, generous, genuine, giving, good, helpful, honest, honorable, hospitable, humane, interested, just, kind, kindly, lenient, lovable, loving, mellow, mild, moral, neighborly, nice, obliging, open, optimistic, patient, peaceful, pleasant, polite, reasonable, receptive, reliable, respectful, sensitive, sweet, sympathetic, tender, thoughtful, tolerant, trustworthy, truthful, understanding, unselfish, warm, worthy