list of descriptive words for creative writing

64 Describing Words To Help You Show (Not Tell) Your Story

Effective character description is key for drawing your readers into your story; use our list of describing words to help paint a clear picture for your audience. 

Captivate your readers with extraordinary descriptive words to leave a lasting impression on your readers. Don’t fall into the trap of using the same boring words in your writing, where fear of creativity  can stifle your success. Embrace vivid and exciting words to create enchanting imagery and watch your work come to life.

What Are Describing Words?

Positive describing words, neutral describing words, negative describing words.

Describing words (also known as adjectives) are used to convey information or provide a description of a person, place, thing, or situation. Often, adjectives are used to differentiate one character or setting from another. While it can be tempting to load up on adjectives, using one perfectly fitting word is far more powerful. There are thousands of describing words in English- we’ve compiled a few of our favorites here.

Whether you want your readers to root for your protagonist or begin to see the underdog in a new light, these positive describing words can shine on the object with which they’re paired. Sprinkling these adjectives into the character development process can help your audience get on your character’s side.

1. Adventurous

Joel loved his son’s  adventurous  spirit, as it allowed him to enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and other pursuits he loved when he was his son’s age.

2. Ambitious

“Being  ambitious  can help you in your career,” Bethany said, “But you’ll want to be careful that you don’t knock people down on your way to the top.”

3. Beneficial

Connie and Amber realized that being neighbors was mutually  beneficial , as Amber was around to let Connie’s dog out.

4. Confident

The first thing she noticed upon meeting him was his  confidence , and she was impressed with how clear it was that he believed in himself.

5. Courageous

“You were so courageous ,” the pediatrician told Mae after she received her final vaccination in the series.

6. Dazzling

As she drove over the George Washington Bridge , she had to remind herself to focus on the road instead of the  dazzling  New York City skyline.

7. Dedicated

Kim was grateful to have such a  dedicated  team of teachers on her side because managing 140 sixth graders on a field trip was no simple feat.

The staff members at the museum were excited to get to know their  dynamic  new director.

9. Harmonious

Erica couldn’t believe how  harmoniously  her parents were getting along at her wedding, even though they had divorced just a few years prior.

10. Heavenly

The quiche Patricia baked for the potluck brunch was  heavenly , and it was no surprise that it disappeared quickly.

11. Industrious

Steve’s parents were impressed with the  industrious  attitude he took toward the SATs, spending at least an hour studying every day after school. 

12. Kindred

The two best friends had been  kindred  spirits since middle school, and it only made sense that they started a business together. 

Pudge was a  mellow  cat, often preferring napping in the sunlight that shone through the window to chasing birds. 

14. Mysterious

Katie had run on the trail hundreds of times, but the  mysterious  look of the dew steaming off the ground made her choose another route.

15. Noteworthy

His performance in the play was  noteworthy , and several local news outlets marked him as an up-and-coming star.

Lindsay was  proud  of her daughter for sticking with her commitment to the softball team.

17. Radiant

Molly looked  radiant  as she stepped out her front door to meet her date.

18. Reliable

Watching his favorite comedy sketch show at the end of the week was a  reliable , tried-and-tested way to unwind from work stress.

19. Stunning

Even the paparazzi photographers were shocked at how  stunning  Julia looked as she waltzed across the red carpet.

20. Successful

To run a  successful  campaign, Tyler knew he’d have to start fundraising at least a year before the election.

21. Valuable

She knew she was giving up billable hours, but she didn’t mind; nothing was more  valuable  than having lunch with her daughter.

22. Wondrous

“This is even more  wondrous  than I could have imagined,” said Annabelle as she gazed over the Grand Canyon.

23. Wholesome

Matt marveled at how  wholesome  his daughters were as he watched them work together to create the perfect bouquet for Mother’s Day. 

Want to fully describe a noun in your story while remaining impartial? These neutral describing words allow your reader to remain emotionally detached while still fully seeing the picture you’re painting with your words.

Miranda was relieved she had  ample  supplies to bake the five dozen cookies she’d promised for the school bake sale. 

25. Ancient

The tour guide loved seeing the awe on the faces of the people in his tour group as they saw the  ancient  pyramids for the first time. 

26. Classic

He knew the office was modern and informal, but he still felt like it was a smart move to wear a  classic  three-piece suit for his interview.

The accommodations weren’t fancy, but they were  decent  enough for Anne to get a good night’s rest.

28. Demanding

The coach worked hard to strike the right balance between being encouraging and  demanding  with her players.

29. Diligent

Bill knew he had to be  diligent  when auditing the school’s business office, as missing a single detail could cause major tax problems. 

30. Gargantuan

To Alex, the mountain appeared  gargantuan , even though it seemed small last year when he reached the summit on his annual hike.

31. Historical

Erin couldn’t believe how the miles ticked by as she ran the streets of Washington, D.C., amazed by the  historical  buildings. 

32. Inevitable

Robin was sad to leave, though she knew relocation was  inevitable  in her job.

33. Interesting

Mrs. Darcy did a great job of making her Sunday school lessons informative and  interesting  for her second-grade students.

34. Mischievous

“Are you two being  mischievous ?” the pet sitter asked the kittens after seeing a dismantled ball of yarn in the middle of the floor. 

35. Nonchalant

Jessica worked to look  nonchalant  as she walked into the party, even though she knew her ex-boyfriend was likely in the crowd.

36. Obvious

Gloria tried to act like she liked the dessert, but the look on her face made it  obvious  that it wasn’t her favorite.

37. Observant

Kent was  observant  as he met his new coworkers for the first time, looking for how their personalities would mesh.

38. Practical

It wasn’t  practical  to drive past her childhood home, but she couldn’t head back to the city without at least catching a glimpse. 

When they arrived at the lake house, they were pleasantly surprised; it was  quaint  yet sophisticated.

40. Questionable

While his explanation was  questionable , she decided to believe him, even though history had proven this wasn’t a good idea.

The event venue was the perfect balance of  rustic  and sophisticated. 

42. Thrifty

Being  thrifty  was essential for a family of seven, but somehow, they always seemed to find a way to afford everything they needed. 

43. Tolerant

It wasn’t easy, but Martha tried to be  tolerant  of her baby cousin’s constant squealing as she watched the movie.

44. Unbelievable

“This is  unbelievable ,” Andy said when the hostess couldn’t find his name on the list, “I swear, I made a reservation days ago.”

45. Universal

Writing about  universal  truths, like love and loss, can help writers connect with any audience.

She was purposely  vague  when giving Theo directions to his surprise party, as she wanted him to take his time getting there.

Pull up this list when you’re working to convey something  less-than-flattering about a person, place, thing, or situation  in your writing. 

47. Awkward

As hard as she tried, there was no way for Jada to let go of her  awkward feelings on her first day at her new school. 

He knew he’d regret being  cheap , as buying less expensive shoes meant replacing them sooner.

49. Defiant

Nelly stomped her feet in an attempt to be  defiant .

There was no way around it; Skip was becoming a  grumpy  old man.

51. Immoral

Tanya knew to cheat on her math test was  immoral , but she didn’t see any other way to make it through the class and graduate on time.

It wasn’t Jasmine’s fault that she’d become  jaded ;   social work was a tough career.

53. Judgmental

Christie worked hard not to be  judgmental  of her sister but had trouble accepting that she wouldn’t attend their mother’s birthday dinner.

54. Jumbled

Janet struggled to make sense of the words on the page, as they seemed  jumbled , and her teacher began to suspect that Janet may be experiencing dyslexia.

55. Offensive

“It’s not just mean; it’s  offensive ,” Gloria told her professor about his implication that men would have an easier time in his class than women. 

56. Overwhelming

Working full-time, caring for an aging dog, and managing two kids felt  overwhelming  for Trisha.

57. Quarrelsome

The sisters were  quarrelsome , but they always remembered that they loved each other after fighting for a while. 

The teacup ride left Oliver feeling  queasy , even though he had begged his parents to let him go on it for the third time.

59. Reckless

I deserved the  reckless  driving charge, as I was driving far too fast.

60. Terrifying

The movie was  terrifying  to Elizabeth, and she knew that she’d need to watch something funny if she wanted any chance against having nightmares later.

61. Vengeful

Josh felt  vengeful  toward Veronica’s new boyfriend, Tom, as he didn’t treat Veronica well.

62. Villainous

It was easy to start the  villainous  character in the movie, as he had a sinister look from the first scene.

63. Volatile

The weather outside was especially  volatile , and Tana wondered whether she could hold her party that weekend. 

Stephen was glad that his friend had apologized, but he was  wary  of whether his intentions were pure.

Looking for more? Check out our guide on how to use adjectives correctly !