If you want to write a story with more interesting description, try this – from age 8 to age 18. Sometimes a thesaurus is too big, too hard to use and you don’t know what word you’re looking for anyway. This sheet is for inspiration for stories. Find:
Verbs/ Action Words Smashed, crashed, splattered, shattered, scattered, splashed, raced, tilted, flickered, flashed, tapped, slid, ran, leapt, jumped, darted, raced, paced, stepped, travelled, shifted, crawled, crept, wove, dashed, pounced OR edged closer, stepped nearer, moved worriedly, walked softly, crept towards
Looking Peered, looked, glanced, studied, examined, picked up, studied, inspected, saw, imagined
Facial Expressions/ Reactions blinked, stared, gawped, stood amazed, stopped dead, mouth fell open OR smiled, grinned, laughed, tried not to laugh OR blushed, went pink, stammered, stepped back, hands shaking, shuddering, shivering, heart beat faster, pulse raced, heart beat in her ears, stomach tied tight
Adjectives SIZE Small, tiny, diminutive, neat, dainty OPPOSITE large, huge, gigantic, vast, limitless, endless
Weather Snowy, brilliant, gleaming, shining, sparkling OPPOSITE dark, dull, cloudy, grim, bleak OR wet, glistening, gleaming, shining, misty, foggy, blurred, stormy, dark, bruised clouds, rain lashed down, sheets of rain, golden sunlight OR dusty, bare, dry earth, barren (nothing will grow), featureless
Appearance Upright, straight, stiff OPPOSITE bent, wobbly, shaky, flowing OR weak-looking, feeble, delicate, slim OPPOSITE strong, muscular, thick-set, heavy, powerful OR striped, patterned, floral, flower-pattern, dark, light, shadowy Feelings comfortable, soft, gentle, inviting, welcoming OPPOSITE harsh, hard, unkind, brutal, violent, desperate, vicious, cruel, uncaring, heartless Personality fussy, precise, careful, choosy OR messy, dishevelled
Texture smooth, glassy, glossy OPPOSITE abrasive, rough, like sandpaper, like bark OR bumpy, rippled, curved OR metallic, wooden, soft as silk (or petals), waxy, like cobweb, like lace, grassy
Sounds shrill, screeching, sharp, fierce, shrieking, high-pitched, piercing, whistling OR low, soft, melodious (musical), mellow, murmuring, whispering, muted (quiet) OR booming, echoing, thrilling, tingling OR crashed, banged, crackled, crunched, creaked, battered, hammered, pounded, beat, thudded, thumped, boomed
Smells musty, pungent (strong smelling), sour, stale OR sweet, s
spicy, warm, fresh, delicate, perfumed, suffocating
Smells musty, pungent (strong smelling), sour, stale OR sweet, s
spicy, warm, fresh, delicate, perfumed, suffocating
Tastes bitter, sweet, rich, dark, buttery, sour, dry, sharp, delicate, delicious OR vile, foul
Colours peach, coral (orange pink), pink, fuchsia (hot pink), ruby, magenta (deep hot pink), crimson (pinkish red), blood-red, red, burgundy (dull purple red), maroon (bright purple red), purple, violet, indigo (purplish blue), navy, deep blue, cobalt (bright dark blue), lapis lazuli (also a jewel), cornflower (sky blue), turquoise (blue green), teal (dark green-blue), bottle green (deep green), verdant (like grass), emerald, lime (green-yellow), yellow, gold, silver, platinum (brightest silver), blonde, honey-blonde, strawberry blonde, copper (rust/pale orange), russet (dark red brown), auburn (very dark red hair), brown, tan, mahogany, ebony (darkest brown, almost black), steel, lead-coloured. You can also compound similar colours: blue-green, emerald turquoise. Or pinkish, reddish, etc
Adverbs SPEED slowly, sluggishly OPPOSITE briskly, quickly, abruptly, suddenly MANNER clumsily, violently, forcefully, vigorously, rudely, furiously OPPOSITE softly, gently, delicately, meekly, humbly OR eagerly, excitedly.