Hey, storytellers! When you want to tell a story about a family member or write fiction, the reader may need help imagining the characters in your story. The solution is to use descriptive vocabulary. Adjectives that describe people can help your reader quickly get a sense of your impressions of the people in your story. Here are 300 adjectives to help you write your masterpiece.
This glossary is best suited for narrative writing, but there are also field-related glossaries on the Virtual Writing Tutor blog.
Glossary
- abandoned
- Having been deserted or left.
- accepted
- Generally believed or recognized to be valid or correct.
- affected
- Influenced or touched by an external factor.
- affectional
- Characterized by emotion. Affective, emotive. Emotional – of more than usual emotion.
- affective
- Relating to moods, feelings, and attitudes.
- afraid
- Feeling fear or anxiety; frightened.
- aggressive
- Ready or likely to attack or confront; characterized by or resulting from aggression.
- agitated
- Feeling or appearing troubled or nervous.
- alienated
- Experiencing or inducing feelings of isolation or estrangement.
- amazed
- Greatly surprised; astonished.
- amused
- Finding something funny or entertaining.
- angry
- Feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility; full of anger.
- anxious
- Feeling or showing worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
- apathetic
- Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
- ardent
- Very enthusiastic or passionate.
- aroused
- Excited by sexual thoughts.
- ashamed
- Embarrassed or guilty because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations.
- ashen
- Of a person’s face, very pale with shock, fear, or illness.
- astonished
- Greatly surprised or impressed; amazed.
- aversion
- A strong dislike or disinclination.
- avoidance
- The action of keeping away from or not doing something.
- awed
- Filled with awe or wonder.
- awful
- Very bad.
- berserk
- Out of control with anger or excitement; wild or frenzied.
- blanched
- (Of skin) white or pale from fear or lack of sunlight
- blase
- Unimpressed with or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before.
- bloodless
- (Of a revolution or conflict) without violence or killing.
- bored
- Feeling weary and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one’s current activity.
- brave
- Ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.
- calm
- Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.
- charged
- Having an electric charge.
- chatty
- Someone who talks a lot.
- chilly
- Unfriendly; not acting warm or nice.
- clever
- Good at learning things. .
- cocky
- Confident; full of oneself; arrogant.
- cold
- Unfriendly; showing no emotion.
- cold-eyed
- Cold in manner or appearance especially : coolly dispassionate cold-eyed analysis.
- comfortable
- Feeling easy and nice; feeling relaxed and safe.
- confident
- Feeling or showing confidence in oneself or one’s abilities or qualities.
- confused
- (Of a person) unable to think clearly; bewildered.
- courageous
- Brave; showing mental or spiritual strength.
- cowardly
- Someone who is afraid of things. .
- creepy
- Scary; unpleasant.
- crimson
- Of a rich deep red colour inclining to purple.
- critical
- Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgements.
- deceitful
- Not truthful; deliberately misleading.
- delighted
- Guilty of or involving deceit; deceiving or misleading others.
- depressed
- Flattened; pushed down.
- despair
- The complete loss or absence of hope.
- despondent
- In low spirits from loss of hope or courage.
- detestable
- Deserving intense dislike.
- devastate
- Destroy or ruin.
- disappointed
- Sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfil one’s hopes or expectations.
- disapproving
- Expressing an unfavourable opinion.
- discombobulated
- To be confused.
- disgust
- A feeling of revulsion or strong disapproval aroused by something unpleasant or offensive.
- disillusioned
- Disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less good than one had believed.
- dismayed
- Cause (someone) to feel concern and distress.
- disregarded
- Pay no attention to; ignore.
- disrespectful
- Showing a lack of respect or courtesy; impolite.
- distant
- Emotionally withdrawn.
- disturbed
- Having had the normal pattern or functioning disrupted.
- dominating
- Have power and influence over.
- dubious
- Doubtful; difficult to believe.
- eager
- Being anxious or overly excited.
- easy-going
- Someone who is easy to get along with.
- ecstatic
- Joyful; very happy.
- elated
- Make (someone) ecstatically happy.
- elation
- Great happiness and exhilaration.
- electric
- Of, worked by, charged with, or producing electricity.
- electrifying
- Arousing a sudden sense of great excitement; thrilling.
- embarrassed
- Feeling or showing embarrassment.
- embarrassment
- A feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness.
- emotional
- Full of feelings; moody.
- empty
- Containing nothing; not filled or occupied.
- enamored
- Be filled with love for.
- energetic
- Having a strong ability to do work; very active.
- enraged
- Very angry; furious.
- enthusiasm
- Intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval.
- enthusiastic
- Showing great excitement and readiness to do something; a great eagerness.
- envious
- Having spite and resentment because of another person’s success.
- excited
- Very enthusiastic and eager.
- exultation
- A feeling of triumphant elation or jubilation; rejoicing.
- faithful
- Having trust and belief.
- fervent
- Having or displaying a passionate intensity.
- fervid
- Very passionate or emotional, showing fervour.
- festive
- Happy, cheerful, jubilant.
- feverish
- Overheated without sweating; having a higher than normal body temperature.
- fiery
- Consisting of fire or burning strongly and brightly.
- fine
- Of high quality.
- flushed
- (Of a person’s skin) red and hot, typically as the result of illness or strong emotion.
- frantic
- Panicked excitement; a feeling that is excited, but in a fearful way.
- frenetic
- Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way.
- frenzied
- A state of being temporarily agitated or disorderly.
- friendly
- Someone who is nice to other people. .
- frightened
- Afraid or anxious.
- frustrated
- Feeling or expressing distress and annoyance resulting from an inability to change or achieve something.
- fulfilled
- Satisfied or happy because of fully developing one’s abilities or character.
- funny
- Used to describe someone who is amusing.
- furious
- Extremely angry.
- fury
- Wild or violent anger.
- galvanic
- Relating to or involving electric currents produced by chemical action.
- galvanising
- Shock or excite (someone) into taking action.
- galvanizing
- Shock or excite (someone) into taking action.
- generous
- Someone who shares their time or things with others.
- gleeful
- Full of great happiness.
- gloomy
- Unhappy; doubtful and dark.
- good
- Following the rules; having strong morals.
- grief
- Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death.
- grieving
- Feel intense sorrow.
- gruff
- Abrupt or short in manner.
- grumpy
- Bad-tempered.
- guilty
- Culpable of or responsible for a specified wrongdoing.
- happy
- Joyful.
- hard-working
- Someone who works very hard.
- hateful
- Full of hate; full of extreme dislike or bad feelings.
- hectic
- Full of incessant or frantic activity.
- hesitant
- Tentative, unsure, or slow in acting or speaking.
- hoarse
- With a rough voice.
- honest
- Someone who is truthful and who doesn’t cheat or steal.
- hopeful
- Optimistic; thinking that something good will happen.
- horrible
- Causing or likely to cause horror; shocking.
- hostile
- Mean toward; having bad feelings or aggression toward something; being against or opposed to.
- hot-blooded
- Lustful; passionate.
- humiliated
- Make (someone) feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and pride.
- hungry
- Wanting something; having an urge for something.
- hurt
- Having felt pain; having been injured.
- husky
- Having a low, deep, and rough sound, especially in a voice.
- hysterical
- Related to a state of uncontrollable emotion; in a state of panic or mental breakdown.
- ignored
- Refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard intentionally.
- ill
- Sick.
- impassioned
- Filled with or showing great emotion.
- impassive
- Not feeling or showing emotion.
- important
- Having high rank or status.
- inadequate
- Not enough.
- incandescent
- Emitting light as a result of being heated.
- indifferent
- Not caring one way or the other; having no feelings about something.
- indignant
- Angry about something unfair; acting upset or annoyed.
- inferior
- Lower in rank, status, or quality.
- infuriated
- Make (someone) extremely angry and impatient.
- inquisitive
- Curious; having a lot of questions.
- insecure
- Not firm or fixed; liable to give way or break.
- insignificant
- Unimportant; small as a percent of the whole.
- inspired
- Of extraordinary quality, as if arising from some external creative impulse.
- interested
- Showing curiosity or concern about something or someone; having a feeling of interest.
- intimate
- Closely acquainted; familiar.
- irritated
- Showing or feeling slight anger; annoyed.
- isolated
- Far away from other places, buildings, or people; remote.
- jealous
- Envious; wishing you had something someone else has.
- jovial
- Happy, cheerful.
- jovial
- Happy,cheeful.
- joyful
- Feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness.
- jubilant
- Feeling or showing a joyful happiness.
- judgmental
- Of or concerning the use of judgement.
- kind
- Nice; thoughtful toward others; thinking about others’ feelings.
- kind
- Someone who behaves in a caring way towards other people.
- lachrymose
- Tearful or given to weeping.
- lazy
- An inactive person who avoids work.
- liberated
- (Of a person) free from social conventions or traditional ideas, especially with regard to sexual roles.
- listless
- (Of a person or their manner) lacking energy or enthusiasm.
- lively
- Full of life, energetic, active.
- livid
- Very angry; furious.
- loathing
- A feeling of intense dislike or disgust; hatred.
- lonely
- Sad because one has no friends or company.
- loud
- Someone who talks really loudly.
- loving
- Feeling or showing love or great care.
- lucky
- Someone who often has good fortune.
- lyric
- Poem-like having a rhythmic pattern and frequently rhyme, often written as lyrical””.
- lyrical
- Having poetic quality suitable for use in song.
- mad
- Crazy; not well mentally.
- marvelous
- Causing great wonder; extraordinary.
- mature
- Fully developed physically; full-grown.
- mean
- Someone who is nasty and unkind.
- melancholy
- Very sad; depressed.
- moody
- used to describe someone who behaves differently every time you meet them.
- moving
- In motion.
- nasty
- A mean, unpleasant person.
- neat
- A person who is very tidy.
- nervous
- Easily agitated or alarmed.
- nervous
- Someone who is easily startled by things.
- nice
- Someone who is friendly and kind.
- nonchalant
- Cool and calm; without a care or bother.
- nonplussed
- Confusion; unable to understand.
- nonsubjective
- Not shaped by personal experience, views, opinion, or knowledge.
- objective
- Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.
- obsessed
- Preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually and to a troubling extent.
- open
- Allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space; not closed or blocked.
- optimistic
- Feeling that good things will happen; feeling positive.
- overwhelm
- Bury or drown beneath a huge mass of something, especially water.
- overwrought
- Bury or drown beneath a huge mass of something, especially water.
- panic
- Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour.
- peaceful
- Quiet and calm.
- pensive
- In deep thought; having serious thoughts that are sometimes sad.
- perfervid
- Intense and impassioned.
- perplexed
- Completely baffled; very puzzled.
- phlegmatic
- Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.
- phlegmatical
- Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.
- phrenetic
- Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way.
- playful
- Full of fun; silly; enjoying things just for fun’s sake; not serious.
- polite
- Someone who has good manners.
- popular
- Somebody who is liked by many people.
- possessed
- (Of a person) completely controlled by an evil spirit.
- powerful
- Having great control or authority over others.
- powerless
- Unable to do anything; without power; without the ability to act.
- protective
- Intended to protect someone or something.
- proud
- Feeling great about something you did.
- provocative
- Causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.
- quiet
- Used to describe someone who doesn’t talk very much.
- quizzical
- In a way that asks a question; in a way that shows wondering.
- rage
- Violent uncontrollable anger.
- rational
- Sensible, sane; based on logical thought.
- red
- Describing objects of the red color.
- reddened
- Make or become red.
- red-faced
- Having a red face, especially as a result of embarrassment or shame.
- red-hot
- So hot as to glow red.
- rejected
- Dismiss as inadequate, unacceptable, or faulty.
- remorseful
- Regretful; feeling bad or guilty about something done in the past.
- repugnant
- Extremely distasteful; unacceptable.
- resentful
- Feeling or expressing bitterness or indignation at having been treated unfairly.
- respected
- Admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
- responsive
- Answering; reacting to something.
- ridicule
- The subjection of someone or something to contemptuous and dismissive language or behaviour.
- rude
- Bad mannered, impolite.
- sarcastic
- Acting with bitter humor often meant to be mean or hurtful; expressing feelings or saying things that are the opposite of what is meant in order to make a point.
- scared
- Fearful; frightened.
- selfish
- Used to describe someone who only thinks about themselves.
- sensational
- Causing great public interest and excitement.
- sensitive
- Having tender emotions; subject to feeling emotions easily.
- serene
- Calm; peaceful.
- serious
- Someone who is always very sensible (the opposite of silly).
- shocked
- Cause (someone) to feel surprised and upset.
- shy
- Quiet and a little bit nervous around other people.
- silly
- Having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement; absurd and foolish.
- silly
- Someone who is a bit foolish, or who doesn’t behave in a serious way.
- sizzling
- Very exciting or passionate.
- skeptical
- Not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations.
- smart
- Someone who is very clever.
- somber
- Dark or dull in colour or tone.
- sore
- (Of a part of one’s body) painful or aching.
- sorrow
- A feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.
- sorrowful
- Feeling sadness.
- soulful
- Expressing or appearing to express deep and often sorrowful feeling.
- startled
- Feeling or showing sudden shock or alarm.
- starving
- Suffering or dying from hunger.
- stirred
- Move a spoon or other implement round in (a liquid or other substance) in order to mix it thoroughly.
- stolid
- Calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation.
- stressed
- Experiencing mental or emotional strain or tension.
- stunning
- Extremely impressive or attractive.
- stupid
- Someone who is not clever.
- submissive
- Meek and obedient; giving in to the force of others.
- sulky
- Pouty; being in a sad, mopey mood; sad or angry and not wanting to talk about it.
- sulky
- Morose, bad-tempered, and resentful; refusing to be cooperative or cheerful.
- supercharged
- Supply with extra energy or power.
- surprise
- An unexpected or astonishing event, fact, etc.
- suspicious
- Feeling that something is wrong; not trusting.
- tedious
- Tiring and boring.
- terrified
- Cause to feel extreme fear.
- testy
- Easily irritated; impatient and somewhat bad-tempered.
- threatened
- State one’s intention to take hostile action against (someone) in retribution for something done or not done.
- thrilling
- Causing excitement and pleasure; exhilarating.
- tidy
- Someone who is very neat and well organised.
- timid
- Showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.
- tired
- Sleepy; needing sleep.
- torrid
- Very hot and dry.
- touched
- Feeling gratitude or sympathy; moved.
- triumph
- A great victory or achievement.
- troubled
- Beset by problems or difficulties.
- umbrage
- Offence or annoyance.
- unblinking
- Of a person or their eyes) not blinking.
- undemonstrative
- Not tending to express feelings, especially of affection, openly.
- unemotional
- Not having or showing strong feelings.
- unhappy
- Sad, not happy.
- unlucky
- Someone who often suffers from bad fortune. .
- unrestrained
- Not restrained or restricted.
- untidy
- Someone who is very messy.
- unwell
- Ill.
- vain
- Having or showing an excessively high opinion of one’s appearance, abilities, or worth.
- vain
- Someone who is a bit too fond of their looks.
- vengeful
- Full of a desire to retaliate; feeling a strong need to get back at someone.
- victimized
- Single (someone) out for cruel or unjust treatment.
- vulnerable
- Liable to be harmed.
- weary
- Very tired; exhausted; not feeling like dealing with a situation any more.
- white
- Of the colour of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of all visible rays of light; the opposite of black.
- wicked
- Very bad and mean-spirited.
- wild
- Crazy; out of control.
- wise
- Someone with a lot of common sense and knowledge.
- withdrawn
- Not wanting to communicate with other people.
- worked up
- Very angry, excited, or upset about something.
- worried
- Anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.
- worthless
- Having no real value or use.
- wrathful
- Full of or characterized by intense anger.
- wrong
- Not correct or true; incorrect.
- zestful
- Characterized by great enthusiasm and energy.
