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LIST 143. SENSE WORDS FOR DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

Sense words are important tools in descriptive writing. With sense words, we describe a person, place,
thing, or idea with words that paint a picture in the reader’s mind. The details of that picture are formed
with words that connect with all of our senses. The following lists provide young writers a broad range of
sensory words.

Sight— dull misty steep great

Appearance elegant motionless stormy huge
fancy muddy straight hulking
adorable murky strange
filmy humongous
alert transparent
filthy nappy immense
ashen twinkling
flamboyant narrow jumbo
attractive ugly
flat obtuse king-sized
beautiful unsightly
flickering opaque long
billowing unusual
fluffy overcast mammoth
blazing weird
fluorescent pale massive
blinding wide
foamy pallid microscopic
blonde wispy
foggy pockmarked middle-sized
bloody wiry
blushing fuzzy poised miniature
glamorous puckered wizened
bright wrinkled minute
brilliant glassy quaint monumental
broad gleaming radiant
Sight—Size obese
chubby glinting rippling
outsized
clean glistening rocky ample oversized
clear glittery rotund average petite
cloudy glowing round behemoth portly
colorful gorgeous ruddy big
graceful shadowy prodigious
contoured bulky
grotesque shady puny
crinkled colossal
hazy shallow queen-sized
crooked diminutive
high sheer short
crowded dwarfed
hollow shimmery elephantine small
crystalline
curved homely shiny elfin stupendous
cute lanky skinny enormous super-sized
dark light smoggy extra-large tiny
dazzling lithe somber family-sized towering
deep lopsided sooty full-sized tremendous
delicate low sparkling gargantuan vast
dim luminous spotless giant voluminous
distinct metallic square gigantic wee

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Sound hoarse shatter bristly moist

hubbub shout bulky mushy
bang
hum shrill bumpy numb
bark
hush sigh burning oily
bawl
hushed silent chilly plastic
bedlam
husky slam clammy pocked
blare
inaudible smash coarse prickly
blast
jangle snap cold pulpy
blatant
jingling snarl cool rainy
bleat
laughing snoring cottony rough
bluster
loud snort creepy rubbery
boom
melodic speechless crisp sandpapery
booming
melody splash cuddly sandy
brawl
moan squawk curly satiny
bray squeak
bump mumbling damp scalding
murmur squeal dirty scorching
burping stamp
buzz musical downy scratchy
mute still drenched shaggy
cackling stomp
chattering mutter dry sharp
noise stuttering dull silky
chime swish
chirp noisy dusty slick
pandemonium tapping elastic slimy
clamor tearing
clap patter feathery slippery
peep thud filthy slushy
clash thud
clatter piercing flaky smooth
plotting thump flat soft
clicking thunder
clink purring fleshy solid
quiet thunderous fluffy spongy
cooing ticking
crackle racket fluttering steamy
rage tinkle fragile sticky
crash tumult
crunching rapping freezing stinging
twitter
crying raspy frosty stony
voiceless
deafening rattling furry stretchy
wail
discord raucous fuzzy tender
wheezing
dripping resonance gooey tepid
whine
earsplitting resonant greasy thick
whining
explode ringing gritty thin
whir
faint riot grubby tight
whisper
gagging ripping hairy tough
whispered
gasp roar hard uneven
whistle
giggle rowdy hot velvety
yell
grate rumble humid vibrating
yowl
groan rush zing icy warm
growl rustle leathery waxen
gurgle scratching limp waxy
scream
Touch loose wet
harmony
harsh screaming abrasive lukewarm wooden
high-pitched screech boiling matted wooly
hiss screech breezy melted yielding

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Smell—Taste crusty juicy pungent spoiled

damp lemony putrid stagnant
acidic dank rancid
medicinal stale
acrid delicious rank
mellow stench
alkaline doughy raw
antiseptic mildewed sticky
earthy minty reeking strong
aromatic fishy rich
balmy moist stuffy
floury ripe
bitter moldy sugary
flowery rotten
bittersweet musky sweaty
fragrant rubbery
bland musty sweet
fresh salty
briny nutty tangy
fruity savory
burnt gamey oily scented tart
buttery garlicky overripe sharp tasteless
choking gingery peppery sickly tasty
clean heady perfumed smoky tempting
cold hearty pickled sour unripe
crisp hot piney spicy vinegary

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