For parents of young learners
Describing words for kids: 100+ examples
Describing words, or adjectives, tell us more about a naming word: a red ball, a tall tree, a happy girl. They make children's speaking and writing much more interesting. Below are lists by type, sentences, and games to build them into everyday talk.
By the Eloqova team · Updated 26 October 2026
A describing word tells us more about a person, animal, place or thing. For example: big, red, soft, happy. In "I have a small brown puppy", small and brown are describing words.
Colour and shape
- red
- blue
- green
- yellow
- orange
- pink
- purple
- black
- white
- brown
- grey
- golden
- round
- square
- oval
- flat
- pointed
- curved
- straight
- striped
Size and number
- big
- small
- tiny
- huge
- tall
- short
- long
- fat
- thin
- wide
- narrow
- heavy
- light
- deep
- high
- low
- many
- few
- full
- empty
Touch, taste and smell
- soft
- hard
- smooth
- rough
- hot
- cold
- warm
- wet
- dry
- sticky
- sweet
- sour
- salty
- spicy
- bitter
- tasty
- juicy
- crunchy
- fresh
- fragrant
Feelings
- happy
- sad
- angry
- scared
- excited
- tired
- hungry
- thirsty
- bored
- proud
- shy
- nervous
- calm
- surprised
- sleepy
- worried
- cheerful
- lonely
- jolly
- grumpy
People and animals
- kind
- brave
- clever
- polite
- honest
- helpful
- funny
- friendly
- naughty
- lazy
- busy
- gentle
- strong
- fast
- slow
- loud
- quiet
- beautiful
- cute
- fierce
- wild
- tame
- young
- old
- neat
Describing words in sentences
| Sentence | Describing words |
|---|---|
| The sky is blue. | blue |
| I ate a sweet mango. | sweet |
| The elephant is big and grey. | big, grey |
| My teacher is kind. | kind |
| The ice cream is cold. | cold |
| A tiny ant carried a heavy crumb. | tiny, heavy |
| The brave soldier saved the village. | brave |
| She wore a long pink dress. | long, pink |
How to practise at home
- Mystery bag: put an object in a bag; your child feels it and says three describing words before guessing.
- Describe a family member in three words and let others guess who it is.
- Upgrade a sentence: "I saw a dog" becomes "I saw a fluffy, little, white dog".
- During meals, ask "How does it taste?" and wait for a describing word.
Questions parents ask
What is a describing word for kids?
A describing word tells us more about a naming word, such as its colour, size, shape, taste or feeling. In grammar it is called an adjective.
What are 10 describing words?
Big, small, red, round, soft, sweet, happy, kind, tall and cold.
Why are describing words important for speaking?
They turn short, flat sentences into clear, interesting ones. Children who use describing words sound more confident in show and tell, speeches and conversations.