Simile Examples for Intermediate Readers

Slashes indicate line-breaks.

1. Food? Chris inquired, popping out of his seat like a toaster strudel.
2. Grandpa lounged on the raft in the middle of the pool like an old
battleship.
3. If seen from above the factory, the workers would have looked like clock
parts.
4. The truth was like a bad taste on his tongue.
5. The people who still lived in the town were stuck in place like wax statues.
6. Cassie talked to her son about girls as though she were giving him tax
advice.
7. Alans jokes were like flat soda to the children, surprisingly unpleasant.
8. My mothers kitchen was like a holy place: you couldnt wear your shoes,
you had to sit there at a certain time, and occasionally wed pray.
9. The bottle rolled off the table like a teardrop.
10.The handshake felt like warm laundry.
11.She hung her head like a dying flower.
12.Arguing with her was like dueling with hand grenades.
13.The classroom was as quiet as a tongue-tied librarian in a hybrid car.
14.Janies boyfriend appreciated her as an ape might appreciate an algebra
book.
15.The clouds were like ice-cream castles in the sky.
16.The shingles on the shack shook in the storm winds like scared children.
17.When he reached the top of the hill, he felt as strong as a steel gate.
18.When the tree branch broke, Millie fell from the limb like a robins egg.
19.She swam through the waters like she was falling through a warm dream.
20.They children ran like ripples through water.
21.Mikhail scattered his pocket change in front of the beggars like crumbs of
bread.
22.Her hair was as soft as a spider web.
23.Each dollar bill was a like a magic wand to cast away problems.
24.The man held the blanket like a memory.
25.The ice sculptors hands fluttered like hummingbird wings.

26.Im about as awesome as a flying giraffe.

27.You are soft as the nesting dove.
28.Andre charged down the football field like it was the War of 1812.
29.The stars looked like stupid little fish.
30.Her laughter was like a warm blanket or a familiar song.
31.The river flows like a stream of glass
32.Blood seeped out of the wound like red teardrops.
33.Paul carried his science project to school like he was transporting
explosive glass.
34.She looked at me like I was speaking in some strange alien tongue.
35.The town square was buzzing like a beehive.
36.Kelsey followed her dreams like most kids would follow a big sister.
37.Kyle looked at the test with a stare as blank as his notebook.
38.The robins are as thick today as flakes of snow were yesterday,
39.Her eyes are like the eyes of statues.
40.The gray moss drapes us like sages.
41.The music burst like a bent-up flood.
42.The curtains stir as with an ancient pain.
43.But now her hands like moonlight brush the keys with velvet grace.
44.I flitted like a dizzy moth.
45.The flowers were as soft as thoughts of budding love.
46.The gray of the sea, and the gray of the sky, / A glimpse of the moon like a
half-closed eye.
47.Yes, the doors are locked and the ashes are white as the frost.
48.A mist about your beauty clings like a thin cloud before a star.
49.She went like snow in the springtime on a sunny hill.
50.Then I knew those tiny voices, clear as drops of dew.

Simile Examples for Advanced Readers

Here are fifty examples of similes for advanced readers. Remember: a
simile is a comparison between two different things using like or as to make the
comparison.
1. I dream of silent verses where the rhyme glides noiseless as an oar.

2. Though they knew it not, their babys cries were lovely as jeweled
butterflies.
3. He kissed her as though he were trying to win a sword fight.
4. The paparazzi circled like vultures above a tottering camel.
5. She was as distant as a remote tropical island, uncivilized, unspoiled.
6. Our hearts, though stout and brave, still, like muffled drums, are beating
funeral marches to the grave.
7. He had hidden his wealth, heaped and hoarded and piled on high like
sacks of wheat in a granary.
8. Pieces of silver and of gold / Into the tinkling strong-box fell / Like pebbles
dropped into a well;
9. The cabin windows have grown blank as eyeballs of the dead.
10.What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
11.Each face was like the setting sun, / As, broad and red.
12.Barefooted, ragged, with neglected hair, she was a thin slip of a girl, like a
new moon.
13.A fatal letter wings its way across the sea, like a bird of prey.
14.I will sing a slumberous refrain, and you shall murmur like a child
appeased.
15.For she knows me! My heart, clear as a crystal beam / To her alone, ceases
to be inscrutable.
16.Leaf-strewing gales utter low wails like violins,
17.He spit out his teeth like stones.
18.Talk of your cold: through the parkas fold it stabbed like a driven nail.
19.Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.
20.Like winged stars the fire-flies flash and glance, / Pale in the open
moonshine.
21.The breath of her false mouth was like faint flowers, / Her touch was as
electric poison.
22.Then, as a hunted deer that could not flee, I turned upon my thoughts and
stood at bay, wounded and weak and panting;
23.There are thick woods where many a fountain, rivulet, and pond are as
clear as elemental diamond.
24.Years heap their withered hours, like leaves, on our decay.
25.The ripples wimple on the rills, like sparkling little lasses.
26.She was like a modest flower blown in sunny June and warm as sun at
noons high hour.

27.And the face of the waters that spread away / Was as gray as the face of
the dead.
28.As in depths of many seas, my heart was drowned in memories.
29.Then like a cold wave on a shore, comes silence and she sings no more.
30.And shout thy loud battle-cry, cleaving the silence like a sword.
31.My soul is lost and tossed like a ship unruddered in a shoreless sea.
32.The clouds like crowds of snowy-hued and white-robed maidens pass
33.Dreams, like ghosts, must hide away; / Tis the day.
34.The evening stretches before me like a road.
35.I would have hours that move like a glitter of dancers.
36.Toby manipulated the people in his life as though they were chess pieces.
37.And only to think that my soul could not react, but turned on itself like a
tortured snake.
38.There are strange birds like blots against a sky.
39.She goes all so softly like a shadow on the hill, a faint wind at twilight.
40.The horse-chestnuts dropped their buds like tears.
41.They walk in awful splendor, regal yet, wearing their crimes like rich and
kingly capes.
42.Death is like moonlight in a lofty wood that pours pale magic through the
shadowy leaves.
43.I was sick of all the sorrow and distress that flourished in the City like foul
weeds.
44.As I read it in the white, morning sunlight, the letters squirmed like snakes.
45.Oh, praise me not the silent folk; / To me they only seem / Like leafless,
bird-abandoned oak.
46.The windflowers and the lilies were yellow striped as adders tongue.
47.I have seen old ships sail like swans asleep.
48.For the worlds events have rumbled on since those days like traffic.
49.And dance as dust before the sun, light of foot and unconfined.
50.The fishes skim like umber shades through the undulating weeds.
51.Gather up the undiscovered universe like jewels in a jasper cup.

Hyperbole Examples
Hyperbole is a figurative language technique where exaggeration is used to
create a strong effect. With hyperbole, the notion of the speaker is greatly
exaggerated to emphasize the point. The word hyperbole is actually
composed of two root words: hyper which means over, and bole which
means to throw. So, etymologically, hyperbole translates roughly to over
throw or to throw over. True to its origins, hyperbole or language that is
hyperbolic overstates a point or goes a bit too far. Here are fifty examples of
hyperbole:
1. Charlie gazed hopelessly at the endless pile of bills stretching across the
counter.
2. That woman has no self-control.
3. That was the easiest question in the world.
4. Nothing can bother him.
5. I can smell pizza from a mile away.
6. I went home and made the biggest sandwich of all time.
7. My dad is always working.
8. Patty drank from a bottomless glass of Kool-Aid.
9. Allie has a million pairs of shoes in her closet.
10.Old Mr. Johnson has been teaching here since the Stone Age.
11.Forget knocking it out of the park, Frank can knock a baseball off the
continent.
12.The lesson was taking forever.
13.Ive seen this movie at least 80,000 times.
14.Vanessa never has anything interesting to say.
15.These shoes are killing me.

16.Shauna does everything for him.

17.Christmas will never come.
18.He walked down the road to nowhere.
19.Id rather French kiss a rattlesnake than miss a gym period.
20.My dad knows everything about cars.
21.Max is the fastest thing on two feet.
22.Basketball is the only thing that ever mattered to him.
23.Nothing can stop these guys.
24.My mom is going to kill me.
25.She can have any boy that she wants.
26.Nobody can beat level six.
27.Youve made me the happiest man alive, Rita.
28.The sight of them kissing is so gross that it makes me want to puke.
29.Well be best friends forever.
30.Now there is no star that is not perfumed with my fragrance.
31.I will never say never.
32.Chris wont drive her home because she lives on the other side of the
universe.
33.The only thing that he ever wants to do is play that game.
34.Once I get you in my arms, Im never going to let you go.
35.John always knows the right thing to say.
36.Phoebe would be content anywhere.
37.Nothing could ever go wrong with his plan.
38.Pam was skinny enough to jump through a keyhole.
39.Jasmine never forgets anything.
40.Everyone knows that.
41.Go to the park? Thats the best idea ever.
42.Id move mountains for her.
43.Tanya never stops talking.
44.I cant do anything right.
45.Janet worked her fingers to the bone.
46.Jack was thirsty enough to drink a river dry.
47.She is perfect in everyway.

48.Your dad is the smartest guy in the world.

49.We tried everything that we could.
50.I could listen to that song on repeat forever.

Metaphor Examples
A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things not using the word like
or as to make the comparison. Metaphors can be powerful, but they can also
be tricky to identify at times. This page contains 100 metaphor examples.I
have separated the metaphors on this page into two lists. The first list contains
metaphors that are easier to comprehend and identify. We will call these easy
metaphors, though they may not be easy to understand. The second list
contains fifty metaphors that are more difficult to comprehend. We will call these
hard metaphors. Another way to consider this would be as a list of metaphors
for kids and adults. Without further preamble, here is the list of easy metaphors:
Metaphor Examples for Intermediate Readers
The slashes indicate line breaks.

1. The detective listened to her tales with a wooden face.

2. She was fairly certain that life was a fashion show.
3. The typical teenage boys room is a disaster area.
4. What storms then shook the ocean of my sleep.
5. The children were roses grown in concrete gardens, beautiful and forlorn.
6. Kisses are the flowers of love in bloom.
7. His cotton candy words did not appeal to her taste.
8. Kathy arrived at the grocery store with an army of children.
9. Her eyes were fireflies.
10.He wanted to set sail on the ocean of love but he just wasted away in the
desert.
11.I was lost in a sea of nameless faces.

12.Johns answer to the problem was just a Band-Aid, not a solution.

13.The cast on Michaels broken leg was a plaster shackle.
14.Cameron always had a taste for the fruit of knowledge.
15.The promise between us was a delicate flower.
16.Hes a rolling stone, and its bred in the bone.
17.He pleaded for her forgiveness but Janets heart was cold iron.
18.She was just a trophy to Ricardo, another object to possess.
19.The path of resentment is easier to travel than the road to forgiveness.
20.Katies plan to get into college was a house of cards on a crooked table.
21.The wheels of justice turn slowly.
22.Hope shinesa pebble in the gloom.
23.She cut him down with her words.
24.The job interview was a rope ladder dropped from heaven.
25.Her hair was a flowing golden river streaming down her shoulders.
26.The computer in the classroom was an old dinosaur.
27.Laughter is the music of the soul.
28.David is a worm for what he did to Shelia.
29.The teacher planted the seeds of wisdom.
30.Phyllis, ah, Phyllis, my life is a gray day
31.Each blade of grass was a tiny bayonet pointed firmly at our bare feet.
32.The daggers of heat pierced through his black t-shirt.
33.Let your eyes drink up that milkshake sky.
34.The drums of time have rolled and ceased.
35.Her hope was a fragile seed.
36.When Ninja Robot Squad came on TV, the boys were glued in their seats.
37.Words are the weapons with which we wound.
38.She let such beautiful pearls of wisdom slip from her mouth without even
knowing.
39.Scars are the roadmap to the soul.
40.The quarterback was throwing nothing but rockets and bombs in the field.
41.We are all shadows on the wall of time.
42.My heart swelled with a sea of tears.

43.When the teacher leaves her litte realm, she breaks her wand of power
apart.
44.The Moo Cows tail is a piece of rope all raveled out where it grows.
45.My dreams are flowers to which you are a bee.
46.The clouds sailed across the sky.
47.Each flame of the fire is a precious stone belonging to all who gaze upon
it.
48.And therefore I went forth with hope and fear into the wintry forest of our
life.
49.My words are chains of lead.
50.But into her face there came a flame; / I wonder could she have been
thinking the same?

Metaphor Examples for Advanced Readers

Here are fifty more challenging examples of metaphors. The slashes indicate line
breaks.
1. The light flows into the bowl of the midnight sky, violet, amber and rose.
2. Men court not death when there are sweets still left in life to taste.
3. In capitalism, money is the life blood of society but charity is the soul.
4. Whose world is but the trembling of a flare, / And heaven but as the
highway for a shell,
5. Fame is the fragrance of heroic deeds, / Of flowers of chivalry and not of
weeds!
6. So I sit spinning still, round this decaying form, the fine threads of rare and
subtle thought.
7. And swish of rope and ring of chain /
Are music to men who sail the main.
8. Still sits the school-house by the road, a ragged beggar sunning.
9. The child was our lone prayer to an empty sky.
10.Blind fools of fate and slaves of circumstance, / Life is a fiddler, and we all
must dance.
11.Grind the gentle spirit of our meek reviews into a powdery foam of salt
abuse.
12.Laugh a drink from the deep blue cup of sky.
13.Think now: history has many cunning passages and contrived corridors.

14.You are now in London, that great sea whose ebb and flow at once is deaf
and loud,
15.His fine wit makes such a wound that the knife is lost in it.
16.Waves of spam emails inundated his inbox.
17.In my hearts temple I suspend to thee these votive wreaths of withered
memory.
18.He cast a net of words in garish colours wrought to catch the idle buzzers
of the day.
19.This job is the cancer of my dreams and aspirations.
20.This song shall be thy rose, soft, fragrant, and with no thorn left to wound
thy bosom.
21.There, one whose voice was venomed melody.
22.A sweetness seems to last amid the dregs of past sorrows.
23.So in this dimmer room which we call life,
24.Life is the night with its dream-visions teeming, / Death is the waking at
day.
25.Then the lips relax their tension
and the pipe begins to slide, /
Till in little clouds of ashes,
it falls softly at his side.
26.The olden days: when thy smile to me was wine, golden wine thy word of
praise.
27.Thy tones are silver melted into sound.
28.Under us the brown earth / Ancient and strong, / The best bed for
wanderers;
29.Love is a guest that comes, unbidden, / But, having come, asserts his
right;
30.My House of Life is weather-stained with years.
31.See the sun, far off, a shrivelled orange in a sky gone black;
32.Three pines strained darkly, runners in a race unseen by any.
33.But the rare herb, Forgetfulness, it hides away from me.
34.The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper
sunburned woman
35.Life: a lighted window and a closed door.
36.Some days my thoughts are just cocoons hanging from dripping branches
in the grey woods of my mind.
37.Men and women pass in the street glad of the shining sapphire weather.

38.The swan existing is a song with an accompaniment.

39.At night the lake is a wide silence, without imagination.

40.The cherry-trees are seas of bloom and soft perfume and sweet perfume.
41.The great gold apples of light hang from the streets long bough, dripping
their light on the faces that drift below, on the faces that drift and blow.
42.From its blue vase the rose of evening drops.
43.When in the mines of dark and silent thought / Sometimes I delve and find
strange fancies there,
44.The twigs were set beneath a veil of willows.
45.He clutched and hacked at ropes, at rags of sail, / Thinking that comfort
was a fairy tale,
46.O Moon, your light is failing and you are nothing now but a bow.
47.Life is a dream in the night, a fear among fears, / A naked runner lost in a
storm of spears.
48.This world of life is a garden ravaged.
49.And therefore I went forth, with hope and fear / Into the wintry forest of
our life;
50.My soul was a lampless sea and she was the tempest.

Onomatopoeia Examples
Onomatopoeia is when a words pronunciation imitates its sound. When
you say an onomatopoeic word, the utterance itself is reminiscent of the sound
to which the word refers. Poets use onomatopoeia to access the readers
auditory sense and create rich soundscapes. It is one of many poetic
devices dealing with the sounds of poetry. Many people confuse onomatopoeia
with interjections; however, they are two different and distinct concepts.
Interjections are one of the eight parts of speech. An interjection is a sudden
outburst of emotion or excitement, such as ouch or wow.
While some onomatopoeic words may be used as interjections, most
interjections do not imitate sounds. Contrarily, onomatopoeic words, such as
buzz or boom, always mimic the noises to which they refer. Here are
101 examples of onomatopoeia:

1. The sheep went, Baa.

2. The best part about music class is that you can bang on the drum.
3. It is not unusual for a dog to bark when visitors arrive.
4. Silence your cellphone so that it does not beep during the movie.
5. Dad released a belch from the pit of his stomach.
6. The bridge collapsed creating a tremendous boom.
7. The large dog said, Bow-wow!
8. Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night?
9. My brother can burp the alphabet.
10.Both bees and buzzers buzz.
11.The cash register popped open with a heart warming ca-ching.
12.The birds chirp filled the empty night air.
13.Her heels clacked on the hardwood floor.
14.The clanging pots and pans awoke the baby.
15.If you want the red team to win, clap your hands right now!
16.The cadets swelled with pride when they heard the clash of the symbols
at their graduation ceremony.
17.The dishes fell to the floor with a clatter.
18.Nothing annoys me more than rapidly clicking your pen.
19.The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the familiar sound
of clinking glasses.
20.The horses hooves clip-clopped on the cobblestones.
21.Those clucking chickens are driving me crazy!
22.The dim-witted pigeon repulsed us with its nerve crawling coo.
23.If youre going to cough, please cover your mouth.
24.The prisoner was terrified to hear the crack of the whip.
25.We roasted marshmallows over the crackling fire.
26.The two-year old crashed into the cabinet.
27.The cabinet opened with a distinct creak.
28.Dissatisfied with her work, Beth crinkled up the paper and threw it in the
trash.
29.The swamp frogs croaked in unison.
30.The teacher heard the distinct crunch of ruffled potato chips.

31.Jacob could not sleep with the steady drip-drop of water coming from the
sink.
32.The root beer fizzed over the top of the mug.
33.The flag flapped in wind.
34.Did you forget to flush the toilet?
35.Daryl gargled the mouthwash.
36.The wounded soldier groaned.
37.As Tom got closer, the dog began growling.
38.Juan had a hard time hearing the teacher over his grumbling stomach.
39.When Mom asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
40.Vince gulped down the Mountain Dew.
41.The patient sounded like he was hacking up a lung.
42.If you have the hiccups, you should try drink a glass of water.
43.The snake slithered and hissed.
44.If you see anyone coming, honk your horn.
45.The wolves howled at the moon.
46.The new pencil sharpener hummed efficiently.
47.They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of
his keys.
48.Someone is knocking on the door.
49.That cat will keep meowing until you pet it.
50.John was disturbed by the strange moaning.
51.The cow aggressively mooed at the passing freight train.
52.Janet murmured the answer under her breath.
53.While lounging in the slop pile, the pigs oinked excitedly.
54.The hail pattered on the tin gutter.
55.When he saw the cheese, the mouse could not help but to peep excitedly.
56.The lunch lady plopped a scoop of something on Kristens tray.
57.Billy will cry if you pop his balloon.
58.After eating the knight, the dragon let out a puf of smoke.
59.Most cats purr if you pet them behind the ears.
60.The kind man shared his bread with the quacking ducks.
61.My favorite singers have raspy voices.

62.Tim would have stepped on the snake had he not heard the rattle of its
tail.
63.The race-car driver revved his engine.
64.Our peaceful dinner ended when the phone began ringing.
65.I secretly ripped up the birthday checks that my grandmother sent me.
66.The lions mighty roar could be heard across the Savannah.
67.The earthquake rumbled the foundations of our house.
68.When the wind blew the leaves rustled.
69.He took off so quickly that his tires screeched.
70.When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a
woman.
71.I love the sound of bacon sizzling on a weekend.
72.You could hear the slap echo across the valley.
73.The thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
74.The young girl smacked her lips and spoke rudely.
75.Frank smashed the can on his head.
76.After making a rude remark, Jade snapped her fingers and rolled her
neck.
77.Having never left the city, Juan eagerly snifed the country air.
78.Tommy made me laugh so hard in the lunchroom that I snorted milk out
of my nose.
79.The paintball splattered against the windshield.
80.Fat Pat did a cannonball in the pool and made a big splash.
81.Mr. Morton told the student to spit out his gum.
82.Angie sprayed her neighbor with the hose.
83.Mark tried sneaking in the house but the squeak of his shoes woke up
Mom.
84.Jenna ran around the lunchroom squealing like a pig.
85.When he sat down, the young boy squished the unfortunate critter in his
pocket.
86.The musician used a coin to strum the guitar.
87.Shaun loved the swish of the basketball net.
88.Mitchel gently tapped the ball into the hole.
89.Time just keeps on ticking.

90.Bobby threw his books down with a thud.

91.That thump made us jump.
92.If you see him, toot your horn.
93.The rain trickled down the gutter.
94.Birds tweeted long before Twitter did.
95.The lawyer chased after the wail of the sirens.
96.The bullet whizzed by his ear.
97.Bobs big dogs woofed at the unfortunate mail main.
98.Beths little dog would not stop yapping.
99.Spaceman Spiff zapped the alien with his ray-gun.
100.

Ronald zipped up his sleeping bag.

101.

The race car zoomed past the finish line.

100 Beautiful and Ugly Words

By Mark Nichol

One of the many fascinating features of our language is how often words with pleasant
associations are also quite pleasing on the tongue and even to the eye, and how many words, by
contrast, acoustically and visually corroborate their disagreeable nature look no further than
the heading for this post.
Enrich the poetry of your prose by applying words that provide precise connotation while also
evoking emotional responses. (Note the proportion of beautiful words to ugly ones in the

compilation below; its easier to conjure the former than the latter, though I omitted words
associated with bodily functions, as well as onomatopoeic terms.)
Notice how often attractive words present themselves to define other beautiful ones, and note
also how many of them are interrelated, and what kind of sensations, impressions, and emotions
they have in common. Also, try enunciating beautiful words as if they were ugly, or vice versa.
Are their sounds suggestive of their quality, or does their meaning wholly determine their effect
on us?

Beautiful Words
Amorphous: indefinite, shapeless
Beguile: deceive
Caprice: impulse
Cascade: steep waterfall
Cashmere: fine, delicate wool
Chrysalis: protective covering
Cinnamon: an aromatic spice; its soft brown color
Coalesce: unite, or fuse
Crepuscular: dim, or twilit
Crystalline: clear, or sparkling
Desultory: half-hearted, meandering
Diaphanous: gauzy
Dulcet: sweet
Ebullient: enthusiastic
Effervescent: bubbly
Elision: omission
Enchanted: charmed
Encompass: surround
Enrapture: delighted
Ephemeral: fleeting
Epiphany: revelation
Epitome: embodiment of the ideal
Ethereal: celestial, unworldly, immaterial
Etiquette: proper conduct
Evanescent: fleeting
Evocative: suggestive
Exuberant: abundant, unrestrained, outsize
Felicity: happiness, pleasantness
Filament: thread, strand
Halcyon: care-free
Idyllic: contentedly pleasing
Incorporeal: without form
Incandescent: glowing, radiant, brilliant, zealous
Ineffable: indescribable, unspeakable
Inexorable: relentless

Insouciance: nonchalance
Iridescent: luster
Languid: slow, listless
Lassitude: fatigue
Lilt: cheerful or buoyant song or movement
Lithe: flexible, graceful
Lullaby: soothing song
Luminescence: dim chemical or organic light
Mellifluous: smooth, sweet
Mist: cloudy moisture, or similar literal or virtual obstacle
Murmur: soothing sound
Myriad: great number
Nebulous: indistinct
Opulent: ostentatious
Penumbra: shade, shroud, fringe
Plethora: abundance
Quiescent: peaceful
Quintessential: most purely representative or typical
Radiant: glowing
Redolent: aromatic, evocative
Resonant: echoing, evocative
Resplendent: shining
Rhapsodic: intensely emotional
Sapphire: rich, deep bluish purple
Scintilla: trace
Serendipitous: chance
Serene: peaceful
Somnolent: drowsy, sleep inducing
Sonorous: loud, impressive, imposing
Spherical: ball-like, globular
Sublime: exalted, transcendent
Succulent: juicy, tasty, rich
Suffuse: flushed, full
Susurration: whispering
Symphony: harmonious assemblage
Talisman: charm, magical device
Tessellated: checkered in pattern
Tranquility: peacefulness
Vestige: trace
Zenith: highest point

Ugly Words
Cacophony: confused noise
Cataclysm: flood, catastrophe, upheaval
Chafe: irritate, abrade
Coarse: common, crude, rough, harsh

Cynical: distrustful, self-interested

Decrepit: worn-out, run-down
Disgust: aversion, distaste
Grimace: expression of disgust or pain
Grotesque: distorted, bizarre
Harangue: rant
Hirsute: hairy
Hoarse: harsh, grating
Leech: parasite,
Maladroit: clumsy
Mediocre: ordinary, of low quality
Obstreperous: noisy, unruly
Rancid: offensive, smelly
Repugnant: distasteful
Repulsive: disgusting
Shriek: sharp, screeching sound
Shrill: high-pitched sound
Shun: avoid, ostracize
Slaughter: butcher, carnage
Unctuous: smug, ingratiating
Visceral: crude, anatomically graphic

Adjectives for Describing the People in Your Stories

Heres a brief list of adjectives you can use to describe all of the characters
involved in your story. They are listed alphabetically with a brief
dictionary definition of the word. Overcome writers block with this
online course, and keep the words flowing.
articulate: the ability to speak fluently and coherently; synonyms
include eloquent, fluent, persuasive, and expressive.

 bossy: enjoys giving out orders to others, domineering; synonyms

include pushy, overbearing and controlling.
careful: avoiding danger, or doing things with thought and
attention; synonyms include cautious, alert, wary, diligent,
scrupulous, deliberate, and attentive.
defiant: showing resistance and disobedience; synonyms include
resistant, obstinate, uncooperative, and noncompliant.
energetic: showing an excessive amount of activity or vitality;
synonyms include spirited, animated, bouncy, bubbly, and active.
frustrated: expressing distress or annoyance especially because of a
characters inability to change or complete something; synonyms
include defeated, disappointed, and crushed.
giving: being of a generous nature; synonyms include generous.
honest: free of deceit and untruthfulness, sincere; synonyms include
truthful, sincere, frank, open, and straight.
imaginative: having or showing creativity or inventiveness;
synonyms include creative, inspired, inventive, and resourceful.
joyful: feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness;
synonyms include happy, cheerful, jolly, and joyous.
kind: having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate
nature; synonyms include loving, affectionate, caring, and goodnatured.
lazy: unwilling to work or use energy; synonyms include inactive,
sluggish, idle, and lethargic.
messy: untidy or dirty; synonyms include dirty, grubby, and grimy.
nervous: a person who is easily agitated or alarmed, tends to be
anxious or high strung; synonyms include anxious, edgy, and
neurotic.
obnoxious: a person who is annoying to others around him;
synonyms include unpleasant, nasty, repugnant, and insufferable.

 prim: someone who acts stiffly formal and respectable, someone

who shows disapproval of anything seen as improper; synonyms
include proper, formal, stuffy, and prudish.
quiet: a person who makes little or no noise; synonyms include
silent, hushed, and shy.
reliable: someone who can be trusted and consistently performs
well; synonyms include dependable, genuine, and trustworthy.
stubborn: someone unwilling to change their attitude or position on
something especially when shown good arguments or reasons
against their position; synonyms include obstinate, strong-willed,
and inflexible.
tricky: someone who is crafty, deceitful, or sly; synonyms include
sharp, calculating, slick, and slippery.
unique: a person who is unlike any other or goes against the grain of
society; synonyms include individual, special, and distinctive.
vain: a person who has a high opinion of their appearance, abilities,
or worth; synonyms include conceited, narcissistic, egotistic, and
self-obsessed.
wild: a person who is uncontrolled or unrestrained in their actions;
synonyms include unrestrained, unruly, disorderly, and rowdy.
Adjectives Used to Describe Setting, Action, and People

When describing setting and action, there are a number of different

adjectives you can use. You can use simple adjectives, compound
adjectives, and proper adjectives. Its important to note that when using
more than one descriptive adjective, youre going to need to write them in
their proper order. You can read an article that details the order
adjectives should be written in .

Using Simple Adjectives

The most basic of adjectives, these can be used to describe feelings, time,
sound, quantity, taste, appearance, size, age, shape, and material.
Examples of simple adjectives used to describe feelings include amused,
confused, and depressed. Time can be expressed with simple adjectives

using words like ancient, early, long, old, or short. Adjectives like loud or
low can describe sound.
You can use adjectives like enormous, huge, or small to describe quantity.
Numbers can also be used to describe exact quantities. Taste can be
described using words like bitter, sweet, and spicy. Appearance adjectives
can include colors like blue, brown, and green. Size can also be described
using appearance adjectives like small, large, short, or tall. The same can
be said for age and shape old, young, round, and square. Material can
also be described in the same manner with words like soft, rough, and
silky. Join the novel writing workshop for help with your story .

Compound Adjectives

Compound adjectives involve hyphenating two or more words to allow

those words to work together to create an adjective. You can use these
compound adjectives to describe many of the same things simple
adjectives can be used to describe. They can make a great difference when
writing. See the two examples below. Take a class to learn how to
write with flair.
First Example

The little girl was only three years in age. She chased after a red ball, laughing in
excitement. Grabbing the round rubber ball, she ran back toward her mother.
Second Example

The three-year-old chased after the red rubber ball, laughing in excitement. She
caught it and ran back toward her mother.

As you can see, adding a compound adjective will allow you to describe the
little girls age without requiring a completely separate sentence.

Proper Adjectives

These particular adjectives are derived from proper nouns. You can use
them to describe people and settings. For example, you could describe a
tricky American man or a quiet Christian girl. You could also describe a

Peruvian restaurant or Catholic church. Proper adjectives like this are

great to give a lot of detail in just a few words.
Final Note

Like any word usage, adjectives should be used properly. Too many, and
you could lose your reader to your description. Too few, and your reader
wont have a clear idea of what people look like, where they are, or even
what theyre doing. When picking your adjectives, make sure they add to
your writing, and dont throw too many into one sentence.

Graceful

Horrid

Dishonest

Cranky

Clumsy

Dreadful

Righteous

Gloomy

Awkward

Ghastly

Greedy

Irritable

Nimble

Revolting

Wise

Lonely

Nasty

Tricky

Exhausted

Cruel

Loyal

Clever
Dull

Ecstatic

Obtuse

Cheeky

Relaxed

Cheerful

Meek

Obnoxious

Tranquil

Delighted

Anemic

Disrespectful

Lazy

Blithe

Contrary

Rambunctious

Content

Ornery

Erratic

Carefree

Subtle

Fidgety

Optimistic

Lively

Demanding

Still

Challenging

Frightened
Timid
Vigilant
Cautious

Courageous

Effortless

Cowardly

Famished

Capable

Gullible

Surprised

Adequate

Arrogant

Startled

Fantastic

Absent-

Haughty

Sullen

Marvelous

minded

Nave

Terrified

Splendid

Adventuro

Curious

Furious

Brilliant

us

Stubborn

Annoyed

Superb

Daring

Brazen
Sullen

Striking

Modest

Groggy

Stunning

Humble

Alert

Gorgeous

Proud

Tense

Picturesque

Indifferent
Apologetic
Hideous

Simple

Lovely

Endless

Entertaining

Serious

Charming

Temporary

Creative

Grave

Precise

Intense

Eccentric

Severe

Enchantin
g

Intimidatin

Delicate

Menacing

Pleasant

Miserable

Decrepit

Solemn

Dangerous

Ancient

Absurd

Monstrous

Delinquent

Rotten

Ridiculous

Immense

Vile

Enormous

Quarrelsome

Whimsical

Sluggish

Massive

Hostile

Dense

Dawdling

Brawny

Malicious

Desolate

Meandering

Bulky

Savage

Disgusting

Towering

Stern

Dismal

Scarce

Rotund

Somber

Opulent

Copious

Cavernous

Heavy

Idyllic
Mysterious

Lavish

Muffled

Shocking

Edgy

Lulling

Puny

Infamous

Trendy

Creaky

Minute

Ingenious

Peculiar

Shrill

Diminutive

Piercing

Microscopi

Thrifty

Rancid

Generous

Fetid

Slimy

Petite

Prudent

Foul

Grimy

Slight

Stingy

Filthy

Gauzy

Spoiled

Repulsive

Mangy

Lousy

Swollen

Bitter
Frosty

Anxious

Sweltering

Nervous

Fluttering

Crispy

Scorching

Impatient

Soaring

Spiky

Blistering

Worried

Sparkling

Slick

Muggy

Excited

Gilded

Fuzzy

Verdant

Lumpy

Stifling

Parched

Oppressiv

Courteous

Glowing

Plush

Cozy

Compassionate

Askew

Wrinkly

Benevolent

Dowdy

Slick

Polite

Gaunt

Glassy

Sloppy

Snug

Eternal
Ceaseless
Perpetual

Amusing

Stiff

Paper 3. Question 2. Examiner Tips- Narrative

Narrative compositions
Decide on a tense and then stick to it; do not jump between present and past.
The normal narrative tense is past and those who try to write in the present
usually forget to do so after a while, so it is safer to start off in the past.
Know what your last sentence is going to be before you write your first. A
narrative has to build up to a climax and lead towards a conclusion which is
planned before it starts or it will end lamely or incomprehensibly, or the pace
will be too slow or too fast.
Dont try to do too much; you cant cover many events and many years in one
short composition. Select key moments and skip over the rest, changing the
pace according to the intensity of the moment.
Do not try to include too many characters (three are enough) or to give them
all speech.
For the top grade, complexity of narrative and structure is required e.g.
framing the story; flashback or forward time jump; two parallel strands being
brought together. However, do not attempt these devices unless you are sure
you can manage them.
Use dialogue by all means (if you can punctuate and set it out correctly) but
dont overdo it. You shouldnt turn your story into a play, nor should you dilute
the effect of occasional and significant moments of speech by giving the
characters trivial things to say throughout.
If you do use dialogue, find synonyms for he said/she said or it becomes
tedious and predictable.
Even narrative needs description. The characters and places need details to
bring them alive and to allow the reader to be able to imagine them.
Choose first or third person and stick with your choice; and do not switch
narrative viewpoint, as this is confusing for the reader
Do not use a first person narrator if you want to die at the end of your story! It
is generally safer to use third person narration as it gives you more flexibility
and a wider viewpoint.

Do not end your story with And then I woke up in hospital, or It was all a
dream. Try to avoid clichs of any kind, including stereotyped characters and
predictable outcomes.
Use similes, but avoid obvious ones such as as red as a rose. Make
comparisons unusual, but still apt, by giving them a moments thought and
making them more specific e.g. as red as a matadors cape.
Straightforward stories do not get higher than C grade marks; details help
create originality and engage reader interest, which is what is needed for a B
grade, so use plenty of them.
Narrative needs tension, but you should not exaggerate; too much gore or too
many unlikely events become ridiculous, and fear is more believable when it is
mental rather than physical.
It is better to think of something that actually happened to you, or someone
you know, or which you read in a book or saw in a film, than to try to make up
something entirely from scratch, as it will sound more convincing if it based on
real or fictional experience. You are then, however, free to adapt, embellish and
exaggerate the original idea to make it relevant and memorable, rather than just
retelling the plot synopsis or giving a factual account.
Keep a balance in the different parts of the narrative. An over-long introduction
reduces the effect of the middle section where things build up to a climax, and
you need to leave yourself time to create a memorable ending.
Stories need a conclusion, where things are either resolved or left unresolved
as a cliff- hanger (though on the whole readers prefer to know how a story
ended.). You must not give the impression that you stopped writing because
you ran out of time, ink or ideas.

Paper 3. Question 2. Examiners Tips.

Openings to compositions are important as they either engage the
reader or they dont, and this affects the examiners attitude from the
beginning.
It is essential that you choose a question out of the six available
which you understand and which suits your writing abilities, as
students are rarely equally proficient in all three writing genres.
The three genres of question are marked differently for Content
and Structure; They are marked according to the same mark

scheme for Style and Accuracy. The style of expression of the three
genres is very different, so you need to be aware of the
characteristics of each.
Whichever type of essay you choose, it should be planned first. If
after 5 mins you have only managed to collect a few ideas for your
choice of title, switch to another one. The plan should contain
between 6 to 10 points or ideas, which can be developed into
paragraphs, if the essay is going to be of a suitable content and
length. Aim for approx. 8 paragraphs and 400 words
Generally, maturity of content and expression is required for higher
marks i.e. maturity for a 16 yr old.
This is the only part of the 0500 exam in which you can show off
your range of personal vocabulary, so make good use of the
opportunity.