One piece of red velvet cake on a white plate in the foreground with the rest of the whole cake in the background. Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash

Imagine you ate this cake, and you want to tell your friend all about it. Sure, you could say it was "good," but "good" doesn't help your friend imagine how it looked, smelled, or tasted.

Adding one-syllable adjectives is a simple way to make your sentences more interesting when writing or speaking.

Think About Your Senses!

If you want to use more adjectives in your sentences, try thinking about your five senses. How does the noun look, sound, taste, hear, or smell?

Buzz Lightyear telling Woody from the movie

Avoid "good" and "bad" because those aren't specific enough to create a picture in someone's head.

How Does It Look?

Short vs. Long

Use these adjectives to describe the length of a noun.

Woman with short brown hair in a casual outfit walking in a park with flowering trees and grass with yellow dandelions in it Photo by Jeffrey Grospe on Unsplash

She is taking a short walk in the park.

Monkey with brown fur sitting on a post on a fence with trees in the background. Photo by Fakhri Labib on Unsplash

The monkey has a long tail.

Flat vs. Round

Use these adjectives to describe the shape of a noun.

Highway in a place with no buildings around. There are a few trees on the side and crops outside. Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash

I took a drive on the flat road.

Chocolate chip cookie on top of crumpled up white paper. Photo by A S on Unsplash

My cookie came out round and delicious.

Bright vs. Dark

Use these adjectives to describe the color or lighting of a noun.

Someone wearing a sweatshirt holding a lit, black lantern outside while it is getting dark. Photo by Silas Schneider on Unsplash

While I was walking in the dark forest, I decided to turn on my bright lantern.

How Does It Smell?

Fresh vs. Stale

Use these adjectives to describe if a noun smells new or old.

A group of fresh, round blueberries. Photo by Jeremy Ricketts on Unsplash

I bought fresh blueberries at the market.

A white window pane with brown mold growing on the side of it. The basement was moldy and stale.

Faint vs. Strong

Use these adjectives to describe how much you can smell a noun.

A close up of yellow flowers blooming with some white flowers behind them under a blue sky. Photo by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash

The flowers in the garden let out a faint scent.

A black dumpster outside of a brick apartment building that is overflowing with black garbage bags and other trash. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

I could smell the strong garbage odor all the way down the street.

Clean vs. Foul

Use these adjectives to describe how dirty or clean the noun smells.

A laundry room with a white machine and shelves along with brown wicker baskets and a plant. Photo by PlanetCare on Unsplash

I poured the clean soap into the machine filled with foul-smelling laundry.

How Does It Taste?

Sweet vs. Sour

Use these adjectives to describe the type of taste a noun has.

A colorful candy shop with many lollipops hanging from the ceiling and different dispensers in the background. Photo by Iwona Castiello d'Antonio on Unsplash

The candy shop was filled with sweet treats.

A fork with a pickle on it and a jar of pickles sitting on a white counter in the background. Photo by SuckerPunch Gourmet on Unsplash

I grabbed a sour pickle to eat with my sandwich.

Bland vs. Rich

Use these adjectives to describe how much taste a noun has.

A loaf of white bread with 3 pieces cut off laying on a wooden board on a granite countertop. Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash

The bland bread had no butter or jam on top.

A very moist piece of chocolate cake with 3 layers and a cherry on top. Photo by Ayesha Firdaus on Unsplash

I could see the chocolate oozing from the rich piece of cake.

Sharp vs. Mild

Use these adjectives to describe the strength of the taste.

A cheese board with pepper jack, cheddar, and Swiss. There are grapes and flowers in the middle and bread off to the side. Photo by Andra C Taylor Jr on Unsplash

Would you like a piece of sharp cheddar cheese, or a mild Swiss cheese?

How Does it Sound?

Loud vs. Soft

Use these adjectives to describe the volume of a noun.

A man with brown hair and a blue button down shirt sitting behind a white drum set with his sticks in the air. Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

The drums were so loud I could hear them upstairs.

Three brown shelves with 4 levels each filled with different colors and sizes of books. Photo by Trnava University on Unsplash

Your voice needs to be soft when you are in the library.

High vs. Low

Use these adjectives to describe the pitch of a sound that a noun makes.

A small bird with blue and orange feathers and a long grey beak sitting on a stick in front of a blurry green background Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash

The tiny bird made a high chirping noise in the morning.

One brown and black German Shepherd and a black German Shepherd with their ears up laying in the grass. Photo by Anna Dudkova on Unsplash

The large dogs let out a low growl when someone got near their owner.

Clear vs. Faint

Use these adjectives to describe the clarity or strength of the sound.

A pair of black over the ear headphones laying on top of a yellow background. Photo by C D-X on Unsplash

Is the music clear through your headphones, or can you only hear a faint sound?

How Does It Feel?

Rough vs. Smooth

Use these adjectives to describe the texture of a noun.

A person in a plaid shirt holding a piece of red sandpaper and rubbing it against a block of pale wood. He rubbed the rough sandpaper against the wood.

A white coffee mug sitting on a white doily on top of a beige blanket with a white background. Photo by Blush Pink Studio on Unsplash

The smooth, white mug was filled with warm coffee.

Soft vs. Firm

Use these adjectives to describe the hardness of a noun.

A bed with white sheets, a thick duvet, and about 4 pillows messily made with a white background. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

After a long day, I want to lay my head on a soft pillow.

A worn out brick wall with some sticks hanging on it. Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash

The wall was built with firm bricks to make it strong.

Warm vs. Cool

Use these adjectives to describe the temperature of a noun.

A scoop of vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone wrapped in white paper with a green background. Photo by PTMP on Unsplash

After sitting in the warm sun, the cool ice cream will begin to melt.

Test Your Knowledge!

Pizza with cheese, pepperoni, and thick crust in an orange, cardboard delivery box. Photo by Alan Hardman on Unsplash

Imagine that you just had the best pizza, and you want to tell your friend all about it.

Quiz

Which adjectives best describe the pizza?

Take Action

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