a creative moment

Humans have such a visual orientation that we often forget to write with our other senses. Thank goodness for stereoscopic vision, but why is it so hard to think of words to describe what we smell and hear and taste? Here’s a list that you might find helpful, just to kickstart your descriptions.

Smell (Olfactory)

acidic

acrid

aromatic

camphoric

fetid flowery

foul

fragrant

fresh

funky

heady

musky

musty

nasty

noxious

perfumed

piney

pungent

rancid

savory

sharp

smelly

stinky

stuffy

sweet

Sound (Aural)

bang

blare

bleat

bray

brogue

caterwaul

chime

chirp

chortle

chuckle

clash

croak

croon

crunch

drone

fizz

grind

groan

gulp

gurgle

hoot

howl

jangle

jingle

knock

ping

plop

prattle

rap

rasp

rattle

roar

rumble

rustle

sizzle

slam

slap

slurp

snarl

strum

tap

thud

thunk

tinkle

trill

twang

warble

whack

whine

whistle

yodel

Taste (Gustatory)

sweet

acidic

biting

bitter

brackish

briny

dry

flavorful

fruity

full-bodied

gamy

gross

juicy

peppery

rank

rich

sharp

sour

succulent

sugary

sweet

syrupy

tangy

tart

zesty

zingy

Touch (Tactile)

tough bristly

burning

cold

cottony

damp

dry

feathery

frosty

furry

fuzzy

gnarled

hairy

hot

knobbed

knotted

leathery

limp

lumpy

oily

puffy

ribbed

rough

rubbery

sandy

sharp

slimy

smooth

sticky

velvety

wet