Great Vocab for Sensory Writing

Vocabulary is worth absolutely loads in creative writing. You can get:

4 marks for great words
4 marks for spelling great words accurately
4 marks for control of tone (which is partly down to vocab).
This means 12/40 can really be determined by how good your words
are. Let’s make sure you’ve got some great ones!

On the following pages, you’ll find some great words for your writing.
You can use these whenever you need to do any descriptions. It is worth printing these pages
out and keeping them with you!

Revision idea - Pick 15 to 20 words each week. (make sure to pick some words you ‘kind-of’
know and some words that are new to you! If a word comes up in multiple weeks, it’s probably
a really good word to use)

1. Look up the meaning and write it down.

2. Make a note of whether it is an adjective/ verb/ noun/ adverb. You may wish to copy
down how to use the word in different ways (i.e warble/ warbling)
3. You also need to find a picture for each word!
4. Once you have done that, write 2 sentences using each word describing that week’s
topic (Rocky and wild/ In the City/ People/ Weather). You can use the picture for each
week to inspire you or you can find your own (or use one of the other examples on this
document).

There is a template for how to lay this out below

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Use this website as your first point of call for looking up words.
Why not bookmark it?

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-thesaurus

Use this website as your first point of call for finding synonyms.
Why not bookmark it?

Week 1 - Rocky and Week 2 - In the City Week 3 - Describing Week 4 - Weather
Wild People
 Template for how to lay out your revision:

Word: __________ Definition:

Noun/ verb/ adjective/ adverb

Image: Sentence 1:

Sentence 2:

Copy and paste this box as much as you need. You’re welcome to lay the hwk out
however you want!
Week 1 - Rocky and Wild!

Visual imagery (sight) Auditory imagery Tactile imagery (touch)

(sound)

● Soaring ● Babble ● Balmy

● Billowing ● Crackle ● Clammy
● Craggy ● Warbling ● Feverish
● Disheveled ● Serene ● Scalding
● Gleaming ● Squawking ● Velvety
● Knotted ● Murmur ● Serrated

Gustatory imagery (taste) Olfactory imagery Kinesthetic imagery

(smell) (movement)

● Acidic ● Ambrosial ● Amble

● Charred ● Aromatic ● Gallop
● Earthy ● Fragrant ● Meander
● Gritty ● Perfumed ● Rove
● Nauseating ● Floral ● Roam
● Stale ● Briny ● Undulate
 Week 2 - In the city
You can probably tell from my words that I don’t like cities (except for the taste column - cities
have the best food - picture vibrant and fresh markets or sweetshops!). See how just the vocab
we use can convey our attitudes. You’re welcome to find some more positive words for cities
here: https://smartblogger.com/sensory-words/
Visual imagery (sight) Auditory imagery Tactile imagery (touch)
(sound)

● Drab ● Raucous ● Abrasive

● Immense ● Rumbling ● Feverish
● Shadowy ● Monotonous ● Humid
● Tarnished ● Blaring ● Gritty
● Dingy ● Thudding ● Smothering
● Illuminated ● Wail ● Stifling

Gustatory imagery (taste) Olfactory imagery Kinesthetic imagery (movement)

(smell)

● Delectable ● Decayed ● Traipse

● Piquant ● Decomposed ● Bolt
● Sugary ● Malodorous ● Dawdle
● Syrupy ● Musty ● Hasten
● Tangy ● Pungent ● Scurry
● Nutty ● Reeking ● Tromp
 Week 3 - People

Visual imagery (sight) Auditory imagery (sound) Tactile imagery (touch)

● Crooked ● Rasping ● Clammy

● Lithe ● Whimpering ● Dank
● Malnourished ● Whooping ● Fragile
● Rotund ● Yelping ● Tender
● Ruddy ● Muffled ● Matted
● Wiry ● Grating ● Stony

Gustatory imagery (taste) Olfactory imagery (smell) Kinesthetic imagery (movement)

I’ve left this one blank as it might be ● Aroma ● Saunter

weird to start eating people. ● Fragrant ● Swagger
● Musky ● Waddle
See if you can find any words you ● Musty ● Scamper
would use: ● Perfumed ● Shuffle
https://smartblogger.com/sensory-wo ● Stench ● Glide
rds/
 Week 4 - Weather

Visual imagery (sight) Auditory imagery (sound) Tactile imagery (touch)

● Azure ● Clamour ● Balmy

● Dreary ● Crackle ● Grainy
● Gleaming ● Earsplitting ● Scalding
● Hazy ● Rapping ● Soupy
● Murky ● Sizzling ● Tepid
● Smudged ● Whirring ● Waxy

Gustatory imagery (taste) Olfactory imagery (smell) Kinesthetic imagery (movement)

● Acidic ● Ambrosial ● Undulate

● Charred ● Briny ● Glide
● Mellow ● Piney ● Drift
● Stale ● Pungent ● Hammering
● Nauseating ● Scented ● Plunging
● Earthy ● Stagnant ● Frantic