Sense Words Tutorial Services – Mission del Paso Campus Sense words are words that relate to one or more of the five senses: hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, and seeing. Many of them can be adjectives, but they can also act as verbs, adverbs, and other parts of speech, depending on how they are used in a sentence. Words are the tools of a writer. The more words he or she is able to command, the better the writing can be. Some of the most important tools for the writer are sense words that help to focus images and actions. For example, the following description of a lake shore is from a book by Marilynne Robinson titled Housekeeping. Notice how the writer uses a combination of sound, touch, smell and sight words to help the reader imagine the scene. Some of these stones were a mossy and vegetable green, and some were as white as bits of tooth, and some of them were hazel, and some of them looked like rock candy. Farther up the beach were tufts of grasses from the year before and leafless vines, and sodden leaves and broken ferns, and the black, dull, musky, dormant woods. The lake was full of quiet waves, and smelled cold, and smelled of fish.@ Sound Words: Sound words appeal mainly to the sense of hearing. Notice that many of the sound words in the following list are verb forms that end in ing. In such a form, words usually function as adjectives, adverbs, or parts of verbs. banging barking bawling belching blaring booming burping buzzing chattering chiming chirping clanging clapping clicking clinking cooing coughing cracking crashing croaking crunching crying dripping exploding fizzing gagging gasping giggling grating growling grunting gurgling hissing honking hushing jangling jingling laughing moaning mooing mumbling murmuring muttering noisy peeping piercing pinging plopping popping quacking quiet rapping rasping rattling ringing ripping rumbling rustling scratching screaming screeching singing slamming shouting silent splashing squawking snapping snarling snoring stuttering tapping tearing tinkling thudding thumping ticking twittering warbling wheezing whimpering whining whispering whizzing whooping Taste and Smell Words are words relating to taste and smell. Often, they can apply to both senses. For this reason, they are combined here. Read over the list, noting the words that you don’t know. Acid acidic acrid alkaline aromatic biting bitter bland burnt buttery cold crisp crusty doughy earthy fishy floury flowery fresh fruity gamey garlicky hearty hot lemony medicinal mellow mildewed minty moist moldy musky musty oily perfumed pickled piney plastic pungent spicy putrid rancid rank raw rich rotten rubbery salty scented sharp sour spoiled stagnant stale sugary sweaty sweet tangy tasteless tough vile vinegary Touch Words: Touch words suggest the sense of touch or texture. Read over the list of touch words, noting the ones you don’t know. Abrasive biting boiling bubbly bulky bumpy burning bushy clammy coarse cool cottony crisp cushioned damp downy drenched dripping dry dusty feathery fine fluffy foamy freezing furry fuzzy glassy gluey grainy greasy gritty gushy hairy hard heavy hot humid icy keen knobbed lacy leathery light lukewarm matted metallic moist mushy numbing oily piercing plastic pocked pointed prickly pulpy rocky rough rubbery sandy scalding scorching scratchy scummy shaggy sharp silky slick slimy slippery sloppy smooth smothering soapy soft sopping soupy spiky splintered spongy steamy steely sticky stifled stinging stony stubby tangled tender tepid thick tickling tough velvety warm waxy wet wiry woolly Sight Words Relate mainly to seeing. Read over the list of sight words, noting the words with which you are unfamiliar. Angular ashen attractive beautiful boiling bright brilliant bubbling bulky bumpy burning bushy clean clear cluttered coarse colorless curved dark dazzling dim dotted downy drenched dripping dull dusty elegant feathery fiery fine flat fluffy flushed foamy foggy fragile furry fuzzy gigantic glassy glimmering gorgeous grainy graceful greasy hairy handsome hard hazy hideous huge immense jutting keen knobbed lacy large lean leathery light lit long lopsided lovely matted messy metallic muddy muscular mushy narrow neat nondescript oily pale pocked pointed powdered prickly pulpy rocky rough round ruffled sandy scummy shaggy sharp shimmering shiny short silky slick slimy small smooth sooty sparking spiky splintered spongy spotted square steamy stubbly stunning swollen tall tangled thick thin tidy translucent transparent twinkling ugly wavy waxy wet wide wiry wrinkled woolly Saved C: Sense Words
