descriptive

[dih-skrip-tiv] / dɪˈskrɪp tɪv /

ADJECTIVE

explanatory

Synonyms

STRONGEST

definitive detailed eloquent expressive identifying illuminating pictorial revealing vivid

WEAK

anecdotic characteristic characterizing circumstantial classificatory clear delineative depictive describing designating explicative expository extended graphic illuminative illustrative indicative interpretive lifelike narrative particularized picturesque specific true to life

Antonyms

STRONGEST

dull

WEAK

confusing cursory undescriptive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So he wrote another draft that was 50% longer and more descriptive.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

In their fiction—mostly novels for Woolf, short stories for Mansfield—they experimented by replacing linear narrative and descriptive detail with suggestion and symbolism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Easily accessible generative artificial intelligence tools, such as Google's Veo and OpenAI's Sora, enable the creation of realistic imagery using just a few descriptive words.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

By quantifying that threshold, ALFA-K turns genome doubling from a descriptive observation into a predictable evolutionary event.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

Writing 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Vocabulary lists containing descriptive

Expository Writing, List 1

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Achievement First 5th Grade IA 1 Words

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STAAR English II: Composition, Revision, and Editing

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