The adjective is one of the most essential parts of speech that is used extensively in speech and in writing. There are many kinds of adjectives, but in this article, the largest group under this word type will be discussed—the descriptive adjectives.

The descriptive adjectives can be simply defined as the type of adjectives that are used to express the size, color, or shape of a person, a thing, an animal, or a place. They are used to provide more information to a noun by describing or modifying it.

From the definition above, it can be said that a descriptive adjective adds meaning to the noun that it modifies. This kind of adjective describes a noun in detail by giving an attribute to that particular word. You should kow that descriptive adjectives usually express things that are observable through the five senses (touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound).

The underlined words in the sentences below are all examples of descriptive adjectives used in literary pieces.

• “This isn’t a romance. You’re not a damsel in distress and I’m not the handsome prince come to save you.” – C.J Roberts, Captive in the Dark
• “A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded.” – Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid
• “I learned a long time ago not to judge people by what they look like, sound like, or by the clothes they wear. Just because a house is nice and shiny out front doesn’t mean it’s not rotting on the inside.” – Sherrilyn Kenyon, Infinity
• “O Never give the heart outright,
  For they, for all smooth lips can say,
  Have given their hearts up to the play.”

As the name suggests, the descriptive adjective is a kind of adjectives which is used to describe a noun. It does not only add meaning or provide additional information to a noun, but adds color to the entire text in general. Since there are a lot of nouns in the English language, there is also a very long list of descriptive adjectives available that can modify them.