In in this post, we share 10 descriptive words beginning with the letter C. Take a read and use these as inspiration for ideas on varying the expressiveness of your vocabulary when writing scenes for your novels.
1. Cagey
Definition
Hesitant to commit to something; conscious and cautious about being trapped by something; clever.
Examples
“She wanted him to agree to help her with the event, but he kept giving her cagey replies.”
“The man was being cagey, which made the detective think that he was up to something.”
How It Adds Description
If you have a character that is acting suspiciously or hiding something from someone else, using this word is a great way to describe that behavior. You can portray someone as being a potential problem later by describing them as cagey.
2. Callous
Definition
Hardened or thickened; having calluses; feeling or showing no sympathy or emotion.
Examples
“The woodsman had large, calloused hands from all of his hard physical labor.”
“He knew he would have to go and talk to her, but she could be so cold and callous that the thought alone made him nervous.”
“His callous reply discouraged her.”
How It Adds Description
You can easily use this word to show that a person has a cold personality. Seeing the word callous instantly implies to readers that the person the word is referring to may not be someone they should expect warmth or friendliness from.
3. Cavalier
Definition
Dismissive and disdainful; suave or aristocratic.
Examples
“She didn’t like working with them because they had a far too cavalier idea of how to spend money.”
“Evenings with his cavalier aunt and uncle usually involved a lot of rich food and expensive wine.”
How It Adds Description
Because it means a couple of different things, the word cavalier can be used in many different ways. You can apply it to a person to show that they may think too highly of themselves or consider people or things around them to be beneath them. It can also simply show that a person may be very posh.
4. Cheeky
Definition
Rude or disrespectful, usually in a way that’s funny or playful.
Example
“He was usually a very serious, stoic man, but her cheeky reply when he gave out their orders made him laugh.”
How It Adds Description
This is the perfect word to use to describe someone who tends to be very playful and doesn’t take themselves or the world around them very seriously. A cheeky person could be someone who is a bit of a trickster and enjoys joking around.
5. Churlish
Definition
Vulgar; lacking grace or civility; challenging to deal with.
Examples
“She had invited him to dinner last week, but his churlish behavior ensured that she would not ask him back again.”
“He didn’t really want to accept the gift, but he knew it would look churlish to refuse it, so he said nothing and took it.”
“He was so tired of dealing with churlish politicians that he was considering quitting his job.”
How It Adds Description
The term churlish gives a character or action a sense of vulgarity or unpleasantness. You can use it to denote that someone is behaving in a way that goes against common courtesy.
6. Clandestine
Definition
Carried out or held in secrecy.
Example
“They decided to sneak out in the dead of night for their clandestine meeting, so they could make sure that no one would know what they were doing.”
How It Adds Description
This word is a good way to describe an action or scene as being highly secretive or surreptitious. While the word clandestine is often used to describe things that may be evil, you can also simply use it as a way to show that characters shouldn’t be doing what they are doing.
7. Cocky
Definition
Bold or brash; a person who is cocky is often self-confident to the point of smugness.
Examples
“He was confident coming back from the interview, but because he had felt so cocky about getting the job, he was crushed when the recruiter hired a different candidate.”
“She was a good worker, but no one liked her much because she was so cocky about her performance.”
How It Adds Description
You can easily show that a character may be confident to the point of being annoying or unpleasant by describing them with the word cocky. You can also use it to show that someone may be over-confident.
8. Colorful
Definition
Having many colors; rude or offensive; having a lot of variety.
Examples
“The painting he was working on was so colorful and beautiful. She was really impressed by the work he had done.”
“When she told him he had to leave, he responded by using some very colorful language.”
“The way he described the moment was so colorful that she felt like she were really there.”
How It Adds Description
With several different meanings, you can use the word colorful in many different contexts. It’s a great way to add a little more life to a description, whether it’s by noting that something does actually have a lot of colors, or by indicating something feel colorful by virtue of its variety or intensity.
9. Comely
Definition
Something or someone with a pleasing appearance.
Examples
“The young man standing in front of her was comely with his warm smile and fashionable attire.”
“As soon as they walked into the house, they were met with a comely design that made them all feel welcome right away.”
How It Adds Description
You can use this word to help add warmth or friendliness or something or someone. Describing a character as comely can make them seem more attractive while using the word to describe a place can help give it a more homelike feel.
10. Crestfallen
Definition
Disappointed; experiencing shame or embarrassment; having a drooping head.
Examples
“She had very badly wanted to join the baseball team, and was crestfallen when they decided not to accept her on the team.”
“As she spoke, his expression turned from hopeful and happy to crestfallen.”
How It Adds Description
The term crestfallen can be used to show that someone is very disappointed or sad about something. Describing a character as crestfallen brings a very real sense to readers that something is not going that character’s way.