Are you struggling to find the right words to describe the personality of a character in your novel? Get some inspiration from the following 18 descriptive words beginning with the letter G.
1. Gallant
Definition
Noble and chivalrous, often ready to sacrifice for others; grand or splendid.
Examples
“The knight was old but gallant and was willing to take up his sword to defend his kingdom.”
“When she approached him, he performed a gallant bow and welcomed her into his home.”
How It Adds Description
Because the word gallant is often associated with chivalry, this is a great word to use in fantasy novels especially, though you can find ways to use it in every genre. It can make a character seem braver and nobler, or it can be used to help set a stately scene.
2. Garish
Definition
Vivid or bright, often in a way that is unsettling or distasteful; overly flashy.
Examples
“The woman was dressed in a garish gown that made her stand out awkwardly amongst the crowd.”
“The garish painting hung on the wall, a stark contrast to the other simpler ones.”
How It Adds Description
If you are trying to describe an object or a person as being almost obscenely colorful or as looking tacky, this is a fantastic word to use. Whatever or whoever you are describing with it will stand out more in a scene.
3. Gaunt
Definition
Very lean and thin; angular.
Examples
“She knew that he had been sick, but she hadn’t expected his gaunt appearance when she entered the room.”
“The house was thin and narrow, looking gaunt upon the hill.”
How It Adds Description
This word is a great way to show that something or someone is very thin. It’s often associated with illness, so you can easily use it to show that a character may have become particularly sick and lost a lot of weight due to the illness.
4. Genial
Definition
Demonstrating friendliness or openness; expressing or marked by genius.
Examples
“His mother was a genial woman, and when she guests over, she always made sure that they felt comfortable and welcomed in her home.”
“Although their work was cut out for them, the group of biologists made some genial insights that they knew would help them with all their future experiments.”
How It Adds Description
A genial character can be genuine, or can be an affectation for sinister purposes. This descriptive word can help paint a true or false image that moves your plot along. Perhaps your heroine’s husband seems genial to the outside world, but she is dealing with a madman out of the public eye or readers will be shocked to find someone harmed the genial new neighbor.
5. Ghastly
Definition
Intensely frightening or unpleasant and offensive to the senses; relating to ghosts.
Examples
“The detective walked into the room, taking a second to appraise the ghastly scene before her.”
“The church had mostly burnt down, leaving the ruins with a ghastly appearance.”
How It Adds Description
This is a great word to use if you’re looking to intensify how horrible something or someone in your story looks. Your readers will get the sense that whatever or whoever you’re describing the word with is frightening or haunting.
6. Giddy
Definition
Silly and lighthearted or frivolous; dizzy or triggering dizziness; extremely joyful.
Examples
“The children had spent so long spinning around in circles that it left them giddy and laughing hysterically.”
“The gift she had given him made him so happy that he felt almost giddy with joy.”
“She had a giddy demeanor, not taking things seriously very often.”
How It Adds Description
You can use the word giddy to describe the lighthearted feeling a character gets when they become dizzy, or to describe a general sense of happiness and joviality that they may have.
7. Glib
Definition
Without any substance or depth; lacking in forethought; speaking in a manner that may be insincere.
Examples
“The way she spoke was glib and uncaring, which made the rest of the team feel that they shouldn’t listen to her.”
“She had assumed the man would be glib, but he was in fact extremely thoughtful and articulate in the way he spoke.”
How It Adds Description
If you have a character who is particularly superficial or who speaks in a way that isn’t very sincere, using the word glib is a great way to describe that character.
8. Glum
Definition
Unhappy to the point of having a dark countenance; gloomy or morose.
Examples
“He’d expected her to come back happy and cheerful, but instead she looked glum and defeated.”
“When he spoke, his words were glum—he clearly didn’t think there was much hope left.”
How It Adds Description
If you have a character in a difficult situation or things haven’t been working out for them, you can describe them as feeling glum. You can also use it to describe a character who is generally dreary or has a gloomy personality.
9. Grandiose
Definition
Extremely splendid or impressive; large in scope.
Examples
“The mansion was huge and decorated beautifully. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen something so grandiose before.”
“The plan was enthusiastic and grandiose, but she wasn’t entirely sure that it would work.”
How It Adds Description
You can use this word to describe something or someone who may be very majestic or stately. It’s also a great way to emphasize to readers how grand something might be while still remaining dignified. It can also be used in a derogatory sense, to demonstrate that something might be absurd.
10. Grueling
Definition
Extremely challenging or taxing, often to the point that it feels punishing; exhausting.
Examples
“The hike had started out pleasant, but as the day wore on, it became grueling work to keep going.”
“The work was tiring and grueling, but they all knew it had to be done.”
How It Adds Description
If you have a character going through a physically difficult experience, you can describe that experience as grueling to help show the effect it’s having. However, the word grueling doesn’t need to apply only to physical experiences. You can also use it to show that something may be affecting a character’s mental state.
11. Germane
Definition
Pertinent; lending importance to something or someone.
Examples
“Let’s keep the comments only to what is germane to the subject at hand.”
“The new hires were not germane to the meeting and were excluded.”
How it Adds Description
Germane is a simple word to indicate that a subject is not apropos to this scene but does not eliminate it from regaining relativity to future portions of your novel. Your antagonist may be germane to your heroine’s thought process today, but it does not preclude her from considering his relevance tomorrow.
12. Genteel
Definition
Respectable, courteous; used to describe people deemed well-mannered and properly behaved.
Examples
“Margaret was from a long line of genteel farmers.”
“His genteel upbringing made him the ideal mayoral candidate for his close-knit community.”
How it Adds Description
People described as genteel are expected to be docile, polite, and soft-spoken. Using this description in your novel implies that a character has a thoughtful nature and can be trusted. Readers would be hard-pressed to believe that a genteel person was anything more than they appeared, so it is perfect for a bit of misdirection.
13. Gregarious
Definition
Social or outgoing people are often described as being gregarious.
Examples
“Her gregarious nature was her ultimate doom, leading her to befriend the wrong sort.”
“The sheer number of people who came and went from his apartment led Victoria to believe he was either quite gregarious or running a criminal enterprise.”
How it Adds Description
Describing your character as gregarious shows that they are highly extroverted and have numerous acquaintances. This is ideal for setting up scenes in mysteries and thrillers where your social butterfly could have been murdered or an item could have been taken by anyone because so many pass through their sphere.
14. Guileless
Definition
Simple, unaffected; a guileless person is an innocent.
Examples
“Lucy appeared worldly but was, in fact, guileless.”
“The guileless mother of the serial killer was completely unaware of the horrors being committed by her eldest son.”
How it Adds Description
Using this descriptive word is a great tool for explaining why a character may have not noticed things a normal person would have. A guileless grandmother might not notice her grandchild taking her money until it is too late, thus explaining to your readers how she ended up losing her home without warning.
15. Gustatory
Definition
Gustatory involves detecting the flavors of food items.
Examples
“Eating at the McDonald’s on Times Square just doesn’t afford the same gustatory experience as dining at La Grenouille in Midtown.”
“I’m afraid that our gustatory preferences were far different from those of the host who prepared our meal.”
How it Adds Description
Gustatory involves the sensation of tasting. It is a great word to use to demonstrate someone’s love for food. You may set up your character to be an expert chef with refined gustatory skills or a bottomless pit with no discernable gustatory requirements, depending on your novel’s plot.
16. Gumptious
Definition
Industrious, enterprising; a form of the word gumption.
Examples
“The company owes its great success to its gumptious founder.”
“If you want to rise to the top in this industry, you’re going to need to be dedicated and gumptious.”
How it Adds Description
Does your novel need a character who succeeds thanks to their drive and determination to achieve their goals? Describe them using the word gumptious and your readers will instantly recognize them as someone that never stops grinding their way to the top of the game.
17. Graceful
Definition
Lithe, nimble; moving in a beautiful manner or form.
Examples
“She had the graceful movements of a dancer but the manners of a goat.”
“Beachgoers watched as the plane made a graceful loop but grew horrified as the pilot lost control and went into the dark waters just off the coast.”
How it Adds Description
The word graceful adds beauty to anything. It can be applied to people, places, things, and animals, adding a hint of eloquence to even the most unappealing scenes or characters in your novel. An ugly duckling can turn into a graceful swan. A man can appear quite graceful in the early moments of flight as he plunges to his death.
18. Gleaming
Definition
Emitting the slight or fleeting appearance of light or luster.
Examples
“Through the fog, you could still see the lighthouse gleaming in the distance.”
“The gleaming sterling silver had been impeccably polished by the household staff in preparation for the arrival of dinner guests.”
How it Adds Description
Gleaming is a very versatile word to use in your novel. It can describe a light or merely a reflection of light. A flickering light can add ambiance or increase tension. Describe your character as a “gleaming prodigy” to indicate that they shine when it comes to intellect.