THE ADJECTIVE OF OPINION
The following words, when modified by
opinion adjectives, provide nonspecific visuals — a good reason to avoid them.
However, they might serve a purpose if you’re aiming for an atmosphere where
the reader invents every mental image: attitude, behavior, body language,
conduct, expression, face, feelings, gesture, look, manner, mood, nature, tone,
etc.
What does “amused” body language look like? How about an angelic
expression? Or a coquettish gesture?
A few opinion
adjectives that modify people, their facial expressions, body parts,
actions, or traits:
Adoring:
eyes, fans, gaze, public, smile, spouse, suitor.
eyes, fans, gaze, public, smile, spouse, suitor.
Amused:
gaze, glance, grin, interest, response, smile, surprise, twinkle in the eyes.
gaze, glance, grin, interest, response, smile, surprise, twinkle in the eyes.
Aching:
back, body, feet, heart, muscles, pain, void in one’s stomach, wrist.
back, body, feet, heart, muscles, pain, void in one’s stomach, wrist.
Angelic:
aura, dimples, glow of one’s face, sweetness of temper.
aura, dimples, glow of one’s face, sweetness of temper.
Angry:
agitation, cry, exclamation, eyes, face, feelings, glance, glower, growl, mood, pacing, reprimand, roar of the crowd, scowl, shout, tears.
agitation, cry, exclamation, eyes, face, feelings, glance, glower, growl, mood, pacing, reprimand, roar of the crowd, scowl, shout, tears.
Callous:
disregard, indifference, liar, sneer, thief.
disregard, indifference, liar, sneer, thief.
Cheating, unfaithful:
heart, flirt, gigolo, good-for-nothing, louse, parasite, sneak, two-timer.
heart, flirt, gigolo, good-for-nothing, louse, parasite, sneak, two-timer.
Coquettish:
fluttering of the eyelashes, grin, laugh, ploy, smile.
fluttering of the eyelashes, grin, laugh, ploy, smile.
Deceitful:
act, affection, evasion, eyes, kiss, promises, smile, tongue, vows, wiles.
act, affection, evasion, eyes, kiss, promises, smile, tongue, vows, wiles.
Derisive:
grin, insult, jeer, laugh, remark, snort, stance.
grin, insult, jeer, laugh, remark, snort, stance.
Disapproving:
exclamation, gaze, glare, noise, shake of one’s head, stare, voice.
exclamation, gaze, glare, noise, shake of one’s head, stare, voice.
Disarming:
beauty, charm, enchantment, honesty, personality, smile, wit.
beauty, charm, enchantment, honesty, personality, smile, wit.
Doting:
adoration, affection, attention, demeanor, hugs, kisses, lover, worship.
adoration, affection, attention, demeanor, hugs, kisses, lover, worship.
Enticing:
beauty, body, charm, demeanor, figure, lips, physique, wiggle.
beauty, body, charm, demeanor, figure, lips, physique, wiggle.
Envious:
eyes, hunger, resentment, squint, thirst, urge, yearning.
eyes, hunger, resentment, squint, thirst, urge, yearning.
Evil, wicked:
chuckle, eyes, fingernails, heart, intention, leer, malevolence, malice, smile, spirit, thoughts.
chuckle, eyes, fingernails, heart, intention, leer, malevolence, malice, smile, spirit, thoughts.
Flirtatious:
actions, banter, comeback, comments, compliment, dare, glance, hello, matter, pickup line, remark, signals, smile, touch, vibe, voice, wave, wink.
actions, banter, comeback, comments, compliment, dare, glance, hello, matter, pickup line, remark, signals, smile, touch, vibe, voice, wave, wink.
Forgiving:
admiration, affability, compassion, friendliness, heart, smile.
admiration, affability, compassion, friendliness, heart, smile.
Hateful:
abandon, animosity, antagonism, conversation, grimace, hostility, jealousy, oppression, rancor, tyranny.
abandon, animosity, antagonism, conversation, grimace, hostility, jealousy, oppression, rancor, tyranny.
Hungry:
desire, eyes, fingers, gaze, heart, kiss, lust.
desire, eyes, fingers, gaze, heart, kiss, lust.
Irritating:
aloofness, body odor, cough, disdain, disregard, habits, jokes, noises, question, rash, voice.
aloofness, body odor, cough, disdain, disregard, habits, jokes, noises, question, rash, voice.
Jealous:
anger, curl of the upper lip, fear, fury, lover, passion, pout, retort, snort, suspicion.
anger, curl of the upper lip, fear, fury, lover, passion, pout, retort, snort, suspicion.
Judgmental:
anger, bias, brows, eyes.
anger, bias, brows, eyes.
Loathsome:
brute, caress, creature, disease, embrace, itch, jerk, kiss, varicose veins.
brute, caress, creature, disease, embrace, itch, jerk, kiss, varicose veins.
Lovely:
bride, contralto, couple, curls, ears, eyes, lass, neck, shoulders, smile, vibrato.
bride, contralto, couple, curls, ears, eyes, lass, neck, shoulders, smile, vibrato.
Loving:
arms, embrace, eyes, gaze, hug, nuzzle, smile, whisper.
arms, embrace, eyes, gaze, hug, nuzzle, smile, whisper.
Lying:
eyes, kindness, kisses, manipulation, schemer, vanity.
eyes, kindness, kisses, manipulation, schemer, vanity.
Meddling:
ex, greed, mouth, nose, witch.
ex, greed, mouth, nose, witch.
Menacing:
bully, denunciation, glare, grip, growl, laugh, protest, reproach, shove, voice.
bully, denunciation, glare, grip, growl, laugh, protest, reproach, shove, voice.
Mournful:
cry, dirge, eyes, howl, lament, pleasure, retreat, seclusion, silence, wail.
cry, dirge, eyes, howl, lament, pleasure, retreat, seclusion, silence, wail.
Nasty:
accusation, bits, cough, habit, headache, heartache, laugh, retort, suggestion, taste, temper.
accusation, bits, cough, habit, headache, heartache, laugh, retort, suggestion, taste, temper.
Overbearing:
arrogance, criticism, determination, deviousness, leadership, love, narcissism, partner, supervision, swashbuckler, voice, will.
arrogance, criticism, determination, deviousness, leadership, love, narcissism, partner, supervision, swashbuckler, voice, will.
Piggish:
appetite, cheeks, ears, eyes, grunt, nose, snort, snout, snuffle.
appetite, cheeks, ears, eyes, grunt, nose, snort, snout, snuffle.
Pompous:
affectations, arrogance, eloquence, hairstyle, jerk, know-it-all, posturing, pretention, windbag, wiseacre, yawn, zeal.
affectations, arrogance, eloquence, hairstyle, jerk, know-it-all, posturing, pretention, windbag, wiseacre, yawn, zeal.
Rude:
comeback, frankness, grunt, regard, remark, reply.
comeback, frankness, grunt, regard, remark, reply.
Sanctimonious:
air, curl of the lips, disapproval, hypocrisy, narcissism, pragmatism, smugness, speechifying, veganism, windbag.
air, curl of the lips, disapproval, hypocrisy, narcissism, pragmatism, smugness, speechifying, veganism, windbag.
Seductive, sexy:
appeal, back, beauty, cleavage, eyes, glance, instinct, laugh, legs, lips, murmur, narcissism, physique, pout, purr, sashay, sensuousness, sway, voice, whisper.
appeal, back, beauty, cleavage, eyes, glance, instinct, laugh, legs, lips, murmur, narcissism, physique, pout, purr, sashay, sensuousness, sway, voice, whisper.
Snobbish:
arrogance, conceit, condescension, pomposity, pride, sniff, superiority, upturn of the nose.
arrogance, conceit, condescension, pomposity, pride, sniff, superiority, upturn of the nose.
Suggestive:
flicker of the eyelashes, grin, leer, lift of one eyebrow, nod, pose, posture, remark, wink.
flicker of the eyelashes, grin, leer, lift of one eyebrow, nod, pose, posture, remark, wink.
Sultry:
foreign accent, gaze, growl, lashes, purr, smile, updo, voice.
foreign accent, gaze, growl, lashes, purr, smile, updo, voice.
Supercilious:
assumption, boasting, cunning, curl of the lips, grin, lift of the brow, snobbery, snort, superiority.
assumption, boasting, cunning, curl of the lips, grin, lift of the brow, snobbery, snort, superiority.
Sweet:
allure, aura, breath, disposition, docility, gaze, kiss, nature, scent, selflessness, smile, sorrow, voice.
allure, aura, breath, disposition, docility, gaze, kiss, nature, scent, selflessness, smile, sorrow, voice.
Tender:
affection, caring, eyes, glance, kiss, love, neck, possessiveness, sensitivity, smile, sympathy, tears, thoughtfulness.
affection, caring, eyes, glance, kiss, love, neck, possessiveness, sensitivity, smile, sympathy, tears, thoughtfulness.
Ugly:
birthmark, disposition, feet, gash, heart, knees, knuckles, mole, motive, mug, scar, snarl, tattoos, thoughts, wart, zit.
birthmark, disposition, feet, gash, heart, knees, knuckles, mole, motive, mug, scar, snarl, tattoos, thoughts, wart, zit.
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