The Describer's Dictionary

Have you ever found yourself grasping in vain for that ideal descriptive word lost somewhere within the misty recesses of your vocabulary? Or felt frustrated that an oddly shaped structure or a pretty setting that you wished to portray didn’t quite translate clearly to paper?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then The Describer’s Dictionary is exactly the book you need. Open it and you have not only just the right words but – bringing them to life – stellar literary examples of descriptive writing as well.

The Describer’s Dictionary concerns itself with the observable, from shapes to buildings, to human beings. “Referably” organized, it uses a handy reverse, definition-to-term format that makes it easy to zero in on the term you’re seeking. For example, look up “Noses” to find “aquiline,” “leptorrhine,” and “snub-nosed.” And as an inspiration to any writer – showing how it’s done by the best – hundreds of colorful and evocative descriptive passages from such diverse authors as Dickens, Darwin, and Updike appear on facing pages, making this a singularly and richly different kind of book.

The craft of description lives in literature, conversation, journalism, and personal letters. For help painting pictures with the English Language, The Describer’s Dictionary is one of the most indispensable reference tools you can own.