Are your love scenes feeling a little deflated? Can’t seem to figure out why your characters are in the room together in the first place? Romance is often dismissed as being cheap or poorly written, but those of us who actually read (or write!) in the genre know that’s not always the case! Sometimes it’s difficult to build all the required emotional tension between two characters, and great words can have a great impact.
I’ve seen some advice out there that says if you have to use a thesaurus, you’re probably doing something wrong. I respectfully disagree. I think great words can be truly inspiring, and they can really help bring a scene to life. Feel free to use this list to give your scene the ol’ razzle dazzle, and check out my other helpful posts on my Writers’ Resources page.
Got a word that you think should be on here? Leave a comment below and let me know!
Abandon
Abundant
Accommodate
Agony
Alive
Angle
Anticipation
Athletic
Arching
Awe
Beast
Bewitch
Blazing
Bountiful
Brawny
Bubble
Building
Burgeoning
Burning
Buzzing
Caress
Carnal
Cascade
Celebration
Cherish
Claim
Cling
Compelled
Complete
Contract
Copious
Crave
Crest
Curl
Curving
Damp
Dazzling
Delicious
Delight
Delirious
Desire
Desperate
Dimension
Dissolve
Dream
Drugged
Eager
Echo
Edge
Enticing
Entranced
Evaporate
Excitement
Exquisite
Fascination
Feline
Fervent
Fire
Firm
Flooded
Floodgate
Flush
Generous
Gifted
Glide
Glimpse
Glittered
Glowing
Growl
Guttural
Heady
Heat
Heaven
Hell
Honey
Hunger
Ignite
Impact
Indulgent
Infatuation
Inspire
Instinctive
Intrigued
Juncture
Languorous
Lavish
Luxurious
Linger
Loiter
Marrow
Meaty
Melded
Melt
Mesh
Mindless
Muscular
Nestle
Passionate
Playful
Plentiful
Pliant
Plunder
Possession
Power/Powerful
Provoke
Pulse
Pulse point
Quake
Quest
Quiver
Ragged
Raw
Recesses
Regret
Relief
Respond
Reverence
Rioting
Ripe
Roughened
Rugged
Rush
Savor
Secret
Seductive
Shimmer
Shiver
Silk
Simmering
Sizzle
Skim
Slid
Soar
Soften
Spiral
Splay
Steady
Strength
Stroke
Stunning
Subtle
Surrender
Swelling
Swirl
Tame
Tease
Tempt/Temptation
Tense/Tension
Tighten
Tingle
Torment
Torture
Trap
Tremble
Trusting
Tumble
Vanish
Velvet
Virile
Vision
Vulnerable
Warm
Weak
Welcome
Whirl
Whisper
Wild
Yield
* * *
Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective. Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous. Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world. You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

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