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How To Describe a House in Writing (21 Things You Must Know) Examples of House Descriptions; Words To Use to Describe a House in Writing; How Do You Describe a Beautiful House? How To Describe a Mansion in a Story; Final Thoughts: How To Describe a House in Writing
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The clown’s laughter, terrifyingly loud, echoed in the empty...
- 300+ Words & Examples
- Deserted
- Desolate
- Dreary
- Derelict
- Empty
- Untended
- Shabby
- Forgotten
- Forsaken
- Neglected
Definition
An area devoid of life; a wild or forbidding place.
Examples
“The quiet house appeared completely deserted, though they still approached it with significant caution.” “The desertedhouse stood in the middle of the empty plain. The only signs of life were the sounds of mice scuttling and scavenging for what the previous owners had left behind.”
How It Adds Description
The word deserted often implies an intention when it’s used in this context. The people who used to live in the house you’re describing may have left it on purpose, and you can use that to make your readers feel unnerved as they read about it.
Definition
Empty of inhabitants or life; joyless or sorrowful, usually because of some kind of separation; lacking comfort or hope.
Examples
“The floorboard of the desolatehouse creaked under his feet as he explored the rooms.” “While the other houses on the street teemed with life, this one was cold and desolate.”
How It Adds Description
When you use the word desolate to describe an abandoned house, this can help to make the house seem even more threatening. It can also give off a real sense of bleakness to your readers.
Definition
Reflecting or displaying discouragement or listlessness; lacking in comfort or cheer; somber or gloomy.
Examples
“The inclement bad weather on the horizon made the house appear even more dreary.” “The moth-eaten curtains fell still as the breeze stopped, the atmosphere in the room suddenly becoming drearyagain.”
How It Adds Description
Describing something as dreary will instantly set a cold and gloomy mood. If you want to make sure that your readers understand that this house is something completely devoid of any life, this is a good word to use. The dreariness of the house could also represent a lack of motivation or hope in your characters.
Definition
Abandoned by an occupant; voluntarily abandoned.
Examples
“The house used to be owned by a wealthy woman who had abandoned it some years ago. Now it stood empty and derelict.” “The derelicthouse had not been maintained, and she worried that it would fall apart with her inside.”
How It Adds Description
The word derelict implies that something has been abandoned purposefully, which can help add an ominous tone to your description. Perhaps something inside it was dangerous that forced the previous occupant to leave it behind which your character must now discover.
Definition
Not having anything in it; uninhabited or unoccupied.
Examples
“He could imagine the house in its heyday with beautiful decorations and plenty of visitors instead of the emptyshell he saw before him now.” “The owner had taken all of her things with her, leaving the house now completely empty.”
How It Adds Description
The house you’re describing may literally have nothing inside it, which makes this word a great one to use to describe it. You can also use it to make it seem like it’s empty, and then have something surprise your characters and readers later.
Examples
“The plants in the house’s untendedgarden had been left to grow wild, and now vines completely covered the south side of the house.” “The house was large enough to warrant cleaning staff, but since it had been abandoned it had been left completely untended, and she doubted it would ever look the way it once had again.”
How It Adds Description
Describing the abandoned house you have in your story as untended can help readers feel as though there is almost something wild about it now that no one is caring for it.
Definition
Not well-kept; lacking in quality; faded from wear.
Examples
“The house looked shabby—it was clear that no one had lived in it in a long time.” “The once comfortable and beautiful furniture had faded and become shabbywith age and time.”
How It Adds Description
Shabby is a good word to use to describe the way that the abandoned house in your story looks. By describing it using this word, you’ll give readers the sense that it’s not a good-looking house or that it’s been neglected for some time.
Definition
Disregarded; something that people have lost remembrance for; overlooked, sometimes intentionally.
Examples
“Whoever had been left in charge of caring for the house hadn’t done so in some time, and now the house appeared to be completely forgotten.” “To find the old journal, they would have to sift through the abandoned, forgottenhouse at the end of the street.”
How It Adds Description
Using the word forgotten tells readers that not only is this house abandoned, but the person or people meant to care for it have disregarded its existence entirely. You can imply a much more somber mood by using this word.
Definition
To forsake something is to turn away from it entirely; forgotten.
Examples
“They were quick to help the man in need, but they left the house itself forsaken.” “The house had been forsakenlong ago, and she wasn’t eager to investigate it now to see why.”
How It Adds Description
If you describe the abandoned house in your story as forsaken, your readers will immediately get the sense that this isn’t a house that’s simply been left behind. It’s something that was intentionally abandoned or turned away from for whatever reason.
Examples
“The house had obviously been neglectedfor some time, and it was now overrun with small animals and dust.” “Even while they were living there, the previous owners had left the house neglected, and now that it was abandoned it looked worse than ever.”
How It Adds Description
The word neglect implies an intentional act to leave something or to not care for it. If you use this word to describe the house in your story, you can also use it as a way to symbolize that the character looking at it may also feel neglected in some way.
Sep 30, 2021 · Sherlock's home : the empty house. A collection of poetry and fiction, chiefly about Holmes, Watson and Doyle. The collection also includes essays about Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's home during some of his most productive years.
Learn how to write a description of your house. Check our example and tips and do the exercises to improve your A1 writing skills.
Here’s how to describe buildings in writing: Describe buildings in writing by utilizing architectural style, historical periods, materials used, and their cultural significance. Incorporate sensory details like soundscapes and emotional resonance.
Yet it was upon this easy-going young aristocrat that death came in most strange and unexpected form between the hours of ten and eleven-twenty on the night of March 30, 1894. Ronald Adair was fond of cards, playing contin-ually, but never for such stakes as would hurt him.
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Download “The Adventure of the Empty House” in PDF format for free right now and enjoy this literary masterpiece at the comfort of your device. Don’t miss the opportunity to delve into Sherlock Holmes’s brilliant deductions and accompany him on his triumphant return in “The Empty House”.
