Textures: English Vocabulary List

having a texture that feels sharp, spiky, or rough to the touch

"The bush felt prickly."

"The prickly cactus is covered in sharp spines so you should never touch it with your bare hands or fingers."

having a slippery, wet, and often unpleasant texture

"The fish felt slimy."

"The slimy snail left a trail of sticky mucus behind it as it slowly crawled across the wet garden path after the rain."

having a soft and compressible texture

"The toy is squishy."

"The squishy pillow felt soft and comfortable under her head and she fell asleep within minutes after lying down on the bed."

having a texture that is soft and mushy, often referring to food that has been overripe or crushed

"The orange is pulpy."

"The pulpy orange juice still had pieces of fruit floating in it because she had not strained it properly before drinking."

having a soft, flexible, and elastic texture

"The eggs are rubbery."

"The rubbery eggs were overcooked and tough and she could barely chew them without feeling like she was eating a shoe sole."

having small, sticky lumps or irregularities in texture

"The mattress is lumpy."

"The lumpy mashed potatoes had not been mixed well enough and there were hard pieces of raw potato hidden inside the soft ones."

not flexible or easily bent

"The material is rigid."

"The rigid plastic chair was uncomfortable to sit on for more than a few minutes because it had no cushioning at all."

having a smooth and luxurious texture

"The fabric is satiny."

"The satiny ribbon felt smooth and luxurious between her fingers as she tied it around the gift box."

having rough, uneven, and sharp points or edges

"The cliff edge jagged."

"The jagged edge of the broken glass cut his finger and he had to get three stitches at the emergency room."

having small depressions, cavities, or hollow marks on the surface

"The road was pitted."

"The pitted olives had been carefully cut and the small seeds removed before they were packed into jars with brine and herbs."

having a texture that easily breaks into small, thin layers or pieces

"The pastry is flaky."

"The pastry is flaky and has many thin layers that separate when you bite into it."

(of hair) not flexible and stiff like a wire

"His beard was wiry."

"His wiry hair stood on end, refusing to be tamed by any comb or product."

easily broken, cracked, or shattered due to the lack of flexibility and resilience

"The glass is brittle."

"The brittle glass shattered into a thousand pieces when it hit the hard tile floor in the kitchen."

having a smooth and shiny texture, typically describing hair, fur, or skin that appears healthy and well-maintained

"Her hair is sleek."

"The sleek black cat moved silently through the dark alley and its shiny coat reflected the dim light from the street lamp."