Lips & Mouth
Start with shape and fullness, then show what the mouth gives away.
01Start with a plain description
full · thin · wide · small · pale · pink · dark · chapped
02Add shape
bow-shaped · wide · small · heart-shaped · uneven · a pronounced cupid's bow · a downturned mouth · a mouth too wide for the face · an upturned corner
03Fullness
thin · narrow · pressed flat · a full lower lip · a plush upper lip · lips that barely show · one lip fuller than the other
04Color
pale · rosy · berry · plum · dusky · mauve · deep red · wine-stained · bluish with cold · faded to nearly the shade of the skin · painted dark
05Texture
smooth · cracked · chapped · peeling · dry · glossy · soft · split at the corner · chewed raw
06Teeth
straight · crooked · gap-toothed · a chipped front tooth · white · stained · small · a tooth edging over the lip · braces glinting · a gold crown
07Movement
- Open
- parted, gaped, hung open, formed a silent “oh”
- Closed
- pressed together, pursed, sealed, drawn into a line
- Active
- licked, bit, chewed, pouted, trembled, twisted, quirked
- Quick
- twitched, flickered, tightened, lifted at one corner
08Tension & emotion
- Tension
- lips white with pressure, a mouth held very still, a lip bitten to stop a retort
- Fear
- lips pale and trembling
- Anger
- thin and flat
- Sadness
- corners dragged down
- Joy
- corners lifted, teeth showing
- Contempt
- one corner pulled up
- Disgust
- upper lip lifted
- Desire
- lips parted, a glance at another mouth
Speaking habits
mutters out of the side of the mouth · talks with their lips barely moving · over-enunciates · stops mid-word · smacks lips · presses their lips together before a lie
09Alternatives to “mouth” and “lips”
mouth · lips · lower lip · corner of the mouth · smile line · jaw and mouth · the set of their mouth
10Examples in a sentence
Shape
“Her mouth was wide, with a cupid's bow sharp enough to look drawn.”
Texture
“His lips were cracked and pale from the wind off the water.”
Teeth
“A small gap between her front teeth showed whenever she laughed.”
Tension
“He pressed his lips into a thin white line rather than answer.”
Movement
“The corner of her mouth twitched before she could stop it.”
Minimal
“He had a full, serious mouth.”
11Writing notes
- Pair it with the eyes. A mouth that smiles while the eyes stay cold makes a stronger beat than either alone.
- Watch the clichés. “Full lips” and “bit her lip” show up constantly, so vary them.
- Use speech. How a mouth forms words — clipped, lazy, over-enunciated — can characterize as much as its shape.
- Let movement do the work. A twitch, press, tremble, or crooked lift often tells the reader more than another adjective.
- Don't sexualize every mouth. Lips can show tension, illness, cold, concentration, age, humor, or habit just as easily as attraction.
- Teeth count too. A gap, chip, braces, staining, or gold crown can make a smile more recognizable than lip shape alone.
- Don't describe everything at once. Establish one or two features, then let the mouth become expressive during dialogue.
- Match the detail to the viewpoint. A lover may notice softness; a doctor may notice pallor; an opponent may notice the moment the mouth tightens.