Having full rein over the descriptive essay topic can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you get total creative freedom, so you can write a descriptive essay as you see fit. On the other hand, the infinite number of potential descriptive essay topics can easily make your head spin.
So, how do you come up with a good topic?
Well, you’ve already made the first step: you’ve started reading our blog post. DoMyEssay’s experts brought together 120 fresh topic ideas for different academic levels, from the 7th grade all the way to university.
Struggling to find the right topic even with our ideas? Or can’t seem to choose the right words to write a powerful descriptive essay? DoMyEssay can take over at any point in your creative process. Our experts can write an impactful essay from scratch or polish off your draft.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for University Students
Looking for topics for descriptive essay assignments at the university level? Here are your 10 topic ideas, along with what you can write for each of them:
My childhood home
Describe its layout, the routine life inside of it, and what it represents for you to this day.
My perfect vacation spot
Depict what it looks like, how it sounds and smells, and why it’s perfect for you.
The library on a rainy day
Recount the sound of rain, the quiet of the library, the shuffling of its visitors, and the overall atmosphere.
The most memorable classroom
Capture the setting and the events that left a lasting impression on you.
My first pet
Share the pet’s appearance, character, and the most precious memory associated with it.
My favorite piece of clothing
Detail the item’s appearance, texture, material, and the nature of your attachment to it.
A place I feel most creative
Paint a vivid image of the place’s layout, setting, atmosphere, and value to you.
A meaningful photograph
Share where it was taken, what or who is in it, and why it’s meaningful for you.
A snowy day on campus
Depict the whiteness and crunch of the snow and contrast the snow-covered campus with its regular appearance.
My favorite local café
Capture the ambiance, appearance, and visitors of your favorite café.
Not feeling very detail-oriented in your writing?
Our experts can take care of your descriptive essay and easily paint a vivid image of your subject.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for College Students
If your descriptive essay is meant for a college-level class, here are the 10 descriptive essay topic ideas that could be right up your alley:
My dorm room
Outline the room’s layout, appearance, atmosphere, and how it reflects your personality or impacts you.
The campus gym
Paint a vivid picture of its sounds, people, equipment, and impact on your motivation.
A late-night study session
Focus on the ambiance: the quiet, the stress, the concentration, and your overall state of mind.
My go-to fast food place
Explore the smells, tastes, and sounds you associate with it.
My roommate’s quirks
Detail your roommate’s unique habits or traits and why they stand out to you.
A campus protest or rally
Recount the atmosphere, spirit, participants, and emotions of a protest you attended.
My favorite college tradition
Depict a campus ritual, its history, and its significance.
An inspiring guest lecture
Write about the lecturer’s appearance, speaking style, and central message.
The student union
Capture the union’s diversity, the atmosphere within, and its members.
The view from my window
Explore this descriptive essay topic with a description of what you see and how the view changes throughout the day or the year.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for High School Students
High school students have their own woes and experiences to share. Here are the 10 topic ideas the high schoolers among you will relate to:
My school hallway
Share what you usually see and hear as you walk through the hallway.
My best friend
Paint a vivid image of their appearance, personality, and your relationship with them.
The school cafeteria
Explore the food served, the scents you can smell, or conversations you can overhear.
My favorite teacher
Recount their usual appearance, personality, attitude toward students, and why you like them.
My bedroom
Describe its look, setting, and what makes it distinctly yours.
The school bus ride
Elaborate on the noise, motion, and overall ambiance of the bus.
A family gathering
Recall the gathering’s participants, memorable events, and emotions it evokes in you.
A walk through my neighborhood
Take the reader on a walk with you: describe what you see, hear, and do throughout it.
My favorite place in town
Describe the place’s layout, atmosphere, and quietness or liveliness.
The school playground
Focus on its layout, equipment, and the liveliness during breaks.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for Grade 12
Came here looking for topics adapted specifically to grade 12? We brainstormed 10 ideas for descriptive essays that would appeal to you in particular:
A place that feels like home
Detail its ambiance, setting, location, and what makes it so cozy and homelike.
My favorite book
Outline what the book is about and what you find compelling about it.
My study space
Share what it looks like and how you feel while occupying it (e.g., concentrated).
My favorite school class
Recount what usually happens during class and what you love about it.
A quiet moment before a big decision
Capture the ambiance and your thoughts and emotions before making a decision.
A favorite childhood memory
Share a memorable event and describe it using the five senses.
A city I want to visit
Recount the city’s atmosphere and what draws you to it.
The school auditorium
Focus on its layout, appearance, and how it changes during events.
My phone screen
Describe your background image, installed apps, how they’re organized, etc.
A part of my culture I love
Recall the aspect of your culture and describe why you adore it.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for Grade 11
If you’re in grade 11, don’t worry: we also have 10 topic ideas that cover both home and school life in stock for eleventh-graders. Here they are:
The feeling of freedom
Talk about a moment where you felt completely free and untethered: where it was, when, and what made you feel this way.
A meaningful gift I received
Describe the gift in detail (appearance, size, texture) and why it meant a lot to you.
My ideal weekend
Share what you do on your perfect weekend and where you spend it, and with whom.
The last bell of the day
Address this descriptive essay topic by describing the changes in your surroundings and emotions caused by the bell ringing.
A typical school morning
Capture the liveliness of the school hallways in the morning via the five senses.
The view from a classroom window
Depict the landscape, buildings, and people you can observe from the window.
A fun school event
Focus on the energy, noise, and motion of a recent school event.
My school backpack
Outline the appearance and contents of your backpack and whether it’s well-organized.
The most interesting person I know
Recount their personality, appearance, voice, habits, and quirks.
The school library during finals
Recall how the atmosphere changes with finals approaching.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for Class 10
If you came to this page looking for topic ideas that would suit a tenth-grade assignment, you’re in luck. We’ve prepared 10 ideas you’ll find interesting:
The feeling before a test
Focus on the stress, the unease, and other thoughts and feelings you have before a test.
My favorite season
Capture the weather and memories related to the season, as well as your favorite activities.
A quiet early morning
Describe the atmosphere of an early morning in your household: the sounds, the smells, and the calm.
My grandparents’ house
Recount what it looks, smells, and feels like and what it means to you.
My birthday party
Depict the festive atmosphere, guests, activities, and your emotions during the party.
My dream house
Share your ideal home’s layout, location, appearance, setting, and what it’d feel like to live there.
The science lab
Recall the lab’s equipment, smells, and experiment(s) you enjoy performing there.
A memorable picnic
Break down the picnic’s location, weather, food, activities, and participants.
Sunrise or sunset
Elaborate on the colors of the sky, how they change, and how you feel watching them change.
A train or bus ride
Concentrate on the motion behind the window and the atmosphere inside the bus or train.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for Class 9
Need topics suitable for a class 9 assignment? We have you covered. Here are 10 topics for descriptive essay writing you won’t be able to resist:
My favorite food
Paint a detailed picture of its taste and smell, and share why you like it.
My New Year’s Eve
Describe the most recent New Year’s Eve: where you spent it, with whom, and how it made you feel.
A trip to the park
Focus on the greenery and vegetation of the park, people passing through it, and its ambiance.
The morning routine
Depict what you see and do from the moment you wake up to the moment you enter the school.
A visit to the zoo
Talk about the animals you saw at the zoo, how they behaved, and what you enjoyed the most.
My home garden
Recall the plants, trees, and flowers of the garden; share a memory associated with it.
An evening walk
Recount what you see, hear, and feel as you take an evening walk.
Watching the stars
Break down what you see in the night sky and what it makes you think about.
A fireworks display
Paint a vivid image of the colors, the deafening noise, and the crowd.
The first day of school
Share what you felt and did on your first day of school.
10 Grade 8 Descriptive Essay Topics
If you’re an eighth-grade student, we also have 10 topic ideas for you, all ready to be used as-is or tweaked if need be:
My favorite toy
Talk about its appearance, texture, and what you like most about it.
The first time I rode a bicycle
Share the excitement of your first ride and its setting; describe how it went.
A tree in my schoolyard
Focus on the tree’s leaves and trunk and how it changes throughout the year.
A night at a sleepover
Recall a moment from a sleepover: describe the atmosphere, guests, and activities.
My favorite pair of shoes
Detail the type of shoes, their color, material, texture, and what they feel like to wear.
A color I love
Capture the moments when you see this color and how its shades may differ.
My favorite ice cream flavor
Describe the ice cream’s texture and taste and why you love it.
A lost object
Recall the object’s appearance, purpose, and sentimental value.
My favorite snack
Focus on the texture, taste, smell, and noises it makes when you eat it.
The classroom after everyone leaves
Explore the contrast between the sounds and ambiance of the classroom during and after class.
10 Descriptive Essay Topics for Grade 7
For the youngest among you, we prepared an additional 10 descriptive essay topic ideas that you can build upon:
My favorite cartoon character
Recount the character’s appearance, personality, and preferred pastimes.
The inside of my pencil case
Share what you keep inside, whether it’s well-organized, and what you think it says about you.
A cozy blanket
Recall its texture, weight, and the feeling of being under it.
My favorite place to read
Outline the location, the surroundings and setting, the atmosphere, and why you prefer it for reading.
My lunchbox
Share its contents, how they end up there, and how they’re organized.
A page in my notebook
Focus on the contents of the page: your handwritten notes, sketches, etc.
The inside of my school locker
Break down what you see when you open the locker: what’s inside, how it’s organized, etc.
A windy day outside
Recount the movement of trees under the wind and how it feels to be outside.
A piece of jewelry or accessory I like
Depict its type, style, design, purpose, color, and why you like wearing it.
A collection I have
Describe all the items or a select few among them; share why you collect them.
10 Descriptive Narrative Essay Topics
Tasked with writing a descriptive narrative essay in particular? Here are 10 ideas to help you find the right story to tell and craft a powerful, engaging narrative:
The day I got lost
Break down where and when it happened, how it made you feel, and how you found your way back.
A surprise visit
Recall a visit from someone unexpected: who they were, why they came, and how it impacted you.
A moment of victory
Capture the tension and the feeling of triumph while describing the events that led to the victory.
The day everything went wrong
Share the story of all the tiny (or not-so-tiny) disasters that filled that day.
The first time I tried something new
Tell the story of you trying a new activity, food, or sport; focus on the setting and outcome.
A moment I felt embarrassed
Describe what happened, how it made you feel, and how you handled it.
The day I helped someone
Address this descriptive essay topic by describing how you helped someone and what came out of it.
When I got caught doing something wrong
Share what you did, how you got caught, and how you felt about it.
The funniest thing that ever happened to me
Narrate a situation that made you laugh, how it unfolded, and why you still find it funny.
The day I had to say goodbye
Tell the story of your goodbye, others’ actions and reactions, and your emotions.
10 Good Descriptive Essay Topics
If none of the topics above cut it for you, don’t get desperate just yet. Our essay experts prepared an extra 10 good topics for a descriptive essay:
Inside a busy airport
Focus on the movement of crowds, the stifled air, and the myriad of noises.
The smell of a campfire
Recall the smell of the smoke, how it feels to inhale it, and the warmth of the fire.
A street in the rain
Explore how the street changes (e.g., wet pavement, scattered crowds, scent of rain).
The inside of a refrigerator
Talk about what’s inside your fridge: shelves, items, how they’re organized, etc.
The taste of a lemon
Capture the sourness of a lemon and how it tingles on your tongue.
A cluttered bookshelf
Describe the items on it (books, papers, mementos) and their chaotic organization.
The smell of freshly cut grass
Start with its look and feel; move on to its scent and what it reminds you of.
The texture of tree bark
Explore the feel and sight of the bark’s layers and web-like patterns.
A hidden path in the woods
Recount the flora and fauna, the weather, and the scent and sounds.
An abandoned house
Outline its facade, the silence and stillness, the eerie atmosphere, the overgrown grass, etc.
10 Easy Descriptive Essay Topics
Looking for easy topics for descriptive essay assignments because you don’t have time to sweat over the assignment? Here are 10 ideas that don’t take a lot to write about:
The smell of popcorn
Capture the sweet smell of popcorn, its pop and crunch, and what you associate it with.
A piece of fruit
Choose a piece of fruit for this descriptive essay topic and describe its look, feel, smell, and taste.
My favorite t-shirt
Focus on its color, material, texture, and style; share why you like it.
The taste of chocolate
Detail the sweetness of chocolate, the crunch when you eat it, and how it melts in the mouth.
My favorite cup
Depict the cup’s color, weight in your hands, and what you typically use it for.
The feeling of cold water
Recount the goosebumps and other physical responses that follow contact with cold water.
The taste of bubble gum
Explore the flavor(s) and how it feels to chew and pop the bubble gum.
The feeling of the wind on my face
Break down the sensation, the wind’s coolness, and the emotions you associate with it.
The feeling of a hug
Recall the warmth and comfort of a hug and how it makes you feel.
A bag of candy
Capture the colorful candy wrappers, the bag’s crunching and crinkling, and the fun of picking a candy.
Descriptive writing isn’t your cup of tea?
Our experts will select the right metaphors, similes, and descriptions to bring your subject to life with the power of the written word.
In Closing
Not to add fuel to the fire for the anxious among our readers, but the descriptive essay topic you choose can indeed make or break your essay. Select the wrong topic, and you risk finding yourself at a loss for the details to describe or the right words to do so.
The result? You might have to hand in a descriptive essay that’s neither here nor there in terms of vivid detail or powerful narration. That’s not to mention just how stressful and soul-drenching the writing process might end up being for you.
So, take time to consider all potential topics for your descriptive essay assignment. Use our ideas as a starting point for brainstorming yours. Or, at least make sure you have something interesting to share on the topic!
