Look up words related to the sense of sight in the Roget's Thesaurus, and you will find pages and pages of them. I have in included only a small selections of these words as a way of show sight in different ways when writing. Sigh is defined as the ability to see, the act of seeing, a field of vision, having eyesight of a specified kind, and the foreseeable future. The Thesaurus breaks down the sight words into quite a number of sub-categories, most of which are listed below. As with any word involving the sense, choosing the right word depends on how the writer intends to use it and how it fits into the sentence and the composition as a whole.
Seeing The Sights
Vision
Vision is the sense of sight, one's eyesight, range of vision, something that has been seen or is seen. The Thesaurus breaks it down into nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Nouns
· sight, eyesight, seeing, power of sight, sense of sight, visual sense, perception, sharp or acute or keen sight, visual acuity, farsightedness, unobstructed vision, color vision, twilight vision, day vision, night vision, visual field, line of vision, field of view
· observation, observance, looking, watching, viewing, seeing, witnessing, notice, note, watch, lookout, spying, espionage
· look, a look-see, a gander, view, regard, sidelong look, leer, sly look, preview
· glance, flick of the eye, rapid glance, side glance, glimpse, peek, wink, blink, half an eye
· gaze, stare, gape, penetrating look, ogle, come hither look, bedroom eyes, glare, glower, glaring, glowering, evil eye, withering look, hostile look,
· scrutiny, overview, survey, inspection, the once-over
· viewpoint, point of view, vantage point, bird's eye view, worm's eye view, fly on the wall, outlook, angle
· observation post, observatory, lookout, overlook, scenic overlook, watchtower, tower, beacon, lighthouse, gazebo, conning tower, crow's nest, peephole, sight hole, ringside seat, grandstand, bleachers, gallery
· eye, visual organ, optic, peeper, naked eye, unassisted eye, corner of the eye,
· sharp eyes, keen eye, x-ray eye, eagle eye, hawk-eye, peeled eye, watchful eye,
Verbs
· see, behold, observe, view, witness, perceive, discern, spy, sight, make out, have one's eye on, distinguish, recognize, catch sight of, get a load of, take in, get an eyeful, lay eyes on, glimpse, look, peer, have a look, take a gander at, eyeball, watch, observe, view, check out, peek, reconnoiter, scout, pry,
· scrutinize, survey, eye, look over, ogle, leer, inspect, pore over, peruse, take a close look at, take a long hard look, size up
· look at, peer, take a gander, eyeball, watch, observe, view, check out, peek, peep
· gaze, gloat, fix one's gaze, stare, gape, gawk, gaze open-mouthed, look straight in the eye, strain one's eye
· glare, glower, look daggers, give the evil eye
· glance, glimpse, glint
· look askance, look down one's nose
· look away, avert the eyes, stop looking, turn away from, cast one's eye down, avoid one's gaze
Adjs.
· visual, sighted, seeing, optic,, optical, ophthalmic, visible
· clear-sighted, sharp-sighted, eagle-eyed,
Advs.
· visibly, at a glance, the first blush, prima facie, out of the corner of one's eye, from where on stands, form one's viewpoint
Defective Vision
Defective vision can include any problems with the sense of sight, from the very mild to complete blindness, temporary or permanent. Synonyms appear as nouns, verbs, and adjectives in the Thesaurus.
Nouns
- faulty eyesight, bad eyesight, photophobia, blindness
- dim-sightedness, near blindness, amblyopia, blurredness, bleariness
- nearsightedness, myopia, shortsightedness
- farsightedness, hyperopia, presbiopia
- strabismus, squint, cross eye,
- cross eyes, cockeyes, squint eyes, lazy eye, goggle eyes, bug eyes, pop-eyes, saucer eyes
- winking, blinking, fluttering the eyelids
Verbs
- see poorly, barely see, be half-blind, see double
- squint, squinch, screw up the eyes, skew,
- wink, blink, bat the eyes
Adjs.
- poor sighted, visually impaired, legally blind, blind, nearsighted, shortsighted, myopic, farsighted, presbyotic, squinting, blinking, blinky,
- cross eyed, cockeyed, bug eyed, walleyed, saucer eyed, glare eyed, one eyed, monocular, moon eyed
- dim sighted, half blind. bleary eyed, snow blind
Blindness
The word blind is defined as sightless; of, relating to, or for sightless. The Thesaurus contains synonyms that are considered nouns, verbs and adjectives.
Nouns
- blindness, sightlessness, unseeing, sightless eyes, lack of vision, blind side, blind spot, cataract, glaucoma, trachoma, psychic blindness, blinding, making blind, blurring the eyes, blindfolding, hoodwinking
- night blindness
- color blindness, red blindness, green blindness, red-green blindness,,
- the blind, the sightless, the unseeing, blind man, bat, mole
- blindfold, eye patch, blinds, blinders
- sensory aid, Braille, seeing eye dog, guide dog
Verbs
- blind, blind the eyes, deprive of site, strike blind, put one's eyes out, gouge, blindfold, hoodwink, bandage, dazzle, bedazzle, daze, glare, snow blind
- be blind, not see, walk in darkness, grope in the dark, feel one's way, go blind, lose one's sight
Adjs.
- blind, sightless, unsighted, unseeing, undiscerning, unobserving, stone blind, stark blind, blind as a bat, color blind,
- blinded, darkened, obscured, blindfolded, hoodwinked, dazzled, dazed, snow blinded
- blinding, obscuring, dazzling
Visibility
Visibility means it is possible to see, things are perceptible to the eye or obvious to the eye, someone who is always out in the public to be see or conspicuous. The Thesaurus lists nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as synonyms for visibility.
Nouns
- visibility, visibleness, perceptibility, observability, detectability
- clearness, clarity, prominence, conspicuousness, high or low visibility
- field of view, field of vision, limit of vision, vista, view, horizon, perspective, observation point
Verbs
- show, appear, be visible, be seen, be revealed, be evident, be noticeable, stand out, stick out like a sore thumb, emerge, come into view, materialize
- be exposed, be conspicuous, stick out, live in a glass house
Adjs.
- visual, discernible, seeable, observable, in sight, in view, in plain sight, in full view,, evident, ,manifest, apparent
- distinct, plain, clear, obvious, patent, unmistakable, definite, defined, well defined, clear cut, conspicuous, prominent
Advs.
- visibly, perceptibly, apparently, distinctly, clearly, plainly
Invisibility
Invisibility is generally considered to be the antonym, or opposite, of visibility, but it has a few connotations of its own. Invisibility means impossible to see, to not be visible, not available to the sense of sight, hidden, not easily noticed or perceived, unseen, or inconspicuous / not noticeable. Invisibility's synonyms are broken down into nouns, verbs and adjectives.
Nouns
- imperceptibility, undetectability, unseeableness the invisible, the unseen, disappearance, secrecy, concealment
- inconspicuousness, half visibility, semi-visibility, low profile, indistinctness, unclearness, faintness, dimness, vagueness, vague, blurriness, blur, fuzziness, haziness
Verbs
- be invisible or unseen, escape notice, blush, unseen, disappear
- blur, dim, pale, soften, lose resolution or sharpness or distinctness
Adjs.
- invisible, imperceptible, indiscernible, unseeable, out of sight, secret, unseen, sightless, unviewed, unwitnessed, unobserved, concealed, hidden, undisclosed, latent, submerged
- inconspicuous, indistinct, unclear, indefinite, ill defined faint, pale, weak, dim, dark shadowy, vague, obscure, unrecognizable, merely glimpsed, blurred, out of focus, bleary, fuzzy, hazy, misty, filmy foggy.
Appearance
Appearance means to become visible, to come into existence, the act of coming into sight or into public view. The Thesaurus lists nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs as synonyms.
Nouns
- appearing, apparition, coming, forthcoming, making the scene, putting in an appearance, emergence, issuing, arising, materialization, materializing, manifestation, realization, incarnation, revelation, epiphany, presentation, disclosure, exposure, rising of the curtain
- façade, outside, show, outward show, image, display, public image, window dressing, whitewash, glitz and tinsel, gaudiness, speciousness, superficiality
- aspect, look, view, seeming, semblance, image, icon, likeness, effect, impression, total effect, form, shape, configuration, manner, fashion, wise, guise, style, respect, regard, reference, phase, facet, side,
- looks, features, lineaments, traits, countenance, face visage, feature, favor, cut of one’s jib, facial expression, look air, mien, demeanor, carriage, bearing, posture, stance, poise, presence, guise, garb
- apparition, appearance, phenomenon, vision , shape, phantom, specter
- view, scene, sight, prospect, outlook, look out, vista perspective, scenery, panorama, sweep, landscape, seascape,
- spectacle, sight, exhibition, show, display, presentation, phantasmagoria, psychedelic show, pageant, parade, pomp
Verbs
- appear, arrive, make one's appearance, weigh in, catch the eye, come in sight or view, show oneself, show up, turn up, materialize, manifest oneself, reveal oneself, expose or betray oneself, come to light, see the light of day, emerge, issue forth, rise, arise, rear its head,
- burst forth, erupt, explode, pop up, burst upon the view, flare up, flash
- appear to be, seem to be, seem, appear like, sound like, look like, have every appearance of, have all the earmarks of, assume the guise of
Adjs.
· apparent, seeming, ostensible, outward, superficial
Advs.
· apparently, ostensibly, by all appearances, by all accounts, to the eye, on the face of it, at first blush
Disappearance
Disappearance, the opposite of appearance means to fade out or fade away, a gradual and temporary loss in a television signal, the act of gradually weakening brightness or strength, to pass out of sight, to vanish, to cease to exist, or to cause someone to disappear (e.g. by kidnapping, through murder), to dissolve, to melt, to dissipate like a vapor, or to vanish. Synonyms are broken down into nouns, verbs and adjectives.
Nouns
· vanishing, going, passing, departure, loss, dissipation, dispersion, dissolution, melting, evaporation, dematerialization, fading, blackout, erasure, eclipse, blocking, vanishing point, elimination
Verbs
· disappear, vanish, do a vanishing act, depart, fly, go, be gone, go away, pass, pass away, pass out of sight, exit, pull up stakes, leave the scene, clear out, pass from sight, perish, die, die off, die away, dwindle, wane, fade, fade out, sink, dissolve, melt, dematerialize, evaporate, vanish into thin air, go up in smoke, disperse, dispel, dissipate, cease to exist, leave no trace, waste away, erode, wear away
Adjs.
· vanishing, disappearing, passing fleeting, transient, fading, dissolving, melting, evaporating,
· gone, past and gone, extinct, missing, mo more, lost, long lost, out of sight, unaccounted for
Color
Color refers to that aspect of things caused by diverging qualities of light that are reflected or emitted by those things, any substance (i.e. a dye, pigment, paint), the art or process of applying color, the substance used to color something, appearance with regard to color, to have color, color placement on a color wheel (e.g. primary, secondary, tertiary, intermediate, complementary). Synonyms in the Thesaurus fall into nouns, verbs and adjectives.
Nouns
- color hue, tint, tinge, shade, tone, coloring, coloration, color harmony, color balance, color scheme, complexion, skin color, chr0matism, pallor
- warmth, warmth of color, warm color, blush, flush, glow, healthy glow
- softness, soft color, subtle color, pastel
- colorfulness, bright color, brightness, brilliance, vividness, intensity, saturation, richness, riot of color Technicolor <trademark>, Day-Glo <Trademark>
- garishness, loudness, glitz, gaudiness, loud color, shocking pink, jaundiced yellow, arsenic green, clashing colors
- color quality, brightness, purity, saturation, hue, value, chromaticity, tint, tone, chromatic color
- color system, hue cycle, color circle, chromatic circle, primary color, primary pigment, secondary color, tertiary color, complementary color, color spectrum, monochrome
- coloring, colorant, tincture, pigment, stain, dye, paint, tempera, coat of paint, undercoat, primer, flat coat, opaque color, transparent color
- brunet, blond, bleached blond, peroxide blond, ash blond, platinum blond, strawberry blond, honey blond, towhead, redhead, carrot-top
- chromatology, chromatics, chromatography, spectrum analysis
- coloring, coloration, staining, dyeing, tie-dying, tinting
- painting, paint work, coating, enameling, glossing, glazing, varnishing, lacquering, shellacking, whitewashing, gilding, stippling, fresco
Verbs
- color, hue, lay on color, tinge, tint, stain, dye, dip, tie dye, imbue, ingrain, shade, illuminate, apply paint, coat, cover, daub, smear, besmear, brush on paint, slop on paint, lacquer, shellac, whitewash, gild,
- clash, conflict, collide
Adjs.
- chromatic, coloring, pigmental, monochrome, monochromatic, dichromatic, parti-colored, rainbow, polychromatic, kaleidoscopic, prismatic, harmonious
- colored, hued, in Technicolor <trademark>tinged, tinted, painted, enameled, stained, dyed
- deep dyed, dyed in the wool, colorfast, fast, fadeless, unfading, indelible
- colorful, bright, vivid, intense, rich, exotic, brilliant, burning, bright-hued,
- garish, lurid, loud, screaming, shrieking, glaring, flaring, flashy, glitzy, crude, blinding, gaudy
- off color, inharmonious, discordant, harsh, clashing, conflicting
- soft hued, soft, subdued, light, pastel, pale, subtle, mellow, delicate, iridescent, opalescent, patinaed, somber, simple, sober, semi-gloss, gloss, eggshell
The Thesaurus has entries for the colors as well, which I chose not to include here because the entries were so long. Anyone wishing to look up sight words for the colors, look for these entries: Whiteness, blackness, grayness, brownness, redness, orangeness, yellowness, greenness, blueness, purpleness
Colorlessness
Colorlessness, as the opposite of color, means lacking color, being weak in color, pallid, being dull, or lacking animation, variety or distinction. Synonyms include nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
Nouns
· colorlessness, absence of color, dullness, lackluster
· paleness, dimness, faintness, lightness, fairness, pallor, pallor, wanness, sallowness, pastiness, ashiness, muddiness, grayness, anemia, bloodlessness, ghastliness, sickly hue, sickliness, deathly pallor
· de-coloration \, lightening, fading, dimming, whitening, blanching, bleeding, bleaching, bleach,
· bleach, bleaching agent, de-colorizer
Verbs
- de-color, discolor, achromatize, fade, wash out, dim, dull, tarnish, pale, whiten, blanch, drain, drain of color
- lose color, fade, fadeout, pale, turn pale, grow pale, change color, turn white, whiten
Adjs.
- colorless, hue-less, toneless, uncolored, achromatic, neutral, dull, flat, mat, dead, dingy, muddy, leaden, lackluster, faded, washed out, dimmed, pale, dim, weak, faint, pallid, wan sallow, white, ashen, anemic, ghastly, livid, lurid, haggard, cadaverous, sickly, deadly pale,
- bleached, de-colored, whitened, blanched, lightened, bleached out, drained of color
- light, fair, light colored, pastel, whitish
Variegation
Variegated or variegation means to be varied in color, have diversified coloration, or the state of being variegated. Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are listed as synonyms in the Thesaurus.
Nouns
- variegation, multicolor, medley, mixture of colors, rain bow of colors, riot of color, polychrome
- iridescence, opalescence, pearliness, play of colors or light
- spottiness, freckliness, mottledness, dazzledness, fleck, speck, speckle, freckle, spot, mottle, dapple, stipple
- check, checker, checkerboard, plaid, tartan, variegate pattern, harlequin, patchwork, parquet
- strip, striping, candy stripe, pinstripe barber pole, streak, streaking, striation,
- spectrum, rainbow, chameleon,
Verbs
- variegate, motley, parti-color, ploychrom, harlequin, mottle, dapple, fleck, speck, speckle, spot, blotch, spotch, stattoo, check, ckecker, stirpe, streak, stirate, barbelize
- opalesce, iridesce
Adjs.
- variegated, many colored, multicolored, varicolored, polychromatic, colorful, crazy, kaleidoscopic, prismatic,
- iridescent, rainbowy, opalescent, pearly
- chameleon like
- mottled, pied, piebald, dappled, pinto, calico, marbled
- spotted, dotted, sprinkled, peppered, pocked, pockmarked, spotty, speckled, specked, stippled, flecked, bespangled, blotchy, splotched,
- checked, checkered, plaid
- striped, streaked, striated, barred, banded, barbled
Resources
Roget’s Thesaurus. Fifth Edition. Edited by Robert L. Chapman. New York, New York: Harper’s and Collins Publishers, 1992.
American Heritage Dictionary
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