Some Of My Favorite Words And Phrases To Describe A Character In Pain

Some of my favorite words and phrases to describe a character in pain

coiling (up in a ball, in on themselves, against something, etc)

panting (there’s a slew of adjectives you can put after this, my favorites are shakily, weakly, etc)

keeling over (synonyms are words like collapsing, which is equally as good but overused in media)

trembling/shivering (additional adjectives could be violently, uncontrollably, etc)

sobbing (weeping is a synonym but i’ve never liked that word. also love using sob by itself, as a noun, like “he let out a quiet sob”)

whimpering (love hitting the wips with this word when a character is weak, especially when the pain is subsiding. also love using it for nightmares/attacks and things like that)

clinging (to someone or something, maybe even to themselves or their own clothes)

writhing/thrashing (maybe someone’s holding them down, or maybe they’re in bed alone)

crying (not actual tears. cry as in a shrill, sudden shout)

dazed (usually after the pain has subsided, or when adrenaline is still flowing)

wincing (probably overused but i love this word. synonym could be grimacing)

doubling-over (kinda close to keeling over but they don’t actually hit the ground, just kinda fold in on themselves)

heaving (i like to use it for describing the way someone’s breathing, ex. “heaving breaths” but can also be used for the nasty stuff like dry heaving or vomiting)

gasping/sucking/drawing in a breath (or any other words and phrases that mean a sharp intake of breath, that shite is gold)

murmuring/muttering/whispering (or other quiet forms of speaking after enduring intense pain)

hiccuping/spluttering/sniffling (words that generally imply crying without saying crying. the word crying is used so much it kinda loses its appeal, that’s why i like to mix other words like these in)

stuttering (or other general terms that show an impaired ability to speak — when someone’s in intense pain, it gets hard to talk)

staggering/stumbling (there is a difference between pain that makes you not want to stand, and pain that makes it impossible to stand. explore that!)

recoiling/shrinking away (from either the threat or someone trying to help)

pleading/begging (again, to the threat, someone trying to help, or just begging the pain to stop)

Feel free to add your favorites or most used in the comments/reblogs!

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slothlady

2 months ago

you know theres something about being a kid and not having many friends and constantly feeling stuck. like you know you’re meant for so much more but you just can’t reach it. you don’t want to die but theres nothing to live for and your life doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things and you just want something to change.

and theres something about having a face and a name that belongs to you but isn’t yours. and you dont feel real most days even though you’re living the life you wanted. there’s violence in your veins that scares you and a hunger for something that you can taste but never quite see. and every day you’re drowning, drowning and praying for someone to throw you a rope you’re not even sure you’d take.

And then all of a sudden you’re surrounded by people who love you and know you and you can finally breathe. and on the bad days they bring you food and sing silly songs and remind you that you’re real and you matter. you get obsessed over stupid shit and you live day by day because you can’t survive any other way, but your friends listen to you ramble and support you. you’re everything you thought you could be and nothing like you imagined and you’re sense of self is still so fragile but thats okay. you have good food and good friends and that’s enough to live for.

anyway, Dorohedoro is my favorite manga, can you tell?

Tags

mental health I love them probably dorohedoro dissociation drhdr kaiman SO HARD am i projecting? Personal anecdotes i kin them kaiman dorohedoro kai dorohedoro aikawa dorohedoro ai coleman is ai coleman the avg high IQ neurodivergent childhood or is that just me? aikawa the food and songs thing is an actual thing my guy friends did for me last fall when i was having a hardcore dissociative ep we got milkshakes on the other side of town

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slothlady

1 month ago

“There’s no platonic explanation for tha-“

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slothlady

1 year ago

The symbolism of flowers

Flowers have a long history of symbolism that you can incorporate into your writing to give subtext.

Symbolism varies between cultures and customs, and these particular examples come from Victorian Era Britain. You'll find examples of this symbolism in many well-known novels of the era!

Amaryllis: Pride

Black-eyed Susan: Justice

Bluebell: Humility

Calla Lily: Beauty

Pink Camellia: Longing

Carnations: Female love

Yellow Carnation: Rejection

Clematis: Mental beauty

Columbine: Foolishness

Cyclamen: Resignation

Daffodil: Unrivalled love

Daisy: Innocence, loyalty

Forget-me-not: True love

Gardenia: Secret love

Geranium: Folly, stupidity

Gladiolus: Integrity, strength

Hibiscus: Delicate beauty

Honeysuckle: Bonds of love

Blue Hyacinth: Constancy

Hydrangea: Frigid, heartless

Iris: Faith, trust, wisdom

White Jasmine: Amiability

Lavender: Distrust

Lilac: Joy of youth

White Lily: Purity

Orange Lily: Hatred

Tiger Lily: Wealth, pride

Lily-of-the-valley: Sweetness, humility

Lotus: Enlightenment, rebirth

Magnolia: Nobility

Marigold: Grief, jealousy

Morning Glory: Affection

Nasturtium: Patriotism, conquest

Pansy: Thoughtfulness

Peony: Bashfulness, shame

Poppy: Consolation

Red Rose: Love

Yellow Rose: Jealously, infidelity

Snapdragon: Deception, grace

Sunflower: Adoration

Sweet Willian: Gallantry

Red Tulip: Passion

Violet: Watchfulness, modesty

Yarrow: Everlasting love

Zinnia: Absent, affection

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slothlady

1 year ago

Here I am, giving stupid hot takes no one asked for after binge watching hellsing

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slothlady

2 months ago

Aikawa is so unsubtle i love him sm (I absolutely believe he got a 100% that exam)

After class talk

Tags

dorohedoro drhdr aikawa drhdr risu

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slothlady

2 years ago

I have arrived

Me, age 16: I kinda want a tumblr…

My parents: absolutely not, you don’t need another thing to scroll mindlessly on

me: yeah, you’re probably right

me now: I am a mature and responsible adult

also me: logs into tumblr

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<3 idk lol hello tumblr shitpost first post lmao new account this is stupid what is life may chaos reign definitely not a mature and responsible adult but who is anyway ive been planning this post for so long I’m here for the chaos

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slothlady

2 months ago