Pictionary Words
180 Pictionary words and ideas sorted from easy to hard, with kids, Halloween and phrase lists and a random word picker.
Here are 180 Pictionary words in six lists: 40 easy words like snowman and kite, 40 medium words like lighthouse and traffic jam, 40 hard words like homesick and deja vu, and shorter sets of 20 for kids, Halloween, and everyday phrases. The picker below draws a random word from whichever list you choose, so the drawer can look at the phone without anyone else seeing. Further down are the rules for playing Pictionary without the box and the drawing tricks that get hard words guessed.
Every word was chosen for one test: can an average drawer get it across in under a minute without letters or numbers? Words that failed, like brand names that only work as logos and anything that needs writing to read, are left out. The lists are graded by how many separate parts the drawer has to sketch, which is a better guide to difficulty than how unusual the word is.
Random Pictionary word
Words are picked from the lists on this page and never leave your phone.
How to play Pictionary without the box
Pictionary is the drawing and guessing game Robert Angel published in 1985, and you do not need the board to play it. Split into teams of two or more. One player from the first team picks a word without showing anyone, starts a 60-second timer and draws while their teammates shout guesses. If the team says the exact word before time runs out, they score a point. Then the other team takes a turn with a new drawer. Rotate the drawer every turn so everyone draws, and play to ten points or for a fixed number of rounds.
The drawer cannot talk, mouth words, act, or write letters and numbers. They can point at parts of the drawing, nod or shake their head, and draw arrows, which are the drawer's best friend. Most groups add two signals borrowed from charades: a row of dashes for the number of words, and an ear symbol for "sounds like". In the boxed game, cards are marked by category (object, person or place or animal, action, difficult, and all play), and an "all play" card means one drawer from every team draws the same word at once, with the first team to guess taking the point. Use the same idea at home: mark one word in five as all play and read it to every drawer together.
Easy, medium or hard: what the tiers mean
| Tier | What it is | How to draw it | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | One object with a famous outline | Draw the outline, add one detail | Snowman, kite, umbrella |
| Medium | Two or three parts, or a small scene | Draw the setting first, then the object in it | Lighthouse, traffic jam, sandcastle |
| Hard | An idea or feeling with no shape | Combine symbols: a heart, an arrow, a clock, a house | Homesick, jet lag, deja vu |
| Phrases | Two or more words, often an idiom | Draw each word literally, one at a time | Raining cats and dogs, couch potato |
Match the tier to the group, not to the game. For a family or a group that has never played, run the easy list for the first few rounds so everyone gets a correct guess early. Mixed groups work well with easy and medium words shuffled together. The hard list is for adults who already play well, and it is better as an occasional bonus card worth two points than as a whole round.
180 Pictionary words and ideas
Easy Pictionary words
Single objects with a shape everyone recognises. A good drawer gets most of these guessed in under 20 seconds.
- Sun
- House
- Cat
- Tree
- Apple
- Fish
- Car
- Boat
- Star
- Snowman
- Pizza
- Banana
- Rainbow
- Ice cream cone
- Flower
- Moon
- Bird
- Spider
- Ball
- Hat
- Birthday cake
- Clock
- Umbrella
- Kite
- Heart
- Glasses
- Duck
- Snake
- Balloon
- Book
- Chair
- Door
- Shoe
- Butterfly
- Rocket
- Ladder
- Key
- Cloud
- Egg
- Candle
Medium Pictionary words
Things that need two or three parts drawn together, or a scene rather than an object.
- Lighthouse
- Roller coaster
- Scarecrow
- Volcano
- Treasure map
- Snow globe
- Mermaid
- Campfire
- Hot air balloon
- Traffic jam
- Bunk bed
- Igloo
- Toothbrush
- Windmill
- Skateboard
- Parachute
- Pirate ship
- Vending machine
- Sandcastle
- Dragon
- Unicorn
- Waterfall
- Alarm clock
- Ferris wheel
- Telescope
- Cactus
- Fire truck
- Shopping cart
- Spaghetti
- Tornado
- Lawn mower
- Statue of Liberty
- Robot
- Bowling
- Waiter
- Library
- Jellyfish
- Traffic light
- Hammock
- Submarine
Hard Pictionary words
Ideas, feelings and phrases with no single shape. The drawer has to build them from symbols, and the team has to think sideways.
- Homesick
- Gravity
- Jet lag
- Daydream
- Echo
- Time zone
- Deja vu
- Brainstorm
- Peer pressure
- Bucket list
- Procrastinate
- Hibernation
- Electricity
- Nostalgia
- Black hole
- Insomnia
- Rush hour
- Recycling
- Wi-Fi
- Sarcasm
- Midlife crisis
- Photosynthesis
- Sunburn
- Password
- Copycat
- Overtime
- Silent movie
- Leap year
- Stage fright
- Cold shoulder
- Eavesdrop
- Second thoughts
- Dead end
- Spoiler alert
- Earthquake
- Comfort zone
- Ghost town
- Blind date
- Window shopping
- Ice breaker
Pictionary words for kids
For players around five to ten: animals, toys and characters they can draw with a circle and a few lines.
- Dinosaur
- Train
- Dog
- Monster
- Pirate
- Castle
- Crown
- Whale
- Octopus
- Teddy bear
- Bus
- Frog
- Lollipop
- Caterpillar
- Owl
- Sandwich
- Tent
- Turtle
- Rain boots
- Bunny
Halloween Pictionary words
Seasonal words for October. Most are easy, so mix in a couple of medium words per round for adults.
- Jack-o'-lantern
- Witch's hat
- Broomstick
- Ghost
- Bat
- Black cat
- Cauldron
- Spider web
- Skeleton
- Tombstone
- Trick-or-treat bag
- Mummy
- Vampire teeth
- Full moon
- Haunted house
- Coffin
- Potion bottle
- Candy corn
- Werewolf
- Graveyard
Pictionary phrases and actions
Everyday actions and idioms. Idioms are the hardest group here, and the funniest to watch: draw them literally.
- Brushing teeth
- Walking the dog
- Falling asleep
- Sneezing
- Fishing
- Juggling
- Surfing
- Climbing a mountain
- Baking a cake
- Taking a selfie
- Lost luggage
- Raining cats and dogs
- Piece of cake
- Break the ice
- Couch potato
- Under the weather
- Hit the road
- Spill the beans
- Butterfingers
- Sweet tooth
Drawing tricks that get hard words guessed
Draw the setting first. For a lighthouse, a wavy sea line and a rock tell the team where they are before the tower appears. Context narrows the guesses faster than detail. Break words apart. Hard compound words become two easy drawings: a brain plus a storm cloud is brainstorm, a sofa plus a potato is couch potato. Draw a plus sign between them. Use arrows and circles. Once the team guesses part of the answer, circle that part and draw an arrow to what is still missing. Draw literally. For an idiom like raining cats and dogs, the literal picture is both the fastest clue and the joke.
Stop adding detail. The most common mistake is a beautiful drawing that never gets guessed. If the team has not got it in 20 seconds, the drawing is not the problem: start a second sketch from a different angle. And for feelings like homesick or nostalgia, faces carry most of the meaning, so practise a sad face, a happy face and a surprised face that read from across the room.
Pictionary at a party
Pictionary is a seated, low-pressure game, which makes it a good start to a night before anything that needs people on their feet. It pairs naturally with charades: use the same word lists, and alternate a drawn round with an acted one. The charades word lists have 525 more prompts by category, and the action charades list doubles as a set of hard Pictionary words. For a longer team game with the same mix of describing and acting, try the Fishbowl game, and for a pen-and-paper game a bigger table can play at once, the Scattergories lists work with the same pads. In October, the Halloween party games guide uses the Halloween list above as one of ten games for the night, the Christmas party games guide turns its charades lists into drawing prompts for December, and the party games night checklist shows where a drawing game fits in a full evening.
FAQ
How do you play Pictionary without the board game?
Split into two teams and give each a pad of paper. One player draws a word from a list while their team guesses, with 60 seconds on a phone timer. A correct guess scores a point, then play passes to the other team. Rotate the drawer every turn, and play to 10 points or a set number of rounds.
Can you use letters or numbers in Pictionary?
No. The standard rule is no letters, no numbers, no symbols that stand for letters, and no talking or acting by the drawer. Most groups allow pointing at parts of the drawing, nodding when the team is close, and the common signals for 'sounds like' and number of words.
How many Pictionary words do you need for a game?
About 30 to 40 for a one-hour game with two teams, since a turn takes around a minute and some words go unguessed. That is one full list from this page. Shuffle easy and medium words together, and keep the hard list for teams that are finding it too easy.
What are good hard Pictionary words for adults?
Abstract ideas with no single shape: homesick, jet lag, deja vu, peer pressure, nostalgia, procrastinate, stage fright, comfort zone and midlife crisis. They are hard to draw directly, so the fun is in the drawer's workaround, such as a sad face next to a house for homesick.
Is Pictionary harder than charades?
It depends on the word. Objects are faster in Pictionary because a shape is easier to draw than to mime, while actions and feelings are usually easier to act out. Many groups alternate the two: one round drawn, one round acted, using the same word list.
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