Listen, I know it’s not fall yet. Trust me, I know. Here in the South, we’ve reached the point in the summer when we all fear we may spontaneously combust the moment we step outside. The air wraps you in a suffocating embrace from morning till night. And let’s not even talk about the mosquito situation — it just depresses me. But it’s also the time of year when we’re close enough to fall to start counting down the days. The weather may not cooperate for another couple of months, but the stores will be stocked with all things autumnal soon, and that’ll keep this fall-loving heart beating until those crispy, foggy mornings start to roll in and open-window weather settles in for the season. Now is the time for draping yourself in the anticipation of what’s to come, and fall words can help you get into that burnt-orange-and-bitter-extracts state of mind.
You don’t have to be a writer to appreciate words like blazemoche, which is the therapeutic tranquility one feels when listening to the crackling and burning of firewood. Or fika, a cozy Swedish concept that basically means to have coffee and cake with loved ones. Although maybe you are doing a little writing of your own — whether it’s a story or an Instagram caption — and need a few festive fall adjectives like blustery and russet to bring your words to life in all their autumnal glory.
No matter what brought you here, please join me in curling up with a cuppa something warm and comforting and pretending like fall is upon us.
Uncommon Fall Words That Capture the Season’s Coziness
- Abendrot: “Evening red;” the color of the sky while the sun is setting.
- Aki no koe: Autumn’s voice — all the sounds of the season, such as the wind rustling dry leaves, rain hitting the ground, or chirping crickets.
- Beaver moon: The first full moon in November.
- Biblichor: The comforting, faint, and musty smell of old books.
- Blazemoche: The therapeutic tranquility one feels when listening to the crackling and burning of firewood.
- Bucolic: In a lovely rural setting.
- Cafune: Running your fingers through the hair of someone you love.
- Churn supper: a feast at the end of the hay harvest.
- Clinquant: Glittering with gold and silver.
- Cosagach: To be snug, cozy, sheltered.
- Des vu: the awareness that this will become a memory.
- Desultory: Slow, sluggish.
- Dulcet: Sweet, sugary.
- Elixir: A good potion.
- Fika: A concept in Swedish culture with the basic meaning of making time with friends for coffee and a little something to eat; “a coffee and cake break.”
- Flâneur: Someone who strolls aimlessly but enjoyable, observing life and the surroundings.
- Feuille morte: A brownish orange that is deeper and slightly redder than leather, yellower and deeper than spice, and yellower and deeper than gold pheasant; “dead leaf.”
- Gamboge: A strong yellow; the vivid yellows of autumn.
- Gezellig: Cozy, inviting, fun, nice, pleasant, and comfortable; a place or the time spent with loved ones; the togetherness enjoyed after a long separation.
- Gigil: The irresistible urge to squeeze someone because you love them.
- Gluggaveður: the type of weather that is best enjoyed curled up in a cozy sill looking through the panes; “window-weather.”
- Haimish: Homey; cozy and unpretentious.
- Haust: To gather or pluck.
- Hygge: The warm feeling you get while enjoying the company of great friends and all life has to offer.
- Incandescent: Emitting light as a result of being heated; full of strong emotion, passionate.
- Indian summer: Period of mild weather occurring in late autumn.
- Inglenook: A cozy nook by the hearth.
- Komorebi: Sunlight as it filters through the leaves of trees.
- Koselig: A cozy and warm atmosphere of togetherness in a pleasant setting.
- Kouyou: Leaves changing color.
- Latibule: A hiding place; a place of safety and comfort.
- Lurid: Wan and ghostly pale in appearance; shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud; causing horror or revulsion.
- Marahuyo: To be enchanted.
- Murmurous: Murmuring.
- Mysa: To engage in an activity that is comfortable and pleasurable, especially at home; being content and cozy.
- Peiskos: The feeling you get when you sit in front of a fireplace and enjoy its warmth.
- Phosphenes: The stars and colors you see when you rub your eyes.
- Penumbra: A half-shadow.
- Psithurism: The sound of wind in the trees and the rustling of leaves.
- Rakuyou: Golden fallen or shedded leaves.
- Redolent: Full of fragrance or having qualities, especially smells, that make you think of something else.
- Retrouvailles: The happiness of meeting again after a long time.
- Rudeneja: The way the world gently falls into autumn.
- Sepia: Of a reddish-brown color.
- Sibylline: Mysterious, cryptic; having a secret meaning.
- Sillage: The scent that lingers in air, the trail left in water, the impression made in space after something or someone has been and gone; the trace of someone’s perfume.
- Snuggery: A comfortable or cozy place, such as a small and inviting room.
- Susurrus: Full of whispering sounds, like a wind rustling leaves.
- Tsundoku: The art of buying books and leaving them unread, often piled together with other unread books; book hoarding.
- Werifesteria: To wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery.
More Descriptive Fall Words
- Abundant
- Amber
- Arresting
- Autumnal
- Blustery
- Bonfire
- Bountiful
- Brisk
- Changing
- Chilly
- Colorful
- Cozy
- Crackling
- Crisp
- Crunchy
- Cushy
- Deciduous
- Earthy
- Enchanting
- Fireside
- Foggy
- Foraging
- Glorious
- Golden
- Homey
- Howling
- Languorous
- Leaf-strewn
- Moonlit
- Overgrown
- Resplendant
- Russet
- Rust-covered
- Rustling
- Snug
- Soggy
- Spectacular
- Toasty
- Turning
- Vibrant
Words Associated With Fall
- Acorn
- Apple
- Autumn
- Back-to-school
- Bale (of hay)
- Bat
- Chestnuts
- Cider
- Cocoa
- Corn
- Cornucopia
- Cranberry
- Crow
- Fair
- Feast
- Festival
- Flannel
- Foliage
- Football
- Ghost
- Gourd
- Gusty
- Halloween
- Harvest
- Harvest moon
- Hayride
- Maize
- Maple
- Mayflower
- October
- Orange
- Orchard
- November
- Pecan
- Persimmon
- Pie
- Pilgrim
- Pine cone
- Pumpkin
- Quilt
- Raincoat
- Rake
- Reap
- Scarf
- Scary
- Scrarecrow
- Seeds
- Spice
- Squash
- Squirrel
- Stuffing
- Sweater
- Sweet potato
- Tailgating
- Thanksgiving
- Treat
- Turkey
- Web
- Yam
- Yellow
Another Word for Fall
Looking for other ways to describe the fall season? Swap it out for the following fall synonyms.
- Autumn
- Autumnal equinox
- Indian Summer
- Fall equinox
- Saint Martin’s summer
- September equinox