Charades Words: 200+ Ideas at Three Levels
If you need charades words for tonight, here are more than 200, sorted by category and difficulty. At the end you’ll also find how to write your own, because the best list is the one made for your group.
A list of charades words is only good if it fits your group. A round with Grandma and a 1 a.m. house party don’t call for the same vocabulary. So the list below is split into three levels, with separate picks for kids and adults. If you need even more, browse 1,000+ charades ideas by topic.
Easy charades words to warm up
Always open with easy words. The first round is when the group finds its pace and figures out who acts how.
- toothbrush
- vacuum cleaner
- raincoat
- glasses
- hair dryer
- washing machine
- keys
- sunglasses
- tissue
- alarm clock
- flip-flops
- shopping cart
- coffee mug
- guitar
- trampoline
- remote control
- rain boots
- tent
- penguin
- giraffe
- zebra
- hedgehog
- crocodile
- hummingbird
- octopus
- kangaroo
- owl
- dolphin
- ant
- camel
- brushing teeth
- jump rope
- sneezing
- texting
- climbing a ladder
- swimming
- mowing the lawn
- throwing a frisbee
- yawning
- clapping
- rowing a boat
- skiing
- tying a tie
- eating spaghetti
- painting a wall
- taking a photo
- dancing
- driving
- hot dog
- pizza
- pancakes
- popcorn
- ice cream cone
- tacos
- spaghetti
- banana
- corn on the cob
- cotton candy
- burger
- pretzel
- lemon
- sushi
- birthday cake
- french fries
- watermelon
- s’mores
Medium charades words: movies, shows and famous faces
This is the most popular level: everyone knows the titles, but acting them out is the challenge. The app has hundreds of these in its movie and TV topics. For the rules and hand signals, see how to play charades.
- The Lord of the Rings
- Star Wars
- Titanic
- The Lion King
- Game of Thrones
- Stranger Things
- Pulp Fiction
- Jurassic Park
- Breaking Bad
- The Avengers
- The Godfather
- Moana
- Superman
- The Matrix
- Friends
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Batman
- Harry Potter
- Mr. Bean
- Darth Vader
- Elvis
- Spider-Man
- Sherlock Holmes
- Mickey Mouse
- Cinderella
- Charlie Chaplin
- Indiana Jones
- Wonder Woman
- Michael Jackson
- Santa Claus
- Dracula
- Forrest Gump
- dentist
- firefighter
- baker
- orchestra conductor
- surgeon
- mail carrier
- scuba diver
- referee
- pilot
- cowboy
- juggler
- stunt double
- accountant
- carpenter
- DJ
- tour guide
- shot put
- figure skating
- curling
- water polo
- rugby
- chess
- lacrosse
- hang gliding
- bowling
- wrestling
- badminton
- bobsled
- Eiffel Tower
- Grand Canyon
- Statue of Liberty
- Hollywood
- Las Vegas
- Niagara Falls
- Disneyland
- the moon
- a haunted house
- the beach
- the DMV
- a car wash
Hard charades words: abstract and complex
Bring these out once the group has warmed up. One important rule: hard words need more time, 90 or 120 seconds, or the round turns into a string of passes.
- inflation
- remote work
- career change
- carbon footprint
- subscription
- refund
- time zone
- compound interest
- social media
- artificial intelligence
- mortgage
- overpriced
- lawsuit
- plagiarism
- budget
- procrastination
- airport security
- moving without an elevator
- Costco run
- waiting at the DMV
- white elephant gift exchange
- first dance at a wedding
- driving test
- dentist drilling
- assembling IKEA furniture
- first day at the gym
- Happy Birthday
- Jingle Bells
- Star Wars theme
- Jaws theme
- Baby Shark
- Let It Go
- Sweet Caroline
- YMCA
- We Will Rock You
- The Imperial March
- Take Me Out to the Ball Game
- Ghostbusters
Charades words for kids
The rule for kids is simple: it should be visible, easy to turn into movement, and familiar. Cartoons and animals never miss.
- Frozen
- Mickey Mouse
- Spider-Man
- Minions
- boomerang
- snowball
- swinging
- ice cream
- school bus
- flying a kite
- birthday cake
- pool float
- fire truck
- soccer
- LEGO
- bunny
Charades words for adults
With adults, the joke isn’t crudeness, it’s recognition: the words that land are the ones everyone has lived through. None of these are vulgar, and all of them work at a house party.
- hangover
- last call
- late-night drive-thru
- drunk texting
- solo karaoke
- office holiday party
- first date from an app
- apartment hunting
- wedding slow dance
- bachelor party
- skipping the morning workout
- abandoned online cart
Charades words for holidays and seasons
Seasonal words give a holiday party its own round. Drop a handful into the bowl, or play a whole themed round right before dessert. For a full December list, see Christmas charades.
- carving a pumpkin
- trick-or-treating
- turkey
- Black Friday
- building a snowman
- wrapping presents
- ugly sweater
- New Year’s countdown
- Valentine’s card
- Easter egg hunt
- fireworks
- Fourth of July parade
- beach umbrella
- campfire
- back to school
- raking leaves
How to pick charades words for your group
The same list can make or break a night depending on who is in the room. Match the level and the categories to the crowd, not to what you think is funny.
| Group | Start with | Move on to | Skip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family with young kids | Animals, food | Cartoons, actions | Abstract ideas |
| Grandparents and teens | Actions, jobs | Classic movies, places | This year’s viral trends |
| Friends at a house party | Movies and shows | Grown-up life, hard situations | Nothing, just read the room |
| Coworkers | Objects, jobs | Movies, sports | Anything personal |
| Music lovers | Easy objects | Songs to hum | Long movie titles |
How much time each level needs
Easy words fly by in 45 seconds. Medium words like movie titles need the full 60, because the clue-giver has to signal the category and the number of words first. Hard and abstract words need 90-120 seconds, or the turn ends with three passes and no points. If you mix levels in one bowl, set the timer for the hardest word in it.
A simple trick for mixed groups: let each player choose their level before their turn. Confident players go for hard words worth more points, nervous ones take an easy word and still get to score.
How to write your own charades words
- Look around the room.Objects are the easiest things to act out.
- Write down five shared memories.Inside jokes make the best rounds.
- Skip long titles.Anything over four words eats a whole turn.
- Add some hard ones.If everything is easy, there is no tension and people get bored.
- Mix the categories.A bowl that is all movies tires out the people who don’t watch many movies.
- Type them into the app.Your custom words get shuffled in just like the built-in topics, so nobody has to mix paper slips.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get charades words fast?
Copy any of the lists above onto paper. If you’d rather not write, the Guessy app has over 3,500 words in 22 topics, served in random order, so nobody memorizes them.
What are the best charades words for a big group?
Concrete, well-known things: movies, animals, jobs and sports. Abstract words struggle with a big group, because they are hard to act in a way the whole room can see.
How many words do you need for a charades party?
A 60-second turn uses 8-15 words. Six people playing two rounds will go through 100-180 words, which is why an app is often easier than writing slips.
Can you describe charades words instead of acting them?
Yes, and most groups mix the two. The only rule is that you can’t say the word itself, part of it or anything that rhymes with it.