On this page13 sections
- Quick picker
- Creative as "full of ideas"
- Creative as "new and different"
- Creative at work: innovative and its neighbours
- Creative in the arts
- Creative as "clever with what you have"
- Synonyms for creative on a resume or in a review
- Informal ways to say creative
- When "creative" is not a compliment
- Synonyms for creativity (the noun)
- Words that are easy to misuse
- Practice
- Quick answers
The most useful synonyms for creative are imaginative, inventive, original, innovative, artistic and resourceful. They are not interchangeable, though. Imaginative is about ideas, inventive about making new things or solutions, original about being unlike anything else, innovative about new methods, usually in business or technology, and artistic about skill in the arts. Pick the one that says what kind of creative you mean.
Below, the synonyms are grouped by that meaning, with an example of each in a real sentence, a short list for resumes and reviews, informal options, words for creative things rather than people, and the uses of “creative” that are not compliments at all.
Quick picker
| You mean | Use |
|---|---|
| full of new ideas | imaginative, inventive, fertile (imagination) |
| unlike anything before | original, fresh, novel, groundbreaking |
| new ways of doing things at work | innovative, forward-thinking, pioneering |
| good at art, music, writing | artistic, gifted, talented, expressive |
| good at solving problems with what is there | resourceful, ingenious, clever |
| able to imagine the future | visionary |
| casual praise | out-of-the-box, outside-the-box thinker |
Creative as “full of ideas”
- Imaginative: good at picturing things that do not exist yet. “She writes imaginative stories about life under the sea.” The closest general synonym.
- Inventive: good at thinking up new things, ways or solutions. “The chef’s menu is inventive without being strange.”
- Inspired: unusually good, as if from sudden inspiration. Usually describes an idea or choice, not a person: “Casting a comedian in the role was an inspired choice.”
- Fertile: used with imagination or mind: “a fertile imagination”. Not used alone about a person in this sense.
- Fanciful: imaginative in a playful, unrealistic way. Can be slightly critical: “a fanciful theory”.
- Creative-minded: fine, but “imaginative” is shorter and says the same.
Creative as “new and different”
- Original: not copied, unlike earlier work. “Her designs are completely original.”
- Fresh: new and lively, often about an approach or voice. “The film takes a fresh look at an old story.”
- Novel: new and unusual, usually of an idea or method. “a novel approach to recycling”. Do not confuse it with the noun novel (a book).
- Groundbreaking / pioneering: the first of its kind, opening a new direction. Strong words; keep them for work that really changed something.
- Unconventional: not following the usual rules. Neutral or positive: “an unconventional but effective teacher”.
Creative at work: innovative and its neighbours
- Innovative: bringing in new methods, products or ideas. The standard word in business and technology. “an innovative payment system”. It suits companies, products and solutions better than people’s art.
- Forward-thinking: planning for the future in new ways. “a forward-thinking school”.
- Enterprising: full of initiative, quick to start new projects. “An enterprising student turned the old shed into a bike repair shop.”
- Visionary: able to imagine how things could be in the future, and to lead toward it. High praise; can sound inflated in a cover letter about yourself.
Creative in the arts
- Artistic: having skill in, or a love of, art. “He’s always been artistic; he drew before he could write.”
- Gifted / talented: having natural ability. They describe skill, not necessarily originality: a gifted pianist may play other people’s music beautifully.
- Expressive: showing feeling clearly through art, voice or movement. “an expressive dancer”.
- Imaginative again works well for writers and illustrators.
Creative as “clever with what you have”
- Resourceful: good at finding quick, clever ways around problems. “A resourceful camper can make a shelter from a tarp and two sticks.”
- Ingenious: very clever and original, often of a device or plan. “an ingenious solution”. Not to be confused with ingenuous, which means innocent and trusting.
- Clever: everyday and broad; fine in speech.
- Handy: good at making and fixing things with your hands. Informal.
Synonyms for creative on a resume or in a review
“Creative” is one of the most overused words on CVs, so readers skim past it. A more specific word, followed by proof, works better:
- Inventive: “Inventive problem-solver: redesigned the returns process and cut handling time by a third.” (Use your own real result.)
- Resourceful: good for roles with tight budgets or small teams.
- Innovative: for product, engineering or strategy roles, when you introduced something new.
- Original: for writing, design and content roles.
- Imaginative: for teaching, children’s work, storytelling and design.
In a performance review, pair the adjective with what the person did: “Amir is resourceful: when the supplier failed, he found a local alternative within a day.”
Informal ways to say creative
- Thinks outside the box: common in speech and business; overused in writing.
- Has a creative streak: is creative in some part of life. “Our accountant has a real creative streak; she paints murals at weekends.”
- Full of ideas: plain and friendly.
- Arty (UK) / artsy (US): interested in art. Can be slightly mocking: “an arty crowd”.
When “creative” is not a compliment
“Creative” is sometimes used ironically to suggest dishonesty. A synonym like “imaginative” can carry the same irony:
- Creative accounting: arranging figures to hide the truth, within or beyond the rules.
- Creative with the truth: lying or exaggerating. “His CV was rather creative with the truth.”
- An imaginative excuse: an unlikely one.
Avoid these when you mean real praise. For ideas about creativity as a theme, see idioms for creativity and metaphors for creativity.
Synonyms for creativity (the noun)
imagination, inventiveness, originality, innovation, ingenuity, vision, inspiration, artistry, resourcefulness. Match the noun to the adjective you would have used: “Her originality stands out” (original), “the team’s ingenuity” (ingenious).
Words that are easy to misuse
| Avoid | Why | Better |
|---|---|---|
| “He’s very ingenuous with tools.” | Ingenuous means naive | ingenious, handy |
| “She’s an innovative painter.” | Possible, but sounds like business jargon | original, inventive |
| “a novel idea for a novel” twice in one line | Confusing word play | a fresh idea for a novel |
| “He’s a talented thinker” for new ideas | Talented is skill, not originality | an imaginative / original thinker |
| “visionary” for a small improvement | Too strong | clever, inventive |
Practice
Choose the best word: resourceful, original, innovative, artistic, imaginative.
- The company is known for its ____ software.
- Stuck without a ladder, the ____ caretaker used a stack of crates.
- Children have such ____ games: the sofa becomes a pirate ship.
- No one had written a mystery like it; the plot was completely ____.
- She was always the ____ one in the family, drawing on every scrap of paper.
Answers: 1 innovative; 2 resourceful; 3 imaginative; 4 original; 5 artistic.
Quick answers
What is another word for creative? Imaginative is the closest general synonym; inventive, original, innovative, artistic and resourceful each cover one kind of creativity.
What is a professional word for creative? Innovative (for methods and products), inventive or resourceful (for problem-solving), original (for writing and design).
What is a fancy word for creative? Ingenious, visionary or inspired, used where they truly fit.
What is the opposite of creative? Unimaginative, uninspired, conventional, derivative (copying others).
More synonyms: another word for interesting and another word for important.