Harder words for teens and adults

Charades for Adults: 122 Hard Ideas

Charades for adults should be hard enough to make the actor sweat. Long movie titles, classic novels, famous people and abstract emotions are tough to act out in silence, which is exactly why guessing them feels so good.

These 122 ideas come from the decks in Chardz, chosen for game nights, dinner parties and team building. They're clean enough for the office, and hard enough for the most competitive friend in your group.

Last updated: October 19, 2026

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Movie charades for adults

Hard 18 ideas

Long titles and grown-up classics. Count the words on your fingers, then act out one word at a time.

Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Shawshank Redemption
Pulp Fiction
Inception
The Silence of the Lambs
Fight Club
The Wolf of Wall Street
Groundhog Day
Catch Me If You Can
The Grand Budapest Hotel
No Country for Old Men
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Dead Poets Society
Good Will Hunting
The Big Lebowski
Oppenheimer
Parasite
Casablanca

Movie charades ideas: all 300 words → Play Movies online →

TV show charades

Medium 15 ideas

Hit series to binge and then act out. Signal “TV show” by drawing a screen in the air.

Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones
The Office
Friends
Squid Game
Peaky Blinders
The Crown
Black Mirror
Seinfeld
The Sopranos
Money Heist
House of Cards
Better Call Saul
The Last of Us
How I Met Your Mother

TV Show charades ideas: all 130 words → Play TV Shows online →

Book charades

Hard 16 ideas

Classic and modern novels. Open your hands like a book, then split the title into its words.

Pride and Prejudice
The Great Gatsby
Moby-Dick
Lord of the Flies
The Catcher in the Rye
Crime and Punishment
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Of Mice and Men
The Old Man and the Sea
War and Peace
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Gone Girl
The Handmaid's Tale
Brave New World
Fahrenheit 451
The Picture of Dorian Gray

Book charades ideas: all 225 words → Play Books online →

Famous people charades

Medium 17 ideas

Scientists, artists, leaders and icons. Act out what they're famous for.

Albert Einstein
Leonardo da Vinci
Marie Curie
Napoleon Bonaparte
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare
Frida Kahlo
Salvador Dalí
Vincent van Gogh
Sigmund Freud
Marilyn Monroe
Muhammad Ali
Steve Jobs
Oprah Winfrey
Queen Elizabeth II
Charles Darwin
Nikola Tesla

Famous People charades ideas: all 94 words → Play Famous Figures online →

Singer and band charades

Medium 16 ideas

Mime the instrument, the dance move or the stage presence.

Queen
ABBA
The Beatles
Michael Jackson
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift
Beyoncé
Elvis Presley
Daft Punk
Coldplay
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Guns N' Roses
Pink Floyd
Spice Girls
Backstreet Boys
Eminem

Music charades ideas: all 102 words → Play Singers & Bands online →

Emotion charades

Hard 16 ideas

Abstract feelings that are surprisingly hard to show without words.

Nostalgia
Jealousy
Awkwardness
Regret
Disbelief
Euphoria
Homesickness
Embarrassment
Suspicion
Boredom
Impatience
Self-Doubt
Relief
Overwhelm
Indifference
Heartbreak

Emotion charades ideas: all 122 words → Play Emotions online →

Grown-up actions

Medium 12 ideas

Everyday adult life, from pumping gas to giving a speech.

Delivering a Speech
Hailing a Taxi
Pumping Gas
Shaving Your Beard
Ironing
Mowing
Meditating
Getting Old
Saying Sorry
Complaining
Forgetting
Ignoring

Action charades ideas: all 121 words → Play Act It Out online →

Job charades for adults

Medium 12 ideas

Professions that are harder to show than firefighter or chef.

Accountant
Lawyer
Politician
Bartender
Barista
Paparazzi
Fortune Teller
Interior Decorator
Bodyguard
Spy
Architect
Locksmith

Job charades ideas: all 116 words → Play Jobs online →

How to play charades at an adult party

Split into two teams of three or more, and pick a scorekeeper.
Agree on the hand signals (movie, book, TV show, “sounds like”) before the first round.
Give each actor one or two minutes. If the other team can steal unanswered words, everyone stays sharp.
Play an even number of rounds so both teams act the same number of times, then crown the winners.

How to Play Charades →

Tips for harder charades

Use “sounds like” (tug your earlobe) for names and titles that are hard to act out directly.
Break long titles into words, and act out the most visual word first.
For emotions, act out a situation that causes the feeling instead of just pulling a face.
Mix in a few easy words so the round doesn't stall.
Add in-jokes and your group's catchphrases on extra slips. They're often the biggest laughs of the night.

Charades for adults: frequently asked questions

What are good charades ideas for adults?

Long movie and book titles (The Shawshank Redemption, The Great Gatsby), TV shows, famous people, bands and emotions like nostalgia or jealousy. They're harder to act out than animals or objects, which makes them more fun for adults.

What are the hardest charades words?

Abstract ideas and long titles: emotions like awkwardness or regret, books like One Hundred Years of Solitude, and films like Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Is charades a good game for work parties?

Yes. It needs no equipment, works for groups of 6 to 30 split into teams, and gets people laughing together. The lists on this page are clean enough for the office.

How do you make charades more fun for adults?

Add team scoring, let the other team steal missed words and mix in your group's in-jokes. Speed rounds, where the actor gets through as many words as possible in one minute, raise the energy.

Can adults play charades on a phone?

Yes. In Chardz, one player holds the phone to their forehead and everyone else gives clues, and team mode keeps score across rounds. It's free on Android, and you can try the free decks in your browser.