The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word EPITHETS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
E
P
I
T
H
E
T
S
More clues leading to the result EPITHETS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Descriptive words" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case descriptive words = epithets.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does EPITHETS mean?
EPITHETS noun- A term used to characterize a person or thing.
- A term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person.
- One of many formulaic words or phrases used in the Iliad and Odyssey to characterize a person, a group of people, or a thing.
- An abusive or contemptuous word or phrase.
- A word in the scientific name of a taxon following the name of the genus or species. This applies only to formal names of plants, fungi and bacteria. In formal names of animals the corresponding term is the specific name.