A computer-implemented technique for characterizing lexical concreteness in narrative includes receiving data encapsulating narrative text having a plurality of words. Thereafter, the function words can be removed from the narrative text to result in only content words. A concreteness score can then be assigned to each content word by polling a database to identify matching words and to use concreteness scores associated with such matching words as specified by the database. Data can then be provided which characterizes the assigned concreteness scores. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.