English has many adjectives! They can be used to describe things, point out objects and even ask questions. Here are some of the most common and helpful English adjectives.
In this post:
Descriptive adjectives and how to use them
Descriptive adjectives are used to describe all of a noun’s qualities, such as its appearance, age, condition, and more. English has many different adjectives. Here are some of the most common ones, grouped into useful categories:
Condition
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| good |
That’s a really good book! |
| bad |
Those shoes smell bad. |
| great |
We had a great day at the zoo! |
| horrible |
I have a horrible headache. |
| perfect |
My girlfriend and I are perfect for each other! |
Size
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| big |
They live in a big house. |
| small |
There’s a small hole in that shirt. |
| heavy |
Junior’s backpack is so heavy. |
| short |
Everyone in my family is short. |
| tall |
Giraffes are very tall! |
| light |
Don’t worry, that box is light. |
| fat |
My cats are all a little fat. |
| thin |
In the fall, I often wear a thin sweater. |
| wide |
The Amazon River is very wide. |
| narrow |
Careful, this is a very narrow bridge! |
| enormous |
Wow! That birthday cake is enormous. |
| tiny |
You can’t see germs because they’re so tiny. |
| miniature |
Her dolls live in a miniature house. |
| skinny |
I’ve always had skinny legs. |
Appearance
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| beautiful |
Your necklace is beautiful. |
| ugly |
That brown sweater is so ugly. |
| simple |
She prefers simple clothing. |
| bald |
I need a hat for my bald head. |
| handsome |
The actor in that film is so handsome. |
| gorgeous |
Your new haircut is gorgeous! |
| plain |
She always wears very plain clothes. |
| cute |
Your baby is so cute! |
| messy |
Our kids’ bedrooms are always messy. |
| fancy |
We wore fancy clothes to the wedding. |
| pretty |
Those are very pretty earrings. |
Personality
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| cheerful |
Vikram is a cheerful guy. |
| generous |
You always share your snack! You’re so generous. |
| serious |
He never smiles because he is very serious. |
| brave |
Wow, you are brave! |
| funny |
That comedian is so funny. |
| nice |
Our neighbors here are really nice. |
| friendly |
Zari is smiling because she’s friendly! |
| kind |
Please be kind to your brother. |
| mean |
The witch in that book is very mean. |
| grumpy |
He complains a lot because he’s a grumpy guy. |
Emotion
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| happy |
They’re happy it’s almost the weekend. |
| sad |
She always feels sad at the end of vacation. |
| angry |
He’s yelling because he’s angry. |
| scared |
I’m scared of dogs. |
| excited |
Lily is excited for the concert tonight. |
| annoyed |
They were annoyed by the loud music. |
| upset |
We’re upset because our dog died. |
| surprised |
I was surprised at the end of the book! |
| mad |
She’s often mad at her dad. |
| nervous |
I’m nervous about the test! |
Age
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| old |
That car looks very old. |
| young |
Junior is still so young! |
| elderly |
We often help my elderly neighbor. |
| antique |
Be careful with that antique vase. |
| middle-aged |
My middle-aged friends are very wise. |
| new |
Bea just bought a new computer. |
| senior |
He’s a senior member of the staff. |
Texture
| ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| soft |
This sweater feels so soft. |
| hard |
Diamonds are very hard stones. |
| smooth |
Babies usually have smooth skin. |
| sticky |
Why is this floor sticky? |
| thick |
This soup is very thick. |
| crisp |
I love crisp apples. |
| dry |
Our skin is always dry in the winter. |
| wet |
Careful! The paint is still wet. |
| firm |
I prefer a firm bed. |
| crunchy |
Carrots are crunchy when fresh. |
Demonstrative adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives are adjectives that give information about the relative distance of a noun in time or location. These adjectives are helpful for making clear exactly what you are referring to.
There are four demonstrative adjectives in English:
| DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| this |
I love this book! |
| that |
That shirt is dirty. |
| these |
These photos are amazing. |
| those |
Please put those plates here. |
Interrogative adjectives
Some of the wh-words that you use to form questions in English are also adjectives: interrogative adjectives! They're used with nouns to ask for more information about them.
There are three interrogative adjectives in English:
| INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVE |
EXAMPLE |
| which |
Which car did he buy? |
| what |
What movie are you watching? |
| whose |
Whose hat is this? |
In English, all descriptive adjectives have comparative and superlative forms. These express a higher or the highest degree of a quality. How they are formed depends on the length of the adjective:
- Short adjectives are one-syllable words or two-syllable words that end in -y.
- Long adjectives are most other adjectives with two or more syllables.
Here’s how to form the comparative and superlative for each type:
|
EXAMPLE |
| COMPARATIVE |
SHORT |
Your car is smaller than mine. |
| LONG |
That necklace is more beautiful than mine. |
| SUPERLATIVE |
SHORT |
That is the smallest car I’ve ever seen! |
| LONG |
This necklace is the most beautiful in the world. |
These adjectives are perfect!
Keep studying the adjectives above, and you will always be ready to pick the perfect English adjective!
