In this article, we’ll be exploring a comprehensive list of adjectives in English, ranging from the most common to the more obscure. We’ll be covering different categories of adjectives, such as descriptive, comparative, and superlative adjectives, and providing examples of how they can be used in a sentence. Whether you’re a native speaker or learning English as a second language, this list is sure to come in handy.
List of Adjectives
Adjective Definition
An adjective is a part of speech that describes, identifies, or quantifies a noun or a pronoun. An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun so that it will become more specific and interesting.
Adjectives examples:
- She was a very beautiful woman.
- The dolphin is an intelligent animal.
- This dish is delicious with cream.
- I was too nervous to eat.
- The baby put his tiny hand in mine.
Adjectives List
This list of adjectives in English is a good place to start expanding your English vocabulary.
- Abrupt
- Acidic
- Adorable
- Amiable
- Amused
- Appalling
- Appetizing
- Average
- Batty
- Beautiful
- Blushing
- Bored
- Brave
- Bright
- Broad
- Bulky
- Burly
- Charming
- Cheeky
- Cheerful
- Chubby
- Clean
- Clear
- Cloudy
- Clueless
- Clumsy
- Cool
- Creepy
- Crooked
- Cruel
- Cumbersome
- Curved
- Cynical
- Dangerous
- Dashing
- Decayed
- Deceitful
- Deep
- Defeated
- Defiant
- Delicious
- Disturbed
- Dizzy
- Drab
- Drained
- Dull
- Eager
- Ecstatic
- Elated
- Elegant
- Emaciated
- Embarrassed
- Enchanting
- Energetic
- Enormous
- Extensive
- Exuberant
- Fancy
- Fantastic
- Fast
- Fierce
- Filthy
- Flat
- Floppy
- Fluttering
- Foolish
- Frantic
- Fresh
- Friendly
- Frightened
- Frothy
- Funny
- Fuzzy
- Gaudy
- Gentle
- Ghastly
- Giddy
- Gigantic
- Glamorous
- Gleaming
- Glorious
- Gorgeous
- Graceful
- Greasy
- Grieving
- Gritty
- Grotesque
- Grubby
- Grumpy
- Handsome
- Happy
- Healthy
- Helpful
- Helpless
- High
- Hollow
- Homely
- Hot
- Horrific
- Huge
- Hungry
- Hurt
- Icy
- Ideal
- Intelligent
- Irritable
- Itchy
- Intrigued
- Irate
- Jealous
- Jittery
- Jolly
- Joyous
- Juicy
- Jumpy
- Kind
- Lethal
- Little
- Lively
- Livid
- Lonely
- Lovely
- Lucky
- Ludicrous
- Macho
- Mute
- Narrow
- Nasty
- Naughty
- Nervous
- Nutty
- Perfect
- Perplexed
- Petite
- Petty
- Plain
- Pleasant
- Poised
- Pompous
- Precious
- Prickly
- Proud
- Pungent
- Puny
- Quaint
- Reassured
- Relieved
- Repulsive
- Responsive
- Ripe
- Robust
- Rotten
- Rotund
- Rough
- Round
- Salty
- Sarcastic
- Scant
- Scary
- Scattered
- Scrawny
- Selfish
- Shaggy
- Shaky
- Shallow
- Sharp
- Shiny
- Short
- Silky
- Silly
- Skinny
- Slimy
- Slippery
- Small
- Straight
- Sweet
- Tart
- Tasty
- Teeny
- Tender
- Tense
- Terrible
- Testy
- Thankful
- Thick
- Tight
- Timely
- Tricky
- Trite
- Uneven
- Tiny
- Uptight
- Vast
- Vexed
- Vivid
- Wacky
- Weary
- Zany
- Zealous
- Zippy
Adjectives Examples
- How could he explain his abrupt disappearance from the party?
- If you’re brave enough to say GOODBYE, life will reward you with a new HELLO.
- I’m amazed that she keeps so cheerful.
- We argued him out of going on such a dangerous journey.
- He looked relaxed and elegant and had the patina of success.
- The children here are quite friendly with one another.
- The advertisements depict smoking as glamorous and attractive.
- He takes a ghoulish delight in reading about horrific murders.
- After giving up smoking, he became fat and irritable.
- She told me all the juicy details.
- His cruelty belied his kind words.
- It was ludicrous to suggest that the visit could be kept secret.
- He’s too macho to ever admit he was wrong.
- He looked like a nutty professor.
- He became involved in petty crime as a teenager.
- There were many small lanes in the quaint village.
- Gleeson was so repulsive that surely no one would be interested in him.
- It was a really scary moment.
- It had been a long day, and Sarah was getting a little testy.
- Relax! You’re getting too uptight about it.
- The dictionary is a vast treasure trove of information.
- I don’t want to make the novel sound wacky, let alone conspiratorial.
- She was most zealous in performing her duties.
List of Adjectives Across Various Categories
Color
- Red
- Blue
- Green
- Yellow
- White
- Black
- Purple
- Orange
- Pink
- Gray
Size
- Big
- Small
- Large
- Tiny
- Huge
- Tall
- Short
- Long
- Wide
- Narrow
Shape
- Round
- Square
- Triangular
- Oval
- Rectangular
- Flat
- Curved
- Bulky
- Skinny
- Plump
Quality
- Good
- Bad
- Excellent
- Poor
- Fantastic
- Terrible
- Wonderful
- Mediocre
- Superior
- Inferior
Age
- Young
- Old
- Ancient
- New
- Modern
- Antique
- Youthful
- Elderly
- Mature
- Ageless
Texture/Material
- Soft
- Hard
- Rough
- Smooth
- Woolen
- Metallic
- Silky
- Wooden
- Plastic
- Glass
Taste/Smell
- Sweet
- Sour
- Bitter
- Salty
- Spicy
- Fragrant
- Stinky
- Aromatic
- Tasteless
- Pungent
Sound
- Loud
- Quiet
- Noisy
- Silent
- Melodic
- Ear-piercing
- Harmonious
- Muffled
- Deafening
- Soft
Emotion/Feeling
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Joyful
- Depressed
- Anxious
- Excited
- Nervous
- Content
- Jealous
Condition
- Wet
- Dry
- Clean
- Dirty
- Intact
- Broken
- Whole
- Shattered
- Flawless
- Damaged
Quantity
- Many
- Few
- Several
- Abundant
- Sparse
- Ample
- Numerous
- Limited
- Countless
- Scarce
Time
- Early
- Late
- Timely
- Rapid
- Slow
- Quick
- Brief
- Eternal
- Momentary
- Speedy
Distance
- Far
- Near
- Distant
- Close
- Remote
- Adjacent
- Nearby
- Faraway
- Extended
- Proximate
Ability/Possibility
- Able
- Unable
- Possible
- Impossible
- Likely
- Unlikely
- Capable
- Incompetent
- Skilled
- Unskilled
Opinion
- Beautiful
- Ugly
- Smart
- Dumb
- Interesting
- Boring
- Exciting
- Tedious
- Attractive
- Repulsive
List of Common Adjectives
Adjectives | Meanings with Examples |
---|---|
Happy | Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment “She felt happy after receiving good news.” |
Sad | Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy “He was sad about the departure of his friend.” |
Big | Of considerable size, extent, or intensity “They live in a big house.” |
Small | Of a size that is less than normal or usual “The small kitten could fit in the palm of her hand.” |
Easy | Achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties “The test was surprisingly easy.” |
Difficult | Needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand “The puzzle was too difficult for the young child.” |
Young | Having lived or existed for only a short time “The young artist showed a lot of promise.” |
Old | Having lived for a long time; no longer young “The old tree had stood in the park for centuries.” |
Fast | Moving or capable of moving at high speed “The fast runner won the race.” |
Slow | Moving or operating, or designed to do so, only at a low speed “The slow internet connection was frustrating.” |
Good | To be desired or approved of “She had a good time at the party.” |
Bad | Of poor quality or a low standard “The food tasted bad.” |
Beautiful | Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically “The sunset was beautiful.” |
Ugly | Unpleasant or repulsive, especially in appearance “The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.” |
Smart | Having or showing quick-witted intelligence “The smart student solved the math problem quickly.” |
Stupid | Lacking intelligence or common sense “It was a stupid mistake to make.” |
Rich | Having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy “The rich businessman donated to many charities.” |
Poor | Lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in society “The poor family struggled to make ends meet.” |
Strong | Having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks “She is strong enough to lift the heavy box.” |
Weak | Lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; having little physical strength or energy “After the illness, he felt very weak.” |
Tall | Of great or more than average height, especially (with reference to an object) relative to width “The tall building dominated the skyline.” |
Short | Of a small amount or duration; having little length or height “The short man stood next to the basketball player.” |
Funny | Causing laughter or amusement; humorous “The clown was very funny.” |
Serious | Solemn or thoughtful in character or manner “The situation called for a serious response.” |
Hot | Having a high degree of heat or a high temperature “It was a hot summer day.” |
Cold | Of or at a low or relatively low temperature, especially when compared with the human body “She shivered in the cold weather.” |
List of Uncommon Adjectives
Adjectives | Meanings with Examples |
---|---|
Arcane | Understood by few; mysterious or secret “The book is full of arcane references that only scholars understand.” |
Bucolic | Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life “The bucolic landscape inspired the artist.” |
Cacophonous | Involving or producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds “The city’s streets were filled with cacophonous noise.” |
Dilapidated | In a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect “The dilapidated mansion had a haunted reputation.” |
Effervescent | Vivacious and enthusiastic “Her effervescent personality made her popular at social events.” |
Furtive | Attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt “His furtive glances made her suspicious.” |
Gregarious | Fond of company; sociable “The gregarious host enjoyed throwing large parties.” |
Hapless | Unfortunate; having no luck “The hapless travelers got lost in the wilderness.” |
Idiosyncratic | Peculiar or individual “She had some idiosyncratic habits that amused her friends.” |
Jubilant | Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph “The crowd was jubilant when the team won the championship.” |
Kaleidoscopic | Having complex patterns of colors; multifaceted “The kaleidoscopic display mesmerized the onlookers.” |
Luminous | Full of or shedding light; bright or shining “The luminous stars lit up the night sky.” |
Mellifluous | Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear “Her mellifluous voice captivated the audience.” |
Nebulous | In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy “The boundaries of the concept were nebulous and undefined.” |
Obtuse | Annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand “He was too obtuse to notice that she was upset.” |
Pernicious | Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way “The pernicious influence of the propaganda worried the leaders.” |
Quixotic | Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical “His quixotic plans for the city’s future never came to fruition.” |
Reticent | Not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily “She was reticent about her experiences during the war.” |
Serendipitous | Occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way “Finding the rare book at the flea market was serendipitous.” |
Tumultuous | Making a loud, confused noise; uproarious “The crowd’s tumultuous applause lasted several minutes.” |
Ubiquitous | Present, appearing, or found everywhere “Mobile phones are ubiquitous these days.” |
Verdant | Green with grass or other rich vegetation “The verdant meadows were a welcome sight.” |
Winsome | Attractive or appealing in appearance or character “The child’s winsome smile won over everyone’s hearts.” |
Xenophobic | Having or showing a dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries “The xenophobic policies were criticized internationally.” |
Yielding | Giving way under pressure; not hard or rigid “The yielding pillows were very comfortable.” |
Zephyr | A gentle, mild breeze “The zephyr made the day perfect for a picnic.” |
Comprehensive List of Adjectives in English
Last Updated on December 5, 2023
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