Descriptive adjectives serve an important role: They add details and make your speaking and writing more interesting! Without them, you wouldn’t be able to say that your grandma is funny or that a cake is delicious.
However, descriptive adjectives in English don’t follow the same rules as they do in some other languages. There are also a lot of adjectives to choose from—they can describe everything from size to personality to texture!
Use the guide below for all you need to know about descriptive adjectives!
In this post:
- What are descriptive adjectives?
- Where are descriptive adjectives placed in English sentences?
- Do descriptive adjectives change form?
- The categories of descriptive adjectives
What are descriptive adjectives in English?
Descriptive adjectives are words that bring nouns to life. They provide information about how people, places, things, and ideas look, feel, sound, and more! Words like cold, big, and amazing are all great examples.
Where are descriptive adjectives placed in a sentence?
In English, descriptive adjectives can have two placements:
1) Before the noun:
I put the beautiful flowers in a vase.
That’s a scary movie.
2) After certain verbs (such as be, seem, look, smell, get, etc.):
Lily looks sad today.
Yes, we are happy.
(In addition to the basic word order described above, when multiple adjectives are used to describe a noun, they usually follow a specific order.)
Do descriptive adjectives change form?
Unlike in some languages, descriptive adjectives generally do not change form in English.
This means that adjectives stay the same whether describing a singular or plural noun:
The tree is so tall.
The trees are so tall.
They also do not change based on gender:
That man is really funny.
That woman is really funny.
What are the categories of descriptive adjectives?
There are many categories of descriptive adjectives. Below are some of the most common ones:
Condition
These adjectives describe the state of a noun, and they’re some of the most common adjectives you’ll learn! Keep in mind that two of these adjectives (good and bad) are irregular adjectives.
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
This category of descriptive adjectives gives information on one of the most basic qualities: how big something or someone is. While these adjectives are very useful, it’s important to note that in many English-speaking places, it can be considered impolite to talk about people’s sizes. Be especially careful when using adjectives that describe a person’s weight, like fat, thin and skinny.
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
These adjectives are used to describe how people and things look. While most adjectives in English are gender neutral, some appearance adjectives have traditionally been used to describe either boys and men or girls and women. For example, pretty is commonly used for girls and women, while handsome is typically used for boys and men.
It is also important to note that in many English-speaking places, it can be seen as impolite to speak about a person’s appearance. This is especially true for negative adjectives like ugly, but it can also apply to more positive adjectives, such as pretty or beautiful.
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
These adjectives are most commonly used to describe a person's character, but many of the adjectives in this category can also be used to describe other kinds of nouns.
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
These adjectives are typically used to describe how a person feels in the moment. Like personality adjectives, these adjectives are sometimes also used to describe other types of nouns.
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
These are adjectives used to describe how long a person or thing has existed. Note that there are some adjectives in this category (like old) that can be considered impolite when used to describe people. Words like elderly or senior are good alternatives!
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
The adjectives in this category are used to describe a noun’s consistency or how it feels.
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.Descriptive adjectives are great!
Descriptive adjectives can make your speech and writing more interesting, fun, and even a little sparkly! In short, it can make everything you have to say great! And what could be more wonderful than that? 😉
Read more about the order English adjectives go in and the most common types of adjectives, including:
The hidden word order rules for English adjectives