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:
- List of descriptive adjectives and how to use them
- Demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those)
- Interrogative adjectives (which, what, whose)
- Forming the comparative and superlative
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?The comparative and superlative forms of descriptive adjectives
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:
These adjectives are perfect!
Keep studying the adjectives above, and you will always be ready to pick the perfect English adjective!
English adjectives: how to use them and most common types