Adjectives modify, describe and identify nouns and pronouns. They may name qualities of all kinds: big, green, happy, wonderful, nice, wise, etc.
An adjective usually comes right before a noun: “a wise man,””beautiful girl.”
Degree of Comparison
Adjective change in form when they show comparison.
- Positive Degree: An adjective is said to be in the positive degree when there is no comparison.
Eg: she is a good student
It is a marvelous story
- Comparative Degree: An adjective is said to be in the comparative degree when it is used to compare two nouns/pronouns.
Eg:Joseph is taller than Ravi
Mary is more talkative than Ramya
- Superlative Degree: An adjective is in superlative degree when it is used to compare more than two nouns/pronouns. We use the article ‘the’ before the superlative degrees.
Eg: Ramya is the best girl in the class.
Raghuram is one of the wisest men in the family.
Frame the sentences using the adjectives given below or use “the + superlative”
- By addition of ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ to the positive degree
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| Bright | Brighter than | The brightest |
| Black | Blacker than | The blackest |
| Bold | Bolder | boldest |
| Clever | Cleverer | cleverest |
| Cold | Colder | coldest |
| Fast | Faster | fastest |
| Great | Greater | greatest |
| High | Higher | highest |
| Kind | Kinder | kindest |
| Long | Longer | longest |
| Rich | Richer | richest |
| Small | Smaller | smallest |
| Strong | Stronger | strongest |
| Sweet | Sweeter | sweetest |
| Tall | Taller | tallest |
| Thick | Thicker | thickest |
| Young | Younger | youngest |
- by addition of ‘-r’ and ‘-st’ to the positive degree ending in ‘e’
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| brave | braver than | The bravest |
| fine | finer than | The finest |
| large | larger | largest |
| nice | nicer | nicest |
| noble | nobler | noblest |
| pale | paler | palest |
| simple | simpler | simplest |
| wise | wiser | wisest |
| white | whiter | whitest |
- When the positive ends in ‘y’ and has a consonant before it, we change ‘y’ into ‘i’ and then add ‘er’ and ‘est’.
| By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’ | ||
| POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE costly costlier than The costliest dry drier than The driest easy easier easiest happy happier happiest heavy heavier heaviest lazy lasier lasiest mercy mercier merciest wealthy wealthier wealthiest | ||
- when the positive degree ends in a consonant with a vowel before it, we double the consonant & then add ‘-er’ and ‘-est’
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| big | bigger | biggest |
| dim | dimmer | dimmest |
| fat | fatter | fattest |
| hot | hotter | hottest |
| thin | thinner | thinnest |
- by addition of ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ to the positive degree when it ends in ‘-y’
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| gay | gayer than | The gayest |
| grey | greyer than | The greyest |
- by placing ‘more’ and ‘most’ before the positive form
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| active | more active than | The most active |
| attractive | more attractive than | The most attractive |
| beautiful | more beautiful | most beautiful |
| brilliant | more brilliant | most brilliant |
| careful | more careful | most careful |
| courageous | more courageous | most courageous |
| cunning | more cunning | most cunning |
| difficult | more difficult | most difficult |
| famous | more famous | most famous |
| faithful | more faithful | most faithful |
| important | more important | most important |
| proper | more proper | most proper |
| popular | more popular | most popular |
| splendid | more splendid | most splendid |
| suitable | more suitable | most suitable |
- Some adjectives do not follow any of the rules explained earlier. They are compared irregularly. Here are the different forms of such adjectives.
| POSITIVE | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| bad | worse than | The worst |
| evil | worse than | The worst |
| good | better | best |
| ill | worse | worst |
| far | farther | farthest |
| well | better | best |
| late | later | latest (time) |
| late | later | last (position) |
| little | less | least |
| much | more | most |
| many | more | most |
| near | nearer | nearest |
| old | older | oldest |
| old | elder | eldest |
- There are thousands of these descriptive words are given below. Read them and enrich the vocabulary. The adjectives are given according to their functions.
Adjectives to describe a Person or Personality:
| Aggressive | Famous | Restless |
| Agoraphobic | Fearless | Rich |
| Ambidextrous | Fertile | Righteous |
| Ambitious | Fragile | Ritzy |
| Amoral | Frank | Romantic |
| Angelic | Functional | Rustic |
| Brainy | Gabby | Ruthless |
| Breathless | Generous | Sassy |
| Busy | Gifted | Secretive |
| Calm | Helpful | Sedate |
| Capable | Hesitant | Shy |
| Careless | Innocent | Sleepy |
| Cautious | Inquisitive | Somber |
| Cheerful | Insane | Stingy |
| Clever | Jaunty | Stupid |
| Common | Juicy | Super |
| Complete | Macho | Swanky |
| Concerned | Manly | Tame |
| Crazy | Modern | Tawdry |
| Curious | Mushy | Terrific |
| Dead | Naughty | Testy |
| Deep | Odd | Uninterested |
| Delightful | Old | Vague |
| Determined | Open | Verdant |
| Different | Outstanding | Vivacious |
| Diligent | Perky | Wacky |
| Energetic | Poor | Wandering |
| Erratic | Powerful | Wild |
| Evil | Puzzled | Womanly |
| Exuberant | Real | Wrong |
Adjectives to describe Appearance:
| Ablaze | Distinct | Quirky |
| Adorable | Drab | Ruddy |
| Alluring | Dull | Shiny |
| Attractive | Elegant | Skinny |
| Average | Embarrassed | Sloppy |
| Awkward | Fancy | Smiling |
| Balanced | Fat | Sparkling |
| Beautiful | Filthy | Spotless |
| Blonde | Glamorous | Strange |
| Bloody | Gleaming | Tacky |
| Blushing | Glossy | Tall |
| Bright | Graceful | Thin |
| Clean | Grotesque | Ugly |
| Clear | Handsome | Unattractive |
| Cloudy | Homely | Unbecoming |
| Clumsy | Interior | Uncovered |
| Colorful | Lovely | Unsightly |
| Confident | Magnificent | Unusual |
| Cracked | Murky | Watery |
| Crooked | Old-fashioned | Weird |
| Crushed | Plain | Wild |
| Curly | Poised | Wiry |
| Cute | Pretty | Wooden |
| Debonair | Puffy | Worried |
| Dirty | Quaint | Zaftig |
Adjectives to describe Taste:
| Bitter | Minty | Spicy |
| Bland | Pickled | Swee |
| Delicious | Salty | Tasty |
| Fruity | Sour | |
| Gingery |
Adjectives to describe Touch:
| Boiling | Fluffy | Sharp |
| Breezy | Freezing | Silky |
| Bumpy | Fuzzy | Slick |
| Chilly | Greasy | Slimy |
| Cold | Hard | Slippery |
| Cool | Hot | Smooth |
| Cuddly | Icy | Soft |
| Damp | Loose | Solid |
| Dirty | Melted | Sticky |
| Dry | Painful | Tender |
| Dusty | Prickly | Tight |
| Encrusted | Rough | Uneven |
| Filthy | Shaggy | Warm |
| Flaky | Shaky | Wet |
Adjectives to describe Sound:
| Blaring | Melodic | Screeching |
| Deafening | Moaning | Shrill |
| Faint | Muffled | Silent |
| Hoarse | Mute | Soft |
| High-pitched | Noisy | Squealing |
| Hissing | Purring | Squeaking |
| Hushed | Quiet | Thundering |
| Husky | Raspy | Voiceless |
| Loud | Resonant | Whispering |
Adjectives to describe Colour:
| Azure | Gray | Pinkish |
| Black | Green | Purple |
| Blue | Indigo | Red |
| Bright | Lavender | Rosy |
| Brown | Light | Scarlet |
| Crimson | Magenta | Silver |
| Dark | Multicolored | Turquoise |
| Drab | Mustard | Violet |
| Dull | Orange | White |
| Gold | Pink | Yellow |
Adjectives to describe Size:
| Abundant | Jumbo | Puny |
| Big-boned | Large | Scrawny |
| Chubby | Little | Short |
| Fat | Long | Small |
| Giant | Majestic | Tall |
| Gigantic | Mammoth | Teeny |
| Great | Massive | Thin |
| Huge | Miniature | Tiny |
| Immense | Petite | Vast |
Adjectives to describe Shape:
| Blobby | Distorted | Rotund |
| Broad | Flat | Round |
| Chubby | Fluffy | Skinny |
| Circular | Globular | Square |
| Crooked | Hollow | Steep |
| Curved | Low | Straight |
| Cylindrical | Narrow | Triangular |
| Deep | Oval | Wide |
Adjectives to describe Time:
| Annual | Futuristic | Rapid |
| Brief | Historical | Regular |
| Daily | Irregular | Short |
| Early | Late | Slow |
| Eternal | Long | Speed |
| Fast | Modern | Speedy |
| First | Old | Swift |
| Fleet | Old-fashioned | Waiting |
| Future | Quick | Young |
Adjectives to describe Situations:
| Accidental | Doubtful | Main |
| Achievable | Elementary | Minor |
| Advantageous | Finger-printed | Nasty |
| Alcoholic | Groundless | Nutritious |
| Animated | Hard | Obsolete |
| Aquatic | Harmful | Optimal |
| Aromatic | High | Organic |
| Aspiring | Honest | Premium |
| Bad | Horrible | Quizzical |
| Bawdy | Illegal | Rainy |
| Biographical | Illegible | Redundant |
| Bizarre | Imperfect | Remarkable |
| Broken | Impossible | Simple |
| Careful | Internal | Tangible |
| Credible | Inventive | Tricky |
| Creepy | Jazzy | Wholesale |
| Cumbersome | Juvenile | Worse |
| Disastrous | Legal | Wry |
| Dismissive | Logical | X-rated |
Adjectives to describe an Amount:
| All | Heavy | One |
| Ample | Hundreds | Paltry |
| Astronomical | Large | Plentiful |
| Bountiful | Light | Profuse |
| Considerable | Limited | Several |
| Copious | Little | Sizable |
| Countless | Many | Some |
| Each | Measly | Sparse |
| Enough | Mere | Substantial |
| Every | Multiple | Teeming |
| Few | Myriad | Ten |
| Full | Numerous | Very |
Adjectives to describe an Emotion:
| Abrasive | Embarrassed | Grumpy |
| Abrupt | Energetic | Kind |
| Afraid | Enraged | Lazy |
| Agreeable | Enthusiastic | Lively |
| Aggressive | Envious | Lonely |
| Amiable | Evil | Lucky |
| Amused | Excited | Mad |
| Angry | Exhausted | Manic |
| Annoyed | Exuberant | Mysterious |
| Ashamed | Fair | Nervous |
| Bad | Faithful | Obedient |
| Bitter | Fantastic | Obnoxious |
| Bewildered | Fierce | Outrageous |
| Boring | Fine | Panicky |
| Brave | Foolish | Perfect |
| Callous | Frantic | Persuasive |
| Calm | Friendly | Pleasant |
| Calming | Frightened | Proud |
| Charming | Funny | Quirky |
| Cheerful | Furious | Relieved |
| Combative | Gentle | Repulsive |
| Comfortable | Glib | Rundown |
| Defeated | Glorious | Sad |
| Confused | Good | Scary |
| Cooperative | Grateful | Selfish |
| Courageous | Grieving | Silly |
| Cowardly | Gusty | Splendid |
| Crabby | Gutless | Successful |
| Creepy | Happy | Tedious |
| Cross | Healthy | Tense |
| Cruel | Heinous | Terrible |
| Dangerous | Helpless | Thankful |
| Defeated | Hilarious | Thoughtful |
| Defiant | Hungry | Thoughtless |
| Delightful | Hurt | Tired |
| Depressed | Hysterical | Troubled |
| Determined | Immoral | Upset |
| Disgusted | Impassioned | Weak |
| Disturbed | Indignant | Weary |
| Eager | Irate | Wicked |
| Elated | Itchy | Worried |
| Embarrassed | Jealous | Zany |
| Enchanting | Jolly | Zealous |
| NOTE: 1)The four demonstrative adjectives—this, that, these, and those—are identical to the demonstrative pronouns. They are used to distinguish the person or thing being described from others of the same category or class. This and these describe people or things that are nearby, or in the present. That and those are used to describe people or things that are not here, not nearby, or in the past or future. 2)These adjectives, like the definite and indefinite articles (a, an, and the), always come before any other adjectives that modify a noun. 3) An indefinite adjective describes a whole group or class of people or things, or a person or thing that is not identified or familiar. The most common indefinite adjectives are: all, another, any, both, each, either, enough, every, few, half, least, less, little, many, more, most, much, neither, one (and two, three, etc.), other, several, some, such, whole. 4) The interrogative adjectives—primarily which, what, and whose—are used to begin questions. They can also be used as interrogative pronouns. | ||