Adjectives That Start With S
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun, providing more information about its qualities, quantity, or state.
Here, we present a comprehensive list of adjectives starting with the letter S, organized in alphabetical order:
375+ Adjectives That Start With S
- Sacrificial: relating to or constituting a sacrifice.
- Sad: feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.
- Safe: free from harm or risk.
- Sagacious: having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment.
- Salient: most noticeable or important.
- Salty: tasting of, containing, or preserved with salt.
- Salutary: producing good effects; beneficial.
- Salvageable: capable of being saved, repaired, or recovered.
- Same: identical; not different.
- Sanctified: made holy or consecrated.
- Sandy: covered in or consisting mostly of sand.
- Sane: mentally healthy; reasonable.
- Sanguine: optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation.
- Sanitary: relating to health or the conditions affecting health, especially with regard to cleanliness.
- Sapient: wise, or attempting to appear wise.
- Saponaceous: resembling or having the qualities of soap.
- Sarcastic: using irony to mock or convey contempt.
- Sardonic: grimly mocking or cynical.
- Sassy: lively, bold, and full of spirit; cheeky.
- Satirical: using satire, which is the use of humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize people's stupidity or vices.
- Satisfied: contented; pleased.
- Saturnine: slow and gloomy.
- Saurian: resembling a lizard.
- Savage: fierce, violent, and uncontrolled.
- Scaly: covered in scales or flakes.
- Scandalous: causing general public outrage by a perceived offense against morality or law.
- Scarce: insufficient for the demand.
- Scared: fearful or frightened.
- Scary: causing fear or alarm.
- Scathing: witheringly scornful; severely critical.
- Scenic: providing or relating to views of impressive or beautiful natural scenery.
- Scented: having a pleasant smell.
- Scholarly: involving or relating to serious academic study.
- Scientific: based on or characterized by the methods and principles of science.
- Scintillating: sparkling or shining brightly.
- Scornful: feeling or expressing contempt or derision.
- Scrappy: determined, argumentative, or pugnacious.
- Scratchy: causing or liable to cause a slight grating noise or sensation.
- Screeching: making a high-pitched, piercing noise.
- Scribbled: written or drawn carelessly or hurriedly.
- Scripted: written as a script or pre-planned.
- Scruffy: shabby and untidy.
- Sculpted: shaped or molded into a form.
- Sculptural: relating to or resembling sculpture.
- Seafaring: regularly traveling by sea.
- Sealed: closed tightly so that air, liquid, etc., cannot get in or out.
- Seamless: smooth and continuous, with no apparent gaps or spaces between one part and the next.
- Searing: extremely hot or intense.
- Seasonal: relating to or characteristic of a particular season of the year.
- Seasoned: accustomed to particular conditions; experienced.
- Secluded: not seen or visited by many people; sheltered and private.
- Second: coming after the first in order or time.
- Secondary: coming after, less important than, or resulting from someone or something else that is primary.
- Secret: not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others.
- Secretive: inclined to conceal feelings and intentions or not to disclose information.
- Secure: fixed or fastened so as not to give way, become loose, or be lost.
- Sedate: calm, dignified, and unhurried.
- Sedentary: characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise.
- Seditious: inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch.
- Seductive: tempting and attractive; enticing.
- Seedy: sordid and disreputable.
- Seemly: conforming to accepted notions of propriety or good taste; decorous.
- Segregated: set apart from the rest or from each other; isolate or divide.
- Seismic: relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust.
- Select: carefully chosen from a larger number as being the best or most valuable.
- Selective: relating to or involving the selection of the most suitable or best qualified.
- Self-assured: confident in one's own abilities or character.
- Self-conscious: feeling undue awareness of oneself, one's appearance, or one's actions.
- Self-contained: complete, or having all that is needed, in itself.
- Self-deprecating: modest about or critical of oneself, especially humorously so.
- Self-directed: guided by oneself, especially with independent thought and action.
- Self-effacing: not claiming attention for oneself; retiring and modest.
- Selfish: lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
- Selfless: concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own.
- Semantic: relating to meaning in language or logic.
- Semi-conscious: only partially conscious.
- Semiannual: occurring twice a year; half-yearly.
- Seminal: strongly influencing later developments.
- Sensate: relating to the physical senses rather than the mind.
- Sensational: causing great public interest and excitement.
- Sensationalistic: presenting information in a way that is intended to provoke public interest and excitement, at the expense of accuracy.
- Senseless: lacking meaning, stupid, or foolish.
- Sensible: chosen in accordance with wisdom or prudence; likely to be of benefit.
- Sensitive: quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals, or influences.
- Sensory: relating to sensation or the physical senses.
- Sensual: relating to or involving gratification of the senses and physical pleasure.
- Sentimental: of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
- Separable: able to be separated or treated separately.
- Separate: forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself.
- Sepia-toned: a photograph in a brown tint.
- Sepulchral: relating to a tomb or interment.
- Sequential: forming or following in a logical order or sequence.
- Seraphic: characteristic of or resembling a seraph or seraphim.
- Serendipitous: occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
- Serene: calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil.
- Serial: consisting of, forming part of, or taking place in a series.
- Serious: solemn or thoughtful in character or manner.
- Serpentine: of or like a serpent or snake.
- Serrated: having or denoting a jagged edge; sawlike.
- Servile: having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others.
- Sessional: related to or occurring during a session.
- Set: fixed or arranged in advance.
- Settled: stable or established.
- Sevenfold: seven times as great or as numerous.
- Severe: very great; intense.
- Sewn: fastened with stitches using a needle and thread.
- Sexual: relating to the instincts, physiological processes, and activities connected with physical attraction or intimate physical contact between individuals.
- Shadowed: partially or completely darkened by an object blocking the light.
- Shadowy: full of shadows.
- Shady: situated in or full of shade.
- Shagged: having a rough, tangled, or hairy surface or appearance.
- Shaggy: covered with or having long, rough, and unkempt hair or fur.
- Shallow: of little depth.
- Shambolic: chaotic, disorganized, or mismanaged.
- Shamed: made to feel ashamed.
- Shameful: worthy of or causing shame or disgrace.
- Shameless: lacking any sense of shame.
- Shaped: having a specific form or shape.
- Shapeless: lacking a definite shape.
- Shapely: having an attractively curved shape.
- Shared: used, divided, or enjoyed in common by two or more individuals.
- Sharp: having an edge or point that is able to cut or pierce something.
- Sharpened: made sharp or sharper.
- Shattered: broken into many pieces.
- Sheared: cut the wool off (a sheep or other animal).
- Sheer: nothing other than; unmitigated.
- Shell-like: resembling a shell.
- Sheltered: protected from bad weather or danger.
- Shielded: protected from a particular risk or unpleasant condition.
- Shifty: appearing deceitful or evasive.
- Shimmering: shining with a soft, slightly wavering light.
- Shiny: reflecting light; bright.
- Shivering: shaking slightly and uncontrollably as a result of being cold, frightened, or excited.
- Shocked: surprised and upset.
- Shocking: causing a feeling of surprise and dismay.
- Short: measuring a small distance from end to end.
- Shortened: made shorter in length.
- Showy: having a striking appearance or style, typically by being excessively bright, colorful, or ostentatious.
- Shredded: torn or cut into shreds.
- Shrewd: having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute.
- Shrunken: reduced in size; made smaller.
- Shy: nervous or timid in the company of other people.
- Sick: affected by physical or mental illness.
- Sickly: often ill; in poor health.
- Sidelong: directed to or from one side.
- Significant: sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.
- Silent: not making or accompanied by any sound.
- Silken: soft, smooth, and shining.
- Silky: of or resembling silk, especially in being soft, fine, and lustrous.
- Silly: having or showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish.
- Silver: of a shiny gray-white color or having the color of silver.
- Simian: relating to or resembling apes or monkeys.
- Similar: resembling without being identical.
- Simple: easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty.
- Simplistic: treating complex issues and problems as if they were much simpler than they really are.
- Simulated: manufactured in imitation of some other material.
- Sinful: wicked and immoral; committing or characterized by the committing of sins.
- Single: only one; not one of several.
- Singular: exceptionally good or great; remarkable.
- Sinister: giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen.
- Sinuous: having many curves and turns.
- Sinusoidal: having the form of a sine wave.
- Sizable: fairly large.
- Skeletal: relating to or functioning as a skeleton.
- Skeptical: not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations.
- Sketchy: not thorough or detailed.
- Skilled: having or showing the knowledge, ability, or training to perform a certain activity or task well.
- Skillful: having or showing skill.
- Skinny: very thin.
- Skittish: excitable or easily scared.
- Skyward: directed toward the sky.
- Slanted: sloping in one direction.
- Sleek: smooth and glossy.
- Sleepy: needing or ready for sleep.
- Slender: gracefully thin.
- Slight: small in degree; inconsiderable.
- Slim: attractively thin.
- Slimy: covered by or having the feel or consistency of slime.
- Slippery: difficult to hold firmly or stand on because it is smooth, wet, or slimy.
- Slow: moving or operating at a slow speed.
- Sluggish: slow-moving or inactive.
- Sly: having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
- Small: of a size that is less than normal or usual.
- Smarmy: excessively flattering or ingratiating.
- Smart: having or showing a quick-witted intelligence.
- Smelly: having a strong or unpleasant odor.
- Smiling: having or forming a smile.
- Smitten: deeply affected with or struck by strong feelings of attraction, affection, or infatuation.
- Smoldering: burning slowly with smoke but no flame.
- Smooth: having an even and regular surface or consistency; free from perceptible projections, lumps, or indentations.
- Smudged: smeared with something that soils or stains.
- Snappy: quick and energetic.
- Snarling: making an aggressive growl with bared teeth.
- Sneaky: furtive; sly.
- Snide: derogatory or mocking in an indirect way.
- Snippy: curt or sharp, especially in a condescending way.
- Snobbish: relating to, characteristic of, or like a snob.
- Snobby: having or showing the attitude of people who think they are better than others.
- Snoopy: prying into the affairs of others; intrusive.
- Snooty: showing disapproval or contempt toward others, especially those considered to belong to a lower social class.
- Snoozy: inclined to sleep; drowsy.
- Snotty: having or showing a superior attitude.
- Snug: comfortable, warm, and cozy; well protected from the weather or cold.
- Snuggly: comfortable and cozy.
- Soaring: flying or rising high in the air.
- Sober: not affected by alcohol; serious, sensible, and solemn.
- Sociable: willing to talk and engage in activities with other people; friendly.
- Social: relating to society or its organization.
- Soft: easy to mold, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch.
- Solar: relating to or determined by the sun.
- Sole: one and only.
- Solemn: formal and dignified.
- Solid: firm and stable in shape; not liquid or fluid.
- Solitary: done or existing alone.
- Somatic: relating to the body, especially as distinct from the mind.
- Somber: dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy.
- Sophisticated: having, revealing, or involving a great deal of worldly experience and knowledge of fashion and culture.
- Soporific: tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.
- Sordid: involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt.
- Sore: painful or aching.
- Sorrowful: feeling or showing sorrow.
- Soulful: expressing or appearing to express deep and often sorrowful feeling.
- Sound: in good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased.
- Sour: having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar.
- Southern: situated in the south or directed toward or facing the south.
- Soviet: relating to the former Soviet Union.
- Spacious: having ample space.
- Spangled: covered with spangles or small sparkling objects.
- Spanish: relating to Spain, its people, or its language.
- Sparkling: shining brightly with flashes of light.
- Sparse: thinly dispersed or scattered.
- Specific: clearly defined or identified.
- Spectacular: beautiful in a dramatic and eye-catching way.
- Speculative: engaged in, expressing, or based on conjecture rather than knowledge.
- Speedy: done or occurring quickly.
- Spellbinding: holding one's attention completely as though by magic; fascinating.
- Spherical: shaped like a sphere.
- Spicy: flavored with or fragrant with spice.
- Spiffy: smart in appearance.
- Spirited: full of energy, enthusiasm, and determination.
- Spiritual: relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
- Spiteful: showing or caused by malice.
- Splendid: magnificent; very impressive.
- Splintered: broken into small sharp fragments.
- Spontaneous: performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus.
- Sporadic: occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.
- Sportive: playful; lighthearted.
- Spotless: absolutely clean or pure; immaculate.
- Spotted: marked with spots.
- Sprightly: lively; full of energy.
- Springy: flexible and elastic.
- Spry: active; lively.
- Spunky: courageous and determined.
- Spurious: not being what it purports to be; false or fake.
- Squalid: extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect.
- Square: having the shape or approximate shape of a square.
- Squeaky: making a high-pitched, screeching noise.
- Squeamish: easily made to feel sick, faint, or disgusted, especially by unpleasant images.
- Squiggly: consisting of or characterized by squiggles; wavy.
- Stable: not likely to change or fail; firmly established.
- Staccato: performed with each note sharply detached or separated from the others.
- Stagnant: having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence.
- Staid: sedate, respectable, and unadventurous.
- Stained: marked or discolored with something that is not easily removed.
- Stalwart: loyal, reliable, and hardworking.
- Stamped: impressed or marked with a pattern or seal.
- Standard: used or accepted as normal or average.
- Starchy: containing or resembling starch.
- Stark: severe or bare in appearance or outline.
- Starry: full of or lit by stars.
- Static: lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in a way viewed as undesirable or uninteresting.
- Statuesque: attractively tall and dignified.
- Staunch: loyal and committed in attitude.
- Steadfast: resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.
- Steady: firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or moving.
- Steep: rising or falling sharply; nearly perpendicular.
- Stellar: relating to a star or stars.
- Stenographic: relating to the action or process of writing in shorthand or taking dictation.
- Stentorian: loud and powerful.
- Sterile: free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; totally clean.
- Stern: serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline.
- Sticky: tending or designed to stick to things on contact.
- Stiff: not easily bent or changed in shape; rigid.
- Stifled: suffocated or suppressed.
- Stifling: making one feel constrained or oppressed.
- Still: not moving or making a sound.
- Stimulating: encouraging or arousing interest or enthusiasm.
- Stimulatory: producing stimulation.
- Stingy: unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous.
- Stinky: having a strong or unpleasant smell.
- Stirred: mixed or moved in a circular motion.
- Stocked: supplied with a stock of something.
- Stocky: broad and sturdily built.
- Stolen: taken without permission or right.
- Stony: covered with or full of small pieces of rock.
- Stormy: characterized by strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow.
- Strained: showing signs of nervous tension or tiredness.
- Strange: unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand.
- Strategic: relating to the identification of long-term or overall aims and interests and the means of achieving them.
- Streamlined: designed or provided with a form that presents very little resistance to a flow of air or water, increasing speed and ease of movement.
- Strenuous: requiring or using great exertion.
- Strict: demanding that rules concerning behavior are obeyed and observed.
- Strident: loud and harsh; grating.
- Striking: attracting attention by reason of being unusual, extreme, or prominent.
- Stringent: strict, precise, and exacting.
- Striped: marked with or having stripes.
- Stripeless: without stripes.
- Strong: having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.
- Stubborn: having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position on something.
- Stuck: unable to move or be moved.
- Studded: decorated or augmented with studs.
- Studious: spending a lot of time studying or reading.
- Stuffy: lacking fresh air or ventilation.
- Stumbling: tripping or losing balance while walking.
- Stunned: so shocked that one is temporarily unable to react.
- Stunning: extremely impressive or attractive.
- Stupendous: extremely impressive.
- Sturdy: strongly and solidly built.
- Stylish: having or displaying a good sense of style.
- Suave: charming, confident, and elegant.
- Subdued: quiet and rather reflective or depressed.
- Subjective: based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
- Sublime: of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe.
- Submissive: ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive.
- Subsequent: coming after something in time; following.
- Substantial: of considerable importance, size, or worth.
- Subtle: so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe.
- Suburban: of or characteristic of a suburb.
- Successful: accomplishing an aim or purpose.
- Succinct: briefly and clearly expressed.
- Sudden: occurring or done quickly and unexpectedly or without warning.
- Sufficient: enough; adequate.
- Sugary: containing much sugar.
- Suitable: right or appropriate for a particular person, purpose, or situation.
- Sulky: morose, bad-tempered, and resentful; refusing to be cooperative or cheerful.
- Sullen: bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy.
- Sultry: hot and humid.
- Summary: a brief statement or account of the main points of something.
- Sumptuous: splendid and expensive-looking.
- Sun-drenched: receiving a lot of sunlight.
- Sunny: bright with sunlight.
- Super: very good or pleasant; excellent.
- Superficial: existing or occurring at or on the surface.
- Superior: higher in rank, status, or quality.
- Superlative: of the highest quality or degree.
- Supplementary: completing or enhancing something.
- Supportive: providing encouragement or emotional help.
- Supposed: generally assumed or believed to be the case, but not necessarily so.
- Supreme: highest in rank or authority.
- Surly: bad-tempered and unfriendly.
- Surplus: more than what is needed or used; excess.
- Surprising: causing surprise; unexpected.
- Surreal: having the qualities of surrealism; bizarre.
- Susceptible: likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing.
- Suspenseful: arousing excited expectation or uncertainty about what may happen.
- Suspicious: having or showing a cautious distrust of someone or something.
- Sustained: continuing for an extended period or without interruption.
- Svelte: slender and elegant.
- Swanky: stylishly luxurious and expensive.
- Swaying: moving slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side.
- Sweaty: covered in sweat or perspiration.
- Sweet: having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not salty, sour, or bitter.
- Swift: happening quickly or promptly.
- Swirling: moving in a twisting or spiraling pattern.
- Symbiotic: involving interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association.
- Symmetrical: made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis; showing symmetry.
- Sympathetic: feeling, showing, or expressing sympathy.
- Symphonic: relating to or having the form or character of a symphony.
- Synchronistic: the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.
- Synchronized: cause to occur or operate at the same time or rate.
- Synergistic: relating to the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
- Synonymous: (of a word or phrase) having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language.
- Synthetic: (of a substance) made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product.
- Systematic: done or acting according to a fixed plan or system; methodical.
- Systemic: relating to a system, especially as opposed to a particular part.