Common Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. They provide more information about an object’s size, shape, age, color, origin, or material.

Common Adjectives Describing Size

  • Big: large in size or extent.

  • Colossal: extremely large or great.

  • Enormous: very large in size, quantity, or extent.

  • Giant: of very great size or force.

  • Gigantic: very large; huge.

  • Huge: extremely large.

  • Immense: extremely large or great, especially in scale or degree.

  • Large: of considerable or relatively great size, extent, or capacity.

  • Little: small in size, amount, or degree.

  • Mammoth: huge; gigantic.

  • Massive: large and heavy or solid.

  • Miniature: very small of its kind.

  • Petite: attractively small and dainty.

  • Puny: small and weak.

  • Short: measuring a small distance from end to end.

  • Small: of a size that is less than normal or usual.

  • Tall: of great or more than average height.

  • Teeny: very small.

  • Tiny: very small.

  • Vast: of very great extent or quantity; immense.

Common Adjectives Describing Shape

  • Angular: having angles or sharp corners.

  • Circular: having the form of a circle.

  • Crooked: bent or twisted out of shape or out of place.

  • Curved: having a shape that is bent or rounded.

  • Flat: having a level surface; without raised areas or indentations.

  • Oval: having a rounded and slightly elongated outline or shape.

  • Rectangular: having the shape of a rectangle.

  • Round: having a circular shape.

  • Skinny: very thin.

  • Square: having the shape or form of a square.

  • Straight: extending or moving uniformly in one direction only.

  • Triangular: shaped like a triangle.

  • Tubular: having the form of a tube.

  • Twisted: formed into a bent, curled, or distorted shape.

  • Wavy: having a form or edge that smoothly curves in and out.

  • Wide: of great or more than average width.

  • Zigzag: having the form of a zigzag; marked by sharp turns.

  • Bulky: taking up much space, typically inconveniently.

  • Conical: having the shape of a cone.

  • Cylindrical: having the form of a cylinder.

Common Adjectives Describing Age

  • Adolescent: in the process of developing from a child into an adult.

  • Ancient: belonging to the very distant past.

  • Antique: belonging to ancient times.

  • Baby: very young.

  • Elderly: old or aging.

  • Fresh: recently made or obtained; not stale or spoiled.

  • Infantile: of or occurring among babies or very young children.

  • Juvenile: for or relating to young people.

  • Mature: fully developed physically; full-grown.

  • Middle-aged: being in the middle of one's life.

  • Modern: relating to the present or recent times.

  • New: not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.

  • Old: having lived for a long time; no longer young.

  • Senior: of a more advanced age.

  • Toddler: a young child who is just beginning to walk.

  • Vintage: denoting something from the past of high quality.

  • Young: having lived or existed for only a short time.

  • Youthful: having the appearance, freshness, vigor, or other qualities of youth.

  • Contemporary: living or occurring at the same time.

Common Adjectives Describing Color

  • Amber: yellowish-orange color.

  • Beige: a pale sandy yellowish-brown color.

  • Black: the darkest color, the result of the absence of or complete absorption of light.

  • Blue: the color of the sky or sea on a sunny day.

  • Crimson: a rich deep red color.

  • Cyan: a greenish-blue color.

  • Emerald: a bright green color.

  • Golden: having the color or shine of gold.

  • Gray: of a color intermediate between black and white.

  • Green: the color of grass.

  • Indigo: a deep purplish-blue color.

  • Ivory: a creamy-white color.

  • Magenta: a light purplish-red color.

  • Maroon: a dark brownish-red color.

  • Orange: the color between yellow and red in the spectrum.

  • Pink: a pale red color.

  • Purple: a color intermediate between red and blue.

  • Red: the color of blood or ripe tomatoes.

  • Silver: shiny gray-white color, like that of silver.

  • White: the color of milk or fresh snow.

Common Adjectives Describing Origin

  • American: relating to the United States or its inhabitants.

  • Asian: relating to Asia or its people.

  • Australian: relating to Australia or its people.

  • Brazilian: relating to Brazil or its people.

  • Canadian: relating to Canada or its people.

  • Chinese: relating to China or its people.

  • Egyptian: relating to Egypt or its people.

  • English: relating to England or its people.

  • European: relating to Europe or its people.

  • French: relating to France or its people.

  • German: relating to Germany or its people.

  • Greek: relating to Greece or its people.

  • Indian: relating to India or its people.

  • Irish: relating to Ireland or its people.

  • Italian: relating to Italy or its people.

  • Japanese: relating to Japan or its people.

  • Mexican: relating to Mexico or its people.

  • Russian: relating to Russia or its people.

  • Spanish: relating to Spain or its people.

  • Turkish: relating to Turkey or its people.

Common Adjectives Describing Material

  • Bamboo: made from the bamboo plant.

  • Brass: made of or covered with brass.

  • Bronze: made of or resembling bronze.

  • Ceramic: made from clay and hardened by heat.

  • Cotton: made from the cotton plant.

  • Crystal: made of clear, transparent material.

  • Denim: made of a type of cotton fabric.

  • Glass: made from or resembling glass.

  • Gold: made from or having the appearance of gold.

  • Iron: made from or resembling iron.

  • Leather: made from animal skin.

  • Linen: made from the flax plant.

  • Metal: made from or resembling metal.

  • Paper: made from or resembling paper.

  • Plastic: made from synthetic materials.

  • Rubber: made from or resembling rubber.

  • Silk: made from the silkworm's cocoon.

  • Silver: made from or resembling silver.

  • Steel: made from or resembling steel.

  • Wood: made from or resembling wood.

Common Adjectives Describing Quality

  • Amazing: causing great surprise or wonder.

  • Awful: very bad or unpleasant.

  • Beautiful: pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.

  • Best: of the highest quality.

  • Brilliant: exceptionally clever or talented.

  • Charming: pleasant or attractive.

  • Cheap: low in price.

  • Decent: conforming with generally accepted standards.

  • Elegant: pleasingly graceful and stylish.

  • Excellent: extremely good.

  • Fabulous: extraordinary, especially extraordinarily large.

  • Fancy: elaborate in structure or decoration.

  • Fantastic: extraordinarily good.

  • Fine: of high quality.

  • Good: to be desired or approved of.

  • Great: of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above average.

  • High-quality: of very good quality.

  • Inferior: lower in quality.

  • Poor: lacking sufficient quality.

  • Superb: excellent; very good.

Common Adjectives Describing Quantity

  • Abundant: existing or available in large quantities.

  • Ample: enough or more than enough.

  • Countless: too many to be counted.

  • Double: consisting of two equal, identical, or similar parts or things.

  • Enough: as much or as many as required.

  • Few: a small number.

  • Full: containing as much as possible.

  • Insufficient: not enough.

  • Limited: restricted in size, amount, or extent.

  • Little: small in size, amount, or degree.

  • Many: a large number of.

  • Minimal: of a minimum amount, quantity, or degree.

  • Multiple: having or involving several parts, elements, or members.

  • Numerous: great in number; many.

  • Plenty: a large or sufficient amount or quantity.

  • Scarce: insufficient for the demand.

  • Several: more than two but not many.

  • Single: only one; not one of several.

  • Sparse: thinly dispersed or scattered.

  • Substantial: of considerable importance, size, or worth.

Common Adjectives Describing Time

  • Annual: occurring once every year.

  • Brief: of short duration.

  • Daily: done, produced, or occurring every day.

  • Early: happening or done before the usual or expected time.

  • Eternal: lasting or existing forever.

  • Fast: moving or capable of moving at high speed.

  • First: coming before all others in time or order.

  • Future: at a later time.

  • Instant: happening or coming immediately.

  • Late: doing something or taking place after the expected, proper, or usual time.

  • Long: measuring a great distance from end to end.

  • Modern: relating to the present or recent times.

  • Monthly: occurring once a month.

  • Old-fashioned: in or according to styles or types no longer current.

  • Past: gone by in time and no longer existing.

  • Quick: moving fast or doing something in a short time.

  • Rapid: happening in a short time or at a great rate.

  • Recent: having happened, begun, or been done not long ago.

  • Regular: arranged in or constituting a constant or definite pattern.

  • Slow: moving or operating, or designed to do so, only at a low speed.

Common Adjectives Describing Emotions

  • Angry: feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.

  • Anxious: experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness.

  • Blissful: extremely happy; full of joy.

  • Bored: feeling weary and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity.

  • Calm: not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.

  • Confused: unable to think clearly; bewildered.

  • Depressed: in a state of unhappiness or despondency.

  • Ecstatic: feeling or expressing overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement.

  • Embarrassed: feeling or showing embarrassment.

  • Excited: very enthusiastic and eager.

  • Frustrated: feeling or expressing distress and annoyance.

  • Happy: feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.

  • Jealous: feeling or showing envy of someone or their achievements and advantages.

  • Joyful: feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness.

  • Nervous: easily agitated or alarmed.

  • Proud: feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements.

  • Relaxed: free from tension and anxiety.

  • Sad: feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.

  • Scared: fearful; frightened.

  • Surprised: feeling or showing surprise because something has happened that one did not expect.

Common Adjectives Describing Conditions

  • Broken: having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order.

  • Clean: free from dirt, marks, or stains.

  • Clear: easy to perceive, understand, or interpret.

  • Clogged: blocked with an accumulation of thick, wet matter.

  • Cold: of or at a low or relatively low temperature.

  • Comfortable: providing physical ease and relaxation.

  • Crowded: full of people, leaving little or no room for movement.

  • Damaged: harmed or injured.

  • Dirty: covered or marked with an unclean substance.

  • Dry: free from moisture or liquid; not wet or moist.

  • Empty: containing nothing; not filled or occupied.

  • Filthy: disgustingly dirty.

  • Hot: having a high degree of heat or a high temperature.

  • Messy: untidy or dirty.

  • Neat: arranged in an orderly, tidy way.

  • Polluted: contaminated with harmful or poisonous substances.

  • Quiet: making little or no noise.

  • Smooth: having an even and regular surface; free from perceptible projections, lumps, or indentations.

  • Soft: easy to mold, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch.

  • Wet: covered or saturated with water or another liquid.