What Are Descriptive Adjectives?
A descriptive adjective is an adjective that modifies a noun or pronoun by describing it or expressing its quality.
In other words, a Descriptive Adjective can be defined as the words which describe the quality of the person, animals, things, etc.
Order of Descriptive Adjectives
Adjectives can be used one at a time, or several adjectives can be used for the same noun, using commas to separate them.
This order is as follows:
- Demonstrative or quantitative adjectives
- Quality or opinion
- Size
- Age
- Shape
- Color
- Proper adjectives (adjectives based on names of people or locations)
- Purpose
Types of Descriptive Adjectives with Rules
Descriptive adjectives are the most common adjectives of all and are used to qualify something about an object in text. There are three main types of descriptive adjectives:
Positive Adjective
These adjectives are always used to describe and not compare. Something like “I am happy” or “this is boring” is a good use of a positive descriptive adjective.
Comparative Adjective
These adjectives are used to compare two things while also being able to describe some elements about them. “She was better than me” is a good use of a comparative adjective with “better” is the descriptive adjective being used.
Superlative Adjective:
These adjectives are also used as a way to compare but they are reserved for three or more things, or as a way of saying something is “the most”. “This is the best sandwich ever” is a good use of a superlative adjective where “best” becomes the superlative and is used to describe the sandwich.
List of Descriptive Adjectives
The following list is broken into categories: simple, compound, or proper adjectives.
Simple Descriptive Adjectives
Simple or common adjectives are just basic adjectives. They consist of a single word that isn’t a proper noun. Just like the other descriptive adjectives, these can be combined with other adjectives.
| Abactinal | Abandoned |
| Abashed | Abatable |
| Abatic | Abaxial |
| Abbatial | Abbreviated |
| Abducent | Abducting |
| Aberrant | Abeyant |
| Abhorrent | Abiding |
| Abient | Abundant |
| Accurate | Addicted |
| Adorable | Adventurous |
| Afraid | Aggressive |
| Agreeable | Alcoholic |
| Alert | Alive |
| Aloof | Ambitious |
| Amused | Ancient |
| Angry | Animated |
| Annoying | Anxious |
| Arrogant | Ashamed |
| Ashy | Attractive |
| Auspicious | Awesome |
| Awful | Bad |
| Bald | Barren |
| Barricaded | Barytic |
| Basal | Basaltic |
| Baseborn | Based |
| Baseless | Bashful |
| Beautiful | Belligerent |
| Beneficial | Best |
| Better | Big |
| Bitter | Bizarre |
| Black | Blue |
| Blushing | Bored |
| Boring | Brainy |
| Brave | Bright |
| Broad | Broken |
| Brown | Busy |
| Calm | Careful |
| Cautious | Charming |
| Cheerful | Chubby |
| Clean | Clear |
| Clever | Clumsy |
| Colorful | Comfortable |
| Concerning | Condemned |
| Confused | Confusing |
| Cooperative | Courageous |
| Creepy | Crowded |
| Cruel | Curios |
| Curious | Curly |
| Cute | Dangerous |
| Dark | Dazzling |
| Dead | Defiant |
| Delightful | Difficult |
| Disgusting | Distinct |
| Disturbed | Dizzying |
| Drab | Drafty |
| Dramatic | Dreary |
| Droopy | Dry |
| Dual | Dull |
| Dutiful | Eager |
| Easy | Elated |
| Elegant | Embarrassed |
| Enchanted | Encouraging |
| Energetic | Enthusiastic |
| Envious | Every |
| Evil | Exalted |
| Excellent | Excitable |
| Excited | Exciting |
| Exemplary | Exhausted |
| Exotic | Expensive |
| Experienced | Expert |
| Extra-Large | Exuberant |
| Faithful | Famous |
| Fancy | Fantastic |
| Fierce | Filthy |
| Fine | Fit |
| Flabby | Flat |
| Flawed | Flawless |
| Flickering | Flimsy |
| Flippant | Flowery |
| Fluffy | Fluid |
| Flustered | Focused |
| Fond | Foolhardy |
| Foolish | Fragile |
| Frail | Frantic |
| Friendly | Frightening |
| Funny | Gentle |
| Gifted | Glamorous |
| Gleaming | Glorious |
| Good | Gorgeous |
| Graceful | Gray |
| Green | Grieving |
| Grumpy | Hallowed |
| Handsome | Happy |
| Healthy | Hearty |
| Heavenly | Helpful |
| Helpless | Hilarious |
| Homeless | Horrible |
| Hungry | Hurt |
| Icy | Ill |
| Important | Impossible |
| Impractical | Impressionable |
| Impressive | Improbable |
| Impromptu | Improvised |
| Impure | Inborn |
| Inexpensive | Innocent |
| Inquiring | Itchy |
| Jealous | Jittery |
| Joyous | Kind |
| Knightly | Lazy |
| Lemon | Lemony |
| Light | Lingering |
| Lively | Lonely |
| Long | Lovely |
| Lucky | Magnificent |
| Mango | Mealy |
| Modern | Motionless |
| Muddy | Muscular |
| Mushy | Mysterious |
| Naughty | Nervous |
| Nice | Niche |
| Nutty | Obedient |
| Obnoxious | Odd |
| Open | Orange |
| Outrageous | Outstanding |
| Panicked | Perfect |
| Pink | Plain |
| Pleasant | Plump |
| Poised | Poor |
| Powerful | Powerless |
| Precious | Prickling |
| Proud | Purple |
| Puzzled | Quaint |
| Queer | Quizzical |
| Realistic | Red |
| Relieved | Repelling |
| Repulsive | Rich |
| Salmon | Scary |
| Scenic | Scruffy |
| Selfish | Shapely |
| Shiny | Short |
| Shy | Silly |
| Skinny | Sleepy |
| Smiling | Smoggy |
| Sore | Sparkly |
| Splendid | Spotted |
| Stocky | Stormy |
| Strange | Stupid |
| Successful | Super |
| Talented | Tame |
| Tasty | Tender |
| Tense | Terrible |
| Terse | Thankful |
| Thoughtful | Tired |
| Tough | Troubling |
| Ugly | Unimportant |
| Uninterested | Unkempt |
| Unsightly | Unusual |
| Upset | Uptight |
| Varied | Vast |
| Victorious | Wandering |
| Weary | White |
| Wicked | Wide |
| Wild | Witty |
| Worrisome | Wrong |
| Yellow | Young |
| Zealous |
Compound Descriptive Adjectives
Compound adjectives are adjectives for which more than one word makes up a single descriptor. These are generally hyphenated.
| Baby-faced | Broken-hearted |
| Bull-headed | Freckle-faced |
| Full-time | Heavy-handed |
| High-heeled | High-spirited |
| Life-giving | Long-lasting |
| Long-winded | Middle-aged |
| Mouth-watering | Never-ending |
| Next-door | Old-fashioned |
| Part-time | Red-blooded |
| Self-centered | Short-haired |
| Short-tempered | Sure-footed |
| Thick-skinned | Thought-provoking |
| Tight-fisted | Well-known |
| Well-read | World-famous |
Proper Descriptive Adjectives
Proper adjectives contain a proper noun. This is most often used for locations, but it can also be used for religions or philosophies.
| Alpine | American |
| Asian | Arthurian |
| Brazilian | Chinese |
| Christian | Darwinian |
| European | French |
| Gregorian | Martian |
| Orwellian | Shakespearean |
| Spanish | Thai |
| Voltairian |
