Adjectives in English: Definition, Types and Examples

In this article, I explain in detail everything you need to know about adjectives in English. I also provide examples of common adjectives that you should know.

Updated on 20/12/25

Adjectives are an essential part of the English language and are used for many things, but always to describe or modify a noun or pronoun. With good use of adjectives, we can describe and differentiate objects, as well as express our feelings and emotions. Furthermore, we will be able to add more detail, colour, and quality to our English, which will help us to excel in our B2 Writings and C1 Writings.

In this post, I am going to define what an adjective is and explain the main types of adjectives we find in the English language, their uses, and some examples to illustrate the explanations.

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word used to describe a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives are often used to provide additional information about the noun or pronoun, such as its size, colour, shape, or function. For example, in the expression «the furry cat», the word «furry» is an adjective that describes the noun «cat».

Types of adjectives in English

There are several types of adjectives in English, including qualifying, demonstrative, possessive, and numeral adjectives, among others. Let’s now look at a more complete list with their definitions.

Qualifying adjectives

Qualifying adjectives are those used to give a characteristic or quality to a noun. For example, in the phrase «the red apple», the word «red» is a qualifying adjective that describes the quality of the noun «apple». These are the most abundant and the ones we will focus on in this article.

Let’s look at more underlined examples:

The beautiful girl danced gracefully across the stage.

The speaker’s words were drowned out by the loud music.

The tall man stood out in the crowd.

We were satisfied with the delicious meal.

The cold wind made us feel chilly.

The luxurious car was expensive to purchase.

The cheerful song brought joy to those who heard it.

My attention was drawn to the bright colours in the painting.

The soft blanket was comfortable to cuddle up in.

With qualifying adjectives, it’s important to remember that:

• They **do not change for gender or number**, meaning they do not change to express masculine/feminine gender or singular/plural number.
• Many **nouns can act as qualifying adjectives** when placed before another noun (e.g., bus station, airport lounge, etc.). These formations are often known as *compound nouns*.

Demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out or indicate a particular noun. In English, these adjectives include the words «this», «that», «these», and «those». For example, in the phrase «this book is mine», the word «this» is a demonstrative adjective that points to the noun «book».

Here are some underlined examples:

This book is the one I was looking for.

These shoes are too tight.

That car is too expensive for me to buy.

Those cookies smell delicious.

This movie is my favourite.

Possessive adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used to show possession or belonging of a noun. However, in English, they are called *pronouns*, not *adjectives*.

In English, possessive adjectives are:

• My
• Your
• His/Her/Its
• Our
• Their

As before, let’s look at some underlined examples in context:

My dog is the cutest.

Your car is beautiful.

His idea is brilliant.

Her dress is stunning.

Its tail is wagging.

Our house is the biggest on the block.

Their children are well-behaved.

My phone is broken.

Your jacket is too big for me.

His cooking is amazing.

Additionally, we can also express possession with the *Saxon genitive* (‘s) by adding an apostrophe and the letter «s» to the noun they refer to. For example, in the phrase «the cat’s toys», the word «cat’s» is a possessive adjective that indicates the toys belong to the cat.

Numeral adjectives

Numeral adjectives are used to count or enumerate nouns. In English, these adjectives include:

• Cardinal numbers: one, two, three, etc.
• Ordinal numbers: first, second, third, etc.
• Fractional numbers: a half, a third, a fourth, etc.
• Multiplicative numbers: double, triple, quadruple, etc.
• Indefinite numerals: a few, a bunch, many, some, little, etc.

For example, in the phrase «I have three dogs», the word «three» is a numeral adjective that indicates how many dogs I have. Let’s look at more examples in context:

The first chapter of the book was the most interesting.

I only want three cookies, please.

It took me a half hour to get to work.

She ate triple the amount of food that I did.

There was a bunch of flowers on the table.

Can I have some water, please?

Comparative adjectives

Comparative adjectives are a type of adjective used to compare two different things. Comparative adjectives are formed by adding the words «more» or «less» to the adjective, or by using the suffix «-er» for short adjectives.

For example, in the phrase «the cat is bigger than the dog», the word «bigger» is a comparative adjective that compares the size of the cat with the size of the dog.

Other examples of comparative adjectives include «happier», «more beautiful», «less intelligent», and «stronger».

Let’s look at some examples in sentences:

Her cooking is better than mine.

He is taller than his brother.

This car is faster than that one.

Their team is more successful than ours.

The weather is colder here than it is in Florida.

Her painting is more beautiful than his.

His grades are worse than hers.

Their house is bigger than ours.

My phone is newer than his.

The movie was funnier than the book.

Superlative adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used to compare something with all others of its kind. Superlative adjectives are formed by adding the words «most» or «least» to the adjective, or by using the suffix «-est» for short adjectives.

For example, in the phrase «the dog is the biggest animal in the house», the word «biggest» is a superlative adjective that compares the size of the dog with the size of all other animals in the house.

Other examples of superlative adjectives include «happiest», «most beautiful», «least intelligent», and «strongest». Let’s look at some underlined examples in sentences:

He is the tallest person I have ever seen.

She is the smartest student in her class.

This is the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.

It is the coldest day of the year.

Their team is the most successful in the league.

He is the kindest person I know.

She is the most talented singer in the group.

It is the most expensive car in the showroom.

Their house is the biggest on the block.

It is the tastiest meal I have ever eaten.

If you are interested in learning more about how to create comparisons, read this post on comparatives and superlatives in English.

Interrogative adjectives

Interrogative adjectives in English are words used in interrogative sentences (questions) to obtain information about a noun.

The interrogative adjectives in English are: what, which, and whose.

Let’s look at some examples:

What colour is your suit?

Which book did you just finish reading?

Whose car is the one parked outside?

Following the examples, we can say that:

• «What» is an interrogative adjective used to obtain information about the colour of the suit.
• «Which» is an interrogative adjective used to obtain information about the book that has just been finished reading.
• «Whose» is an interrogative adjective used to obtain information about the owner of the car parked outside.

In summary, interrogative adjectives are used in interrogative sentences to obtain information about a noun.

Qualitative and quantitative adjectives

Another way to classify adjectives is into qualitative and quantitative. In general, qualitative adjectives are used to provide information about the qualities or characteristics of a noun or pronoun, while quantitative adjectives are used to provide information about the quantity of a noun or pronoun.

Qualitative adjectives are used to describe a quality or characteristic of a noun or pronoun. For example, in the phrase «the tall tree», the word «tall» is a qualitative adjective that describes the quality of the tree’s height. Other examples of qualitative adjectives include «happy», «large», «beautiful», and «intelligent».

Quantitative adjectives are used to indicate the quantity of a noun or pronoun. For example, in the phrase «some water», the word «some» is a quantitative adjective that indicates the amount of water. Other examples of quantitative adjectives include «all», «several», «many», and «few».

Adjectival phrase

An **adjectival phrase** in English is a group of words that functions as an adjective to describe a noun or a pronoun. The nucleus of this group of words is always an adjective, hence the name.

Adjectival phrases can be formed by a single adjective or by several adjectives together, as well as by other words such as adverbs, prepositions, and pronouns.

In general, adjectival phrases are used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun, and can help to make sentences more precise and specific. Let’s look at some underlined examples in the following sentences:

I was only a four-year-old boy when my parents got a divorce.

The coffee was extremely strong.

I was too mindblown to even say something.

If you want to read more about the topic, you can do so here.

The order of adjectives in English

The correct order of qualifying adjectives in English before the noun is:

• First: quantity (if any)
• Second: opinion adjectives
• Third: adjectives that describe facts.

Knowing this, we must memorise the following order:

quantity → opinion → age → shape → colour → origin → material → purpose/aim + NOUN

Let’s look at some examples in sentences:

I had a delicious, homemade, chocolate cake for dessert.

The beautiful, old, Victorian house was my dream home.

The clever, little, brown mouse scurried across the floor.

I bought a pair of expensive, Italian, leather shoes.

I wrapped myself in a warm, cosy, woolen blanket.

The happy, energetic, yellow puppy wagged its tail.

The tall, strong, wooden fence surrounded the garden.

I made a delicious, fresh, homemade soup for lunch.

I rested my head on a soft, fluffy, white pillow.

She wore a beautiful, sparkling, diamond necklace to the party.

Difference between adjective and adverb

Sometimes, we can confuse adjectives and adverbs, but in reality, it’s easy to distinguish them. We just need to ask ourselves: what are they describing or modifying?

Adjectives are words used to describe nouns or pronouns, meaning they describe people, things, or animals. **Adverbs**, on the other hand, are words used to describe verbs (i.e., actions), adjectives, or other adverbs.

Adjectives are often placed before the noun they describe, as we have seen earlier in this article, while adverbs are often placed after the verb they describe.

For example:

• «The happy dog» – «happy» is an adjective that describes the noun «dog».
• «She sings beautifully» – «beautifully» is an adverb that describes the verb «sings», meaning it describes how she sings.
• «The red car» – «red» is an adjective that describes the noun «car».
• «He runs quickly» – «quickly» is an adverb that modifies the verb «runs».

In summary, adjectives describe people, things, or animals, while adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

The most common adjectives in English

Adjectives to describe people physically

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Athletic	Atlético/a
Attractive	Atractivo/a
Beautiful	Hermosa/o
Chubby	Regordete
Curvy	Con curvas
Fat	Gordo/a
Fit	En forma
Handsome	Guapo/a
Light	Ligero/a
Medium	Mediano/a
Muscular	Musculoso/a
Old	Viejo/a
Petite	Pequeño/a
Short	Bajo/a
Skinny	Muy delgado/a
Slim	Delgado/a
Small	Pequeño/a
Tall	Alto/a
Thin	Delgado/a
Young	Joven

Adjectives to describe personality

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Ambitious	Ambicioso/a
Artistic	Artístico/a
Brave	Valiente
Caring	Afectuoso/a
Charitable	Caritativo/a
Creative	Creativo/a
Determined	Decidido/a
Generous	Generoso/a
Helpful	Servicial
Honest	Honesto/a
Imaginative	Imaginativo/a
Innovative	Innovador/a
Intelligent	Inteligente
Kind	Amable
Loyal	Leal
Passionate	Apasionado/a
Skilled	Hábil
Talented	Talentoso/a
Thoughtful	Considerado/a
Trustworthy	Confiable

Adjectives to describe animals

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Ferocious	Feroz
Fluffy	Suave, peludo
Furry	Peludo
Giant	Gigante
Hard	Duro
Huge	Enorme
Long	Largo
Pointy	Puntiagudo
Rough	Áspero
Round	Redondo
Scaly	Escamoso
Sharp	Afilado
Short	Corto
Slimy	Viscoso
Slippery	Resbaladizo
Smooth	Liso
Soft	Suave
Strong	Fuerte
Tiny	Minúsculo
Weak	Débil

Adjectives to describe places

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Beautiful	Hermosa
Picturesque	Pintoresco
Scenic	Escénico
Majestic	Majestuoso
Grand	Grande
Elegant	Elegante
Chic	Chic
Modern	Moderno
Contemporary	Contemporáneo
Traditional	Tradicional
Old-fashioned	Anticuado
Historical	Histórico
Cultural	Cultural
Natural	Natural
Rustic	Rústico
Rural	Rural
Urban	Urbano
Busy	Bullicioso
Crowded	Atestado
Quiet	Tranquilo

Adjectives to describe restaurants

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Beautiful	Hermosa
Bright	Luminoso
Chic	Chic
Contemporary	Contemporáneo
Cosy	Acogedor
Cultural	Cultural
Dark	Oscuro
Elegant	Elegante
Historical	Histórico
Intimate	Íntimo
Modern	Moderno
Natural	Natural
Noisy	Bullicioso
Old-fashioned	Anticuado
Quiet	Tranquilo
Romantic	Romántico
Rustic	Rústico
Spacious	Espacioso
Traditional	Tradicional
Trendy	De moda

Adjectives to describe food

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Appetising	Apetitoso
Bitter	Amargo
Creamy	Cremoso
Crunchy	Crujiente
Delicious	Delicioso
Flavourful	Sabroso
Fresh	Fresco
Healthy	Saludable
Mouth-watering	Que te hace la boca agua
Nutritious	Nutritivo
Organic	Orgánico
Rich	Rico
Salty	Salado
Satisfying	Satisfactorio
Soft	Suave
Sour	Agrio
Spicy	Picante
Sweet	Dulce
Tasty	Sabroso
Tender	Tierno

Adjectives to describe emotions

ENGLISH	SPANISH
Afraid	Asustado/a
Angry	Enojado/a
Anxious	Ansioso/a
Calm	Calmado/a
Confused	Confundido/a
Content	Contento/a
Disappointed	Desilusionado/a
Ecstatic	Eufórico/a
Excited	Emocionado/a
Frustrated	Frustrado/a
Furious	Furioso/a
Happy	Feliz
Joyful	Alegre
Melancholy	Melancólico/a
Miserable	Misérrimo/a
Nervous	Nervioso/a
Nostalgic	Nostálgico/a
Relaxed	Relajado/a
Sad	Triste
Surprised	Sorprendido/a

Download this article in PDF

If you want to download a free PDF copy of this article, click the button 👇🏻

Do you want to see a list of common adjectives here? Ask me and I will include it!

I hope this post was useful to you. In that case, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family.

See you in the next post. Until then, *don’t forget to keep smiling!* 🙂