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50 Examples of Common Adjectives and How to Use Them

by Edwin CañasMonday, February 03 2025

Want to make your writing more lively and colorful? The key is in adjectives! Adjective is a word used to describe or characterize a noun.

In this article, we'll explore 50 of the most commonly used adjectives in English, complete with their descriptions and examples.

Don’t forget to visit EZClass to have the best experience learning English. Let's enrich your vocabulary now!

What are Adjectives?

Adjectives are words that are used to give descriptions or characteristics to nouns. Simply put, adjectives serve to "describe" something.

Imagine you want to describe an apple. You could say, "It's red and sweet." The words "red" and "sweet" here are adjectives that provide additional information about the apple.

Also read: How to Use “Have” and “Has” Correctly

List of 50 Most Common Adjectives

To make it easier for you to learn, below is a list of adjectives in English that are often used in everyday conversation.

AdjectiveExampleDefinition
Active"He is an active member of the local community group."An adjective that describes someone or something that is energetic, moving, functioning, or participating, often in a lively or dynamic way.
Angry"Sam gets angry when he is teased by her classmates."An adjective that describes a person's feelings of displeasure (due to being mistreated).
Adorable“The baby is so adorable!”An adjective that describes something or someone that is extremely attractive or cute.
Bad“Smoking is bad for your health.”An adjective that describes something that is not good or unpleasant, and has poor quality.
Big“That building looks as big as a soccer field."An adjective that describes something that is large in size, amount, or extent. 
Brave“The firefighters were brave to enter the burning building.”An adjective that describes someone who shows no fear of danger, pain, or difficulty.
Calm“A calm walk in the park can help you relax.”An adjective that describes something that is peaceful and quiet.
Clumsy“He is a very clumsy person, he always bumps into things.”An adjective that describes someone or something that is awkward or inefficient in movement or action.
Clever“She is a clever student, she always gets good grades.”An adjective that describes someone who is quick to understand, learn, and think intelligently.
Delicious “The cake was delicious, I had to have another piece!”An adjective that describes something that is extremely pleasing to taste or smell.
Difficult “Learning a new language can be difficult.”An adjective that describes something that is hard to do or achieve, requires great effort.
Easy“This math problem is easy, it can be solved in a minute.”An adjective that describes something that can be done or achieved with little effort or no difficulty.
Expensive “The diamond necklace is very expensive.”An adjective that describes something that is of high price and costs a lot of money.
Energetic“The children were very energetic, running, and jumping everywhere.”An adjective that describes something or someone that shows a lot of energy.
Fast

"Cheetahs run so fast to catch their prey."


 

An adjective that describes something that moves or happens quickly.
Far"You have to take the bus to the library, because it's far from home."An adjective that describes something that is a long distance away.
Free“The park is free to enter.”An adjective that describes something that costs nothing or can be enjoyed without payment.
Gentle“She has a gentle touch with the babies.”An adjective that describes something or someone that is soft and careful in their actions.
Gorgeous“The sunset was absolutely gorgeous.”An adjective that describes something or someone that is extremely beautiful.
Graceful“The ballerina moved with graceful ease across the stage.”

An adjective that describes someone who is elegant and refined in appearance or movement.


 

Happy“Diana was happy to see her friends again.”An adjective that describes someone who feels or shows pleasure or satisfaction.
High“The airplane flew high above the clouds.”An adjective that describes something that is located or extending far upwards.
Handsome“Rumor has it, he's the most handsome man in town.”An adjective that describes someone who is attractive in appearance, especially in a manly way.
Hurt“I hurt my knee playing soccer.”An adjective that describes someone who is injured or wounded.
Icy“The roads were icy after the snowstorm.”An adjective that describes something that is very cold or covered with ice.
Ideal“This beach is the ideal location for a picnic.”An adjective that describes someone or something that is perfectly suited to a particular purpose or situation.
Itchy“I have an itchy rash on my arm.”An adjective that describes someone who has an uncomfortable tingling sensation on the skin.
Jealous“May felt jealous of her sister’s success.”An adjective that describes someone who feels or shows envy of someone or their achievements.
Jolly“The party was a jolly occasion with lots of laughter.”An adjective that describes something that is cheerful and jovial.
Juicy“The watermelon was juicy and refreshing on a hot day.”An adjective that describes something that contains a lot of juice.
Kind“Ray is a very kind person who always helps others.”An adjective that describes someone who is gentle, considerate, and helpful.
Little“The little girl smiled at the puppy.”An adjective that describes someone or something that small in size or amount.
Lucky“He felt lucky to have won the lottery.”An adjective that describes someone who is fortunate or having good luck.
Lovely“The garden was filled with lovely flowers.”An adjective that describes someone or something that is beautiful or very pleasant. 
Macho“He tried to act macho by lifting heavy weights.”An adjective that describes someone who shows extreme masculinity.
Mute“This speaker is mute because it hasn't been repaired."An adjective describing someone that can’t speak or something that doesn’t make a sound.
Nasty“The weather was nasty with heavy rain.”An adjective describing something that is unpleasant or offensive.
Naughty“The naughty child kept pulling the cat’s tail.”An adjective describing someone who is disobedient.
Nervous“I was nervous before the important exam.”An adjective describing someone who feels worried about something that may happen.
Old“My grandmother is very old and wise.”An adjective describing someone who has lived for a long time.
Perfect“The weather is perfect for playing outside."An adjective describing someone who has no faults or something that is flawless.
Precious“My baby is my most precious possession.”An adjective describing someone or something that is very valuable or highly prized.
Proud“He was proud of his son’s achievement.”An adjective describing someone who feels satisfaction at someone’s or one’s own achievement 
Ripe“The mango is ripe and ready to eat.”An adjective describing fruits or crops that are fully grown and ready to eat or harvest.
Responsive“The customer service was very responsive to my questions.”An adjective describing someone who reacts quickly and positively.
Straight“The road was long and straight.”An adjective that describes something that extends without curves or bends.
Small"Ants are very small, and they work together to carry food."An adjective that describes something that is little in size or amount.
Sweet“The candy was sweet and delicious.”An adjective that describes something that has a pleasant taste like sugar.
Tall"He is a tall basketball player, about 200 cm tall."An adjective that describes someone who has great height.
Thin"This book is so thin, it only has 20 pages.”An adjective that describes something that is slender or someone who has little or no fat on the body.

Conclusion

By enriching your vocabulary with adjectives, your writing will become more lively and interesting. 

Keep practicing using adjectives in everyday conversation. After practicing a lot, you will become proficient in using various adjectives in English!

Want to learn more aside from this topic? Visit the EZClass blog to read more interesting articles. Don't forget to share this article with your friends who are learning English!

Also read: Phrasal Verbs in English with Their Meanings

Edwin Cañas

Edwin Cañas

Founder of EZClass

Edwin Cañas is an expert in e-learning, leadership, and educational technology. As COREnglish’s Director of Operations and founder of EZClass, he strives to make learning more engaging and accessible. He also co-authored the "How to Master Grammar for Beginners (Spanish Edition)" book to help Spanish learners master English with ease.

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