Here is a list of adjective words that you can add to your writing projects.
Adjectives play a vital role in forming clear and vivid sentences. They are critical to describing things, events, people, and feelings. Not only are adjectives essential in writing, but they are also a key part of language, and we use them daily to describe our feelings, events, and surroundings. It pairs nicely with our list of mood words for literature.
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What Are Adjective Words?
An adjective is a term or phrase that describes and modifies the qualities, state, and quantity of nouns and pronouns. There is a specific rule when there’s more than one adjective in a sentence that cannot be broken even in informal speech or writing, unlike grammar and syntax. It’s called the “order of adjectives,” where the use of adjectives is ranked accordingly: opinion, size, physical quality, shape, age, color, origin, material, and purpose.
| Age-old | French | Rolling |
| Aging | Gardening | Rough |
| Amazing | Giant | Round |
| American | Glistening | Rude |
| Angular | Globular | Running |
| Ancient | Gold | Rustic |
| Antique | Greek | Seductive |
| Ashy | Hammered | Senescent |
| Attractive | Handsome | Senile |
| Bald | Hefty | Senior |
| Basket | Hollow | Silk |
| Beautiful | Immeasurable | Silver |
| Big | Irritating | Sharp |
| Blue | Italian | Shopping |
| Brawny | Japanese | Short |
| British | Jealous | Sleeping |
| Broad | Korean | Splashy |
| Caucasian | Latin | Stone |
| Cool | Life-size | Straight |
| Chintzy | Leather | Square |
| Cleaning | Lovely | Tall |
| Compact | Mature | Tapered |
| Cooking | Mexican | Tattooed |
| Copper | Metal | Teenage |
| Cotton | Microscopic | Tender |
| Crooked | Monotone | Tennis |
| Curvy | Musky | Thai |
| Dancing | Muddy | Translucent |
| Declining | Nice | Triangular |
| Deep | Nylon | Turkish |
| Delicate | Oblique | Unlimited |
| Diagonal | Old | Untidy |
| Diamond | Opalescent | Unusual |
| Dotted | Oversize | Vast |
| Dutch | Oval | Velvet |
| Elderly | Peer | Vibrant |
| Elegant | Petite | Vulnerable |
| English | Pink | Washing |
| Enormous | Plastic | Weird |
| European | Plump | Well-built |
| Fishing | Pointy | Wooden |
| Fit | Polishing | Wool |
| Flirtatious | Polyester | Writing |
| Flamboyant | Rectangular | Young |
| Frail | Red | Youthful |
Opinion Adjectives
Opinion adjectives express thoughts and feelings about a topic, person, or thing. It also describes and modifies a person’s facial expression, body parts, actions, and traits.
- Amazing
Linda has an amazing voice.
- Beautiful
The new cafe’s interior design is beautiful.
- Cool
She had a very cool demeanor.
- Flirtatious
Many believe that Helena isn’t a flirtatious woman.
- Handsome
Leonardo De Caprio is one of the most handsome Hollywood actors.
- Irritating
My dad has the irritating habit of talking during meals.
- Jealous
My husband is irrationally jealous of my ex-boyfriend.
- Lovely
Our new professor has a lovely personality.
- Nice
He’s a nice guy when he’s in a good mood.
- Rude
You should apologize to your mom for your rude behavior.
- Seductive
She’ll use all her seductive charms to get John’s attention.
- Tender
I want my steak to be delicious, juicy, and tender.
- Unusual
The drink has a very unusual taste.
- Vulnerable
Old people and kids are the most vulnerable members of our society.
- Weird
Ed likes to say a lot of weird things.
Size Adjectives
These words denote the amount of space available or occupied by a person or an object. It also describes how small or large someone or something is.
- Big
Liam wants a big house, but his wife says no.
- Brawny
I want a brainy and brawny boyfriend.
- Compact
They have a compact kitchen with all the necessary tools and appliances.
- Enormous
Every year, Brazil produces an enormous amount of coffee in the world.
- Giant
The pack must hunt down a giant bear before the winter season begins.
- Hefty
The story she’s been writing contains a hefty amount of comedy.
- Immeasurable
I hope more filmmakers create movies with immeasurable effects on the younger generation.
- Life-size
She wants to buy a life-size standee of her favorite idol.
- Microscopic
The doctor has microscopic handwriting that’s hard to read.
- Oversize
Many people like to wear an oversize t-shirt because it’s trendy and comfortable.
- Petite
Do you know where I can buy quality dresses that fit my petite body?
- Short
Cecile’s short hair makes her look younger.
- Tall
Our company will build a tall building in the area.
- Unlimited
Every guest has unlimited access to the pool and gym.
- Vast
A dictionary is a vast treasure box of information.
Physical Quality Adjectives
These describe the physical characteristics of a person, animal, place, happening, or thing.
- Attractive
He likes to surround himself with attractive people.
- Bald
My father is still young, but he’s already starting to go bald.
- Curvy
A curvy figure is the new sexy.
- Delicate
Lina is small and delicate.
- Elegant
Our neighbor is preparing an elegant party for her daughter’s birthday.
- Fit
He’s fit because he’s a gym enthusiast.
- Frail
My frail grandfather still refuses to even sit up on his bed.
- Musky
The hotel room had a musky odor filling the air.
- Plump
His plump lips are what make him so handsome.
- Rough
The new table in our kitchen has a rough finish.
- Sharp
Please avoid making sharp turns because it’s dangerous.
- Straight
His long, straight hair makes people mistake him for a girl.
- Tattooed
My brother is that tattooed guy riding the big bike.
- Untidy
My professor told me to work on my untidy writing.
- Well-built
His well-built body is the fruit of his hard work.
Shape Adjectives
These words describe things without referring to the color and type of material used. Use the terms below to describe and compare different objects based on their shape and structure.
- Angular
Gio inherits his father’s angular face.
- Broad
Most bodybuilders have a broad torso and narrow waist.
- Crooked
Grandpa said that his crooked front teeth are his lucky charm.
- Deep
Big cruise ships need to be in deep waters to sail.
- Diagonal
A diagonal line divides the layout of The Da Vinci Code book cover.
- Globular
Professional contractors in Switzerland make globular houses and buildings.
- Hollow
Our engineer tests the strength of a hollow block by the drop test method.
- Oblique
The wall painting is at an oblique angle.
- Oval
My mother’s ring has a unique oval ruby ​​gem.
- Pointy
The kingdom’s soldiers have pointy helmets.
- Rectangular
His rectangular smile is contagious.
- Round
People with round faces should opt for a layered haircut.
- Square
His uncle has a square jaw.
- Tapered
She’s wearing her favorite tapered jeans.
- Triangular
Today, they will perform on the triangular stage in the park.
Age Adjectives
These words are commonly used in verbal communication and writings to describe or indicate the age of animate and inanimate objects.
- Age-old
There are no plans to resolve the age-old issue of land distribution.
- Aging
The aging founder of our company is planning to resign.
- Ancient
My dream is to visit every ancient home and building around the world.
- Antique
There’s a lot of antique furniture in my grandmother’s house.
- Declining
The declining demand for traditional kimonos will ultimately affect Japan’s culture.
- Elderly
The group that I will tour today has a lot of elderly people.
- Mature
Her mature boyfriend always helps her make rational decisions.
- Peer
Peer pressure often leads to bad decisions among young people.
- Old
An old man’s advice is the best you can get.
- Senescent
The neighbor’s senescent dog has been with them for 13 years.
- Senile
The organization’s senile leader needs will soon step down.
- Senior
Hailey is promoted to the senior psychologist position at the clinic.
- Teenage
Her teenage daughter loves to party.
- Young
The modeling company is looking for young models to train.
- Youthful
My mom still has her youthful spirit.
Color Adjectives
Color adjectives describe the shade of nouns and can also express emotions or feelings.
- Ashy
She wants to change her hair color to ashy gray.
- Blue
Jay looks good in blue clothes.
- Chintzy
The designer uses bright colors and chintzy fabrics to make the room livelier.
- Dotted
Her smallpox left her with dotted skin.
- Flamboyant
He’s a famous celebrity known for his flamboyant lifestyle.
- Glistening
The athlete’s glistening back shines under the sun.
- Monotone
Half of the clothes in her closet are monotone black.
- Muddy
The newborn child has beautiful muddy eyes.
- Opalescent
Add sparkle to your fabrics by making opalescent dyes by hand.
- Pink
She has a natural pink undertone.
- Red
The compliment highlights her red cheeks.
- Rustic
The tourist is amazed by the rustic charm of the village.
- Splashy
The little girl’s skirt has lots of splashy flower prints.
- Translucent
The bathrooms are made of frosted and translucent glass.
- Vibrant
She likes to add vibrant colors to her room.
Origin Adjectives
These words indicate where a person, animal, or thing comes from. See the most commonly used origin adjectives by many speakers and writers.
- American
I ate the American breakfast offered by the hotel.
- British
Most of the British police don’t carry a gun.
- Caucasian
A Caucasian model visits our store to shop for clothes.
- Dutch
New York City was a trading post founded by a Dutch colonist.
- English
Spice up your usual potato salad with English mustard.
- European
My favorite singer will have his European concert tour next year!
- French
I love cheesy French fries with soda.
- Greek
He has a strong Greek accent.
- Italian
Italian pizza is the best!
- Japanese
Japanese people have the highest life expectancy.
- Korean
Korean culture is prevalent all over the world because of K-Pop.
- Latin
The majority of English words we know have Greek and Latin origins.
- Mexican
Ysa loves Mexican food, especially enchiladas.
- Thai
Can you tell me where I can buy Thai rice?
- Turkish
Dad likes the strong, bold, and bittersweet taste of Turkish coffee.
Material Adjectives
Material is a substance from which an object is made. In most cases, these adjectives are usually nouns that act as adjectives to describe another noun.
- Copper
My uncle collects copper coins.
- Cotton
Sheila’s new husband owns a cotton plantation.
- Diamond
She dreams of having a diamond ring.
- Gold
Angel’s mom is fond of gold utensils.
- Leather
Her expensive vice includes shopping for leather bags.
- Metal
Their house has a metal gate painted like wood.
- Nylon
She needs a replacement for her guitar’s nylon strings.
- Plastic
We should avoid using plastic bags to save Mother Earth.
- Polyester
Polyester clothing is affordable but durable.
- Silk
Her silk hair floats with the wind.
- Silver
Wait for a silver car that will take you to your destination.
- Stone
Ian dreams of living in a stone house.
- Velvet
She likes how velvet skirts feel against her skin.
- Wooden
I prefer using wooden kitchen utensils.
- Wool
My favorite part of the house is the wool carpet in our living area.
Purpose Adjectives
Purpose adjectives are words that are almost part of the noun. They describe what an item is for.
- Basket
Put your dirty garments in the laundry basket.
- Cleaning
Can you look in the cleaning supplies aisle and get some borax?
- Cooking
Mon uses his new cooking pan to make pancakes.
- Dancing
Do you want to take dancing lessons?
- Fishing
My dad stores his fishing rods in the shed.
- Gardening
I use my grandmother’s gardening tools for my planting project.
- Hammered
The hammered copper bowl is the center of attention for today’s auction.
- Polishing
I use a polishing cloth to clean my glasses.
- Rolling
Mom holds the rolling pin like she wants to hit me.
- Running
I lost my running shoes at the local gym.
- Shopping
Come with me to the shopping center and buy a gift for Sophia.
- Sleeping
Jake always makes sure that his sleeping bag is in his car.
- Tennis
Miko is looking for a new tennis racket for his brother.
- Washing
I broke our washing machine.
- Writing
I use a writing app to assist me in my essays.
Looking for more descriptive words to elevate your writing? Check out list of descriptive words!
