Basic Adjectives & Adverbs

Describes a person, animal, or thing that has lived or existed only a short time; opposite of old.

Not having much power or strength; the opposite of strong.

Having a lot of money; the opposite of poor.

Having very little money; the opposite of rich.

Easy to press or change shape; nice to touch; the opposite of hard.

firm and solid; not soft

Firm and solid; not easy to press or break. A different sense from 'hard' meaning difficult.

Small from one side to the other; the opposite of wide.

Covered in or full of water or another liquid; the opposite of dry.

Not wet; without water or other liquid.

Tasting of sugar; the opposite of sour or bitter.

Having a very good taste or smell; used a lot for food and drink.

Having a good, pleasant taste. Slightly more casual than 'delicious'.

Making you feel physically relaxed and at ease; not causing pain.

Belonging to the present time or using new ideas, styles, or technology; the opposite of old-fashioned.

The one you like best of all. Spelled 'favourite' in British English.

Actually existing or true, not imaginary or fake.

Based on facts; correct and not false.

usual and ordinary

Usual, ordinary, or expected; what you would normally see.

Able to happen or be done.

Not able to happen or be done; the opposite of possible.

Coming immediately after this one in time or order.

Coming after all others; final, or the most recent before now.

Coming before all others in time, order, or importance.

Better than all others; the top in quality. Superlative of 'good'.

Of higher quality or more suitable than something else. Comparative of 'good'. Also used to mean less ill.

Of lower quality or more unpleasant than something else. Comparative of 'bad'.

The lowest in quality or the most unpleasant of all. Superlative of 'bad'.

Complete; all of something; the entire amount.

Most important; biggest or first in importance.

Certain; having no doubt about something.

Friendly, caring, and gentle toward other people.

Behaving in a kind, open, and pleasant way toward others.

Having good things happen by chance; fortunate.

Very surprising and very good; wonderful.

Extremely good; giving great pleasure.

Very bad or unpleasant; terrible.

Good enough; okay; healthy and well. Very common in everyday answers.

All right; good enough but not great; fine. Often written 'OK'.

Not nice to look at; unpleasant in appearance; the opposite of beautiful.

Not clever; silly; showing poor thinking. Can sound rude about a person.

Full of light; shining strongly; the opposite of dark.

With little or no light; the opposite of bright or light.

Well and strong in body; or good for your health.

Easy to see, hear, or understand; or with nothing blocking it.

Every time; at all times. Adverb of frequency.

Not at any time; not ever. Adverb of frequency.

Many times; frequently. Adverb of frequency.

On some occasions but not always. Adverb of frequency.

Most of the time; in most cases. Adverb of frequency.

At this moment; at the present time.

In a short time from now; before long.

At a time after now or after the time mentioned.

After that; next in a sequence. Also means 'at that time'.

In a careful way; with attention so that you avoid mistakes or danger.

In a bad way; not well. Adverb form of 'bad'.

Used to say that something is possible but not certain; maybe. Slightly more formal than 'maybe'.

Used before an adjective or adverb to make it stronger; very. Intensifier.

A little more or less than a number or amount; approximately.

Often or to a great degree; very much.

Used to make comparisons; to a greater degree or amount.

Used to make superlatives; to the greatest degree.

To a great degree; a lot. Often used in questions and negatives, and to strengthen comparatives.

in good health; not ill

In good health; not ill. Used as an adjective after verbs like 'be' or 'feel'. Different from 'well' meaning 'in a good way'.

Having a lot of physical power, or being difficult to break or damage; also having an intense taste, smell, or effect.

Large from one surface to the opposite surface; the opposite of thin.

Small from one surface to the opposite surface; the opposite of thick.

Recently made, picked, or produced; not old or frozen. Also: clean and pure, used of air or water. Often used for food and air.

Not true or not correct; the opposite of true.

making you laugh; or strange and unexpected

Making you laugh or smile; amusing. Also means strange or unexpected, as in: "That's funny — I don't remember leaving the light on."

Very good, stylish, or impressive; also: acceptable or fine. Informal use, popular in speech.

Intelligent; quick to understand and learn.

Pleasant and attractive to look at, often used for things, places, or people. As an adverb, it means fairly or quite.

Happening near the beginning of a period of time, or before the usual time.

Happening after the usual or expected time; the opposite of early.

Used to say 'yes' strongly, or that something is obvious or expected.

British English spelling of the word for something liked best of all.