IDENTIFYING QUALITIES: QUALITATIVE

ADJECTIVES

A list of qualitative adjective:

active familiar odd
angry famous old
anxious fast pale
appropriate fat patient
attractive fine plain
bad firm pleasant
beautiful flat poor
big frank popular
brief free powerful
brief fresh pretty
bright friendly proud
broad frightened quick
busy funny quiet
calm good rare
careful great reasonable
cheap happy rich
clean hard rough
clear heavy sad
close high safe
cold hot sensible
comfortable important serious
common interesting sharp
complex kind shocked
cool large short
curious late sick
dangerous light silly
dark likely simple
deep long slow
determined loose small
different loud soft
difficult lovely special
dirty low steady
dry lucky strange
easy narrow strong
effective nervous stupid
efficient new successful
expensive nice suitable
fair obvious sure

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surprised tiny weak
sweet tired wet
tall typical wide
terrible understanding wild
thick useful worried
thin violent young
tight warm

Identifying the class that something belongs

to classifying adjectives
e.g. …financial help, ….abdominal pains, … a medieval
manuscript, … my daily shower, an equal partnership, … a
sufficient amount of milk.

A list of classifying adjectives:

absolute educational mental
active electric military
actual empty modern
agriculture external moral
alternative female national
annual financial natural
apparent foreign negative
available free north
basic full northern
central general nuclear
chemical golden official
civil historical open
commercial human original
communist ideal personal
conservative independent physical
cultural industrial political
daily inevitable positive
democratic intellectual possible
direct internal potential
domestic international private
double legal professional
due local proper
east magic public
eastern male raw
economic medical ready

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real sexual theoretical
religious single traditional
revolutionary social urban
right solid west
royal southern western
rural standard wooden
scientific straight wrong
separate sufficient

A list of adjectives frequently used both as

qualitative adjectives and as classifying adjectives:
academic late revolutionary
conscious modern rural
dry moral scientific
educational objective secret
effective ordinary similar
emotional regular
extreme religious

Identifying colours: colour adjectives:

black grey scarlet
blue orange violet
brown pink white
cream purple yellow
green red

Showing strong feelings: emphasizing adjective:

absolute perfect total
complete positive true
entire pure utter
outright real

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A list of adjectives used informally for emphasis:
blinking freezing stinking
blithering piddling thumping
blooming raving thundering
blundering scalding whopping

Making the reference more precise:

postdeterminers:
additional last present
certain main previous
chief next principle
entire only remaining
existing opposite same
first other specific
following particular usual
further past

Some of these adjectives can also be ordinary

classifying adjectives.
Here is a list of postdeterminers which can also be
classifying adjectives:
additional main previous
chief other principle
existing particular remaining
further past specific

Here is a list of adjective sometimes used to

indicate the position of something as well as for
precise reference:
left top front
right bottom back
upper middle
lower end

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SPECIAL CLASSES OF ADJECTIVES

Here is a list of qualitative adjectives are only used

attributively:
adoring flagrant scant
belated fleeting searing
chequered knotty thankless
choked paltry unenviable
commanding punishing
fateful ramshackle

Here is a list of classifying adjective used

attributively:
atomic institutional preconceived
bridal introductory remedial
cardiac investigative reproductive
countless judicial smokeless
cubic lone south
digital maximum southern
east nationwide subterranean
eastern neighbouring supplementary
eventual north underlying
existing occasional west
federal orchestral western
forensic outdoor woolen
indoor phonetic

Here is a list of adjective usually used predicatively:

afraid content safe
alive due sorry
alone glad sure
apart ill unable
asleep likely unlikely
aware ready well

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Here is a list of adjectives which are usually or
always used predicatively and are followed by ‘ to’:

accustomed to impervious to resigned to

adjacent to injurious to resistant to
allergic to integral to similar to
attributable to prone to subject to
attuned to proportional to subservient to
averse to proportionate susceptible to
close to to unaccustomed
conducive to reconciled to to
devoted to related to

Here is a list of adjectives which are usually or

always used predicatively and are followed by ‘ of’:
aware of devoid of indicative of
bereft of fond of mindful of
capable of full of reminiscent of
characteristic heedless of representative
of illustrative of of
desirous of incapable of

Here is a list of adjectives which are usually or

always used predicatively and are followed by ‘ with
‘:
compatible with filled with tinged with
consonant with fraught with
conversant with riddled with

Some adjectives are followed by other preposition

when they are used predicatively.
Here is a list of adjectives which are usually or
always used predicatively and are followed by the
preposition indicated:

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contingent on lacking in swathed in
descended from rooted in unhampered by
inherent in steeped in

In some cases, there is a choice between two

prepositions.
Here is a list of adjectives which are usually or
always used predicatively and which can be followed
by the prepositions indicated:
answerable for immune from insensible to
answerable to immune to intent on
burdened by inclined to intent upon
burdened with inclined parallel to
connected to towards parallel with
connected with incumbent on reliant on
dependent on incumbent reliant upon
dependent upon stricken by
upon insensible of stricken with

To complete the meaning of some adjectives used

predicatively, you need to follow with a clause
beginning with a ‘to’- infinitive.
Here is a list of adjectives always or nearly always
follows by ‘to’- infinitive:
able fit prepared
bound inclined unable
doomed liable unwilling
due likely willing
fated loath

When adjectives which refer to someone’s belief or

feelings are used predicatively, they are often
followed by ‘that’- clause:
Here is a list of common adjectives often followed by
a ‘that:- clause:
afraid angry anxious

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aware happy sure
certain pleased surprised
confident pound unaware
frightened sad upset
glad sorry worried

There are a few adjectives which are usually or

always used after a noun. Here is a list indicating
the different groups of adjectives used after a noun:
designate long proper
elect old responsible
galore tall affected
incarnate thick available
manqué wide required
broad concerned suggested
deep involved
high present

Special forms: ‘-ing’ adjectives

There are a large number of adjectives ending in ‘-

ing’. Most of them are related in form to the present
participles of verbs. They are called -’ing’ adjectives:

One group of – ‘ing’ adjectives describe the effect

that something has on your feelings and ideas, or on
the feelings and ideas of people in general.

These adjectives are normally qualitative adjectives.

This means that they can be used with a
submodifier, and have comparatives and
superlatives. They can be used in attributive or
predicative position.

These ‘ing’ adjectives have a related transitive verb

which you use to describe the way someone is
affected by something. For example, if you speak of
an alarming increase, you mean that the inrease

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alarms you. If you speak of a surprising number, you
mean that the number surprises you.

Here is a list of ‘ing’ adjective that describe an

effect and which have a similar meaning to the
usual meaning of the related verb:

alarming distracting mocking

amazing distressing overwhelming
amusing disturbing pleasing
annoying embarrassing refreshing
appalling enchanting relaxing
astonishing encouraging rewarding
astounding entertaining satisfying
bewildering exciting shocking
boring frightening sickening
challenging harassing starting
charming humiliating surprising
compelling infuriating tempting
confusing inspiring terrifying
convincing interesting threatening
demeaning interesting thrilling
depressing intimidating tiring
devastating intriguing welcoming
disappointing menacing worrying
disgusting misleading

The other main group of –‘ing’ adjectives are used to

describe a process or state that continues over a
period of time

…a life of increasing labour and decreasing leisure

Oil and gas drillers are doing a booming business.

These adjectives are classifying adjectives, so they

are nor used with ordinary submodifiers such as
‘very’ and ‘rather’. However, adjectives used to
identifying a process can be submodified by adverbs

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which describe the speed with which the process
happens.

These ‘-ing’ adjectives have related intransitive

verbs.
Here is a list of ‘-ing’ adjectives which describe a
continuing process or state and which have a
similar meaning to the usual meaning of related
verb:
ageing dwindling reigning
ailing dying remaining
bleeding existing resounding
booming increasing rising
bursting living ruling
decreasing prevailing
diminishing recurring

Most of the ‘-ing’ adjectives talked about so far are

related to verbs. Sometimes however, ‘-ing’
adjectives are not related to verbs at all.
Here is a list of ‘-ing’ adjectives which are not
related to verbs:
appetizing enterprising neighbouring
balding excruciating scathing
cunning impending unwitting

Sometimes an ‘-ing’ adjective is related to an

uncommon use of a verb, or appears to be related to
a verb but is not related exactly to any current use.
Here is a list of qualitative ‘-ing’ adjective which are
not related to a common transitive use of verb:
becoming halting rambling
bracing haunting ravishing
cutting moving retiring
dashing penetrating revolving
disarming piercing searching
engaging pressing taxing
fetching promising trying

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Here is a list of classifying adjectives which are not
related to a common transitive use of a verb:
acting gathering missing
driving going running
floating leading

Some adjectives are derived from a verb and a

prefix:
Here is a list of ‘-ing’ adjectives derived from a verb
and a prefix:
forthcoming ongoing overbearing
incoming outgoing uplifting
oncoming outstanding upstanding

Special formed: ‘-ed’ adjectives

A large number of Engish adjectives end in ‘-ed’.

Many of them have the same form as the past
participle of a verb. Others are formed by adding ‘-
ed’ to a noun. Others are not closely related to any
other words.

… a disappointed man.
…a bearded man
…sophisticated electronic devices.

Adjectives with the same form as irregular past

participles which do not end in’-ed’ are also
included here as ‘-ed’

… a broken bone
… a torn ligament

Most ‘-ed’ adjectives are related to a transitive verb

and have a passive meaning. They indicate that
something has happened or is happening to the
thing being described. For example, ‘ a frightened

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person’ is a person who has been frightened by
something.

‘-ed’ adjectives that refer to a person’s mental or

emotional reaction to something are generally
qualitative.

He was a worried old man.

… a bored old woman.
An interested student.

Here is a list of qualitative ‘-ed’ adjectives which

have a similar meaning to the most common
meaning of the related verb:
agitated deprived pleased
alarmed disappointed preoccupied
amused disgusted puzzled
appalled disillusioned satisfied
astonished distressed shocked
bored embarrassed surprised
confused excited tired
contented frightened troubled
delighted inhibited worried
depressed interested

Here is a list of qualitative ‘-ed’ adjectives which do

not have a similar meaning to the usual meaning of
the related verb:
animated disposed inclined
attached disturbed mixed
concerned guarded strained
determined hurt

Most adjectives which refer to physical distinctions

are classifying adjectives.

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Here is a list of classifying ‘-ed’ adjectives which
have a similar meaning to the most common
meaning of related verb:
abandoned drawn loaded
armed dried paid
blocked established painted
boiled fixed processed
broken furnished reduced
canned haunted required
classified hidden torn
closed improved trained
concentrated infected united
condemned integrated wasted
cooked known
divided licensed

Here is a list of ‘-ed’ classifying adjectives which

have a different meaning from the most common
meaning of the related verb:
advanced noted spotted
marked pointed veiled

A few ‘-ed’ adjectives are related to the past

participle of intransitive verbs and have an active
meaning, not passive meaning. For example, ‘ a
fallen tree’ is a tree which as fallen.

Here is a list of ‘-ed’ adjectives with an active

meaning:
accumulated faded swollen
dated fallen wilted
escaped retired

Most ‘-ed’ adjectives can be used both in front of

noun and as the complement of link verb.
The worried authorities decided to play safe.
My husband was worried.

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Here is a list of ‘-ed’ adjectives often used as the
complement of a link verb, with or without a phrase
or clause after them.
convinced intrigued scared
delighted involved thrilled
interested pleased tired
intimidated prepared touched

Here is a list of ‘-ed’ adjectives normally used as the

complement of a link verb with a phrase or clause
after them:
agreed finished shut
destined lost stuck
dressed prepared

Some ‘-ed’ adjectives are formed from nouns.

Here is a list of ‘-ed’ adjectives formed from noun
amoUr gifted skilled
barbed gloved spotted
beaded hooded striped
bearded mannered turbaned
detailed pointed walled
flowered principled winged
freckled salaried

There are also a number of ‘-ed’ adjectives in

regular use which are not related to verbs or nouns
in the ways described above. For example, there are
no words ‘parch’ or ‘belove’. There is a noun

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‘concert’., but the adjective ‘concerted’ does not
mean ‘having a concert’.
Here is a list of ‘-ed’ adjectives not related to verbs or
nouns:
antiquated concerted parched
ashamed crazed rugged
assorted decreased sophisticated
beloved doomed tinned
bloated indebted

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