Adjectives list
An adjective describes a noun: a tall tree, a muddy dog, three red apples. This list sorts common adjectives by what they tell you about the noun, so a child stuck for a word can look up a better one than nice or big.
Free printable PDF, 1st grade to 5th grade.
One page, black and white, prints the same every time.
What is on the sheet
Adjectives by what they describe
| Describes | Adjectives |
|---|---|
| Size | big, small, tall, short, huge, tiny, long, wide, narrow, enormous |
| Shape | round, square, flat, curved, pointed, straight, oval, crooked |
| Color | red, golden, pale, dark, bright, striped, spotted, colorful |
| Feelings | happy, sad, angry, brave, calm, proud, nervous, excited, lonely |
| Looks | shiny, dirty, clean, messy, neat, fancy, plain, sparkly |
| Sound | loud, quiet, noisy, squeaky, silent, booming, soft, shrill |
| Touch | soft, hard, rough, smooth, bumpy, sticky, fluffy, slimy, wet |
| Taste and smell | sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy, fresh, smoky, stinky |
| Personality | kind, funny, honest, polite, clever, shy, bossy, friendly |
| How many | one, ten, few, many, several, some, every, both |
| Time and age | old, new, young, early, late, ancient, modern, recent |
| Weather | sunny, rainy, windy, cloudy, stormy, foggy, freezing, hot |
Adjectives that compare
| Adjective | Comparing two | Comparing three or more |
|---|---|---|
| tall | taller | tallest |
| big | bigger | biggest |
| happy | happier | happiest |
| beautiful | more beautiful | most beautiful |
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| many | more | most |
| little (amount) | less | least |
Using the list
Each row is one question an adjective can answer: how big, what shape, how it feels, how it sounds. When a child's sentence says "the dog was nice," the list offers a sharper word: friendly, calm, fluffy, muddy. Adjectives usually sit right before the noun (a rough rock) or after a verb like is or seems (the rock is rough).
Words such as one, few and every tell how many and also count as adjectives. So do the articles a, an and the, which every child uses without thinking about them.
Comparing with adjectives
Short adjectives add -er to compare two things and -est for three or more: tall, taller, tallest. Longer ones use more and most: beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. A few are irregular and have to be learned, such as good, better, best.
1st grade uses adjectives in sentences (CCSS L.1.1f), 2nd grade chooses between adjectives and adverbs (L.2.1e), and 3rd grade forms the comparing and superlative forms (L.3.1g).
Common questions
- Is a number an adjective?
- When it comes before a noun, yes: in "three red apples," three tells how many and works as an adjective. A number on its own, as in "three is odd," is a noun.
- In what order do adjectives go?
- English has a usual order: how many, opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose. That is why we say "two lovely little old red wooden chairs" and not some other order. 4th grade practices it (L.4.1d).