Descriptive Adjectives – Definition, Types, Examples | How to Use Descriptive Adjectives?

Adjectives, one of the most powerful and important aspects of English for the grammar nazis and English enthusiasts to learn, write and speak the global language, are also one of the easiest subjects of spoken and written English. Adjectives are more like icing on a cake, which means they make your passage or a communication better, in a sense that it makes it more vivid and conveys the feeling and the emotion of a writer aptly to the reader.

Descriptive Adjectives are a category of adjectives that are mostly used to describe a noun vividly in novels, essays, passages, and write-ups. Descriptive Adjectives are very different from other types of adjectives and we are going to discuss that in brief in the subsequent sections of this article on descriptive words. In this particular article on descriptive words, we are going to discuss the following:

What are Descriptive Adjectives?

Descriptive Adjectives are words that are used in the English language, for the written and oral forms of communication, to modify a noun or a pronoun by describing it or expressing it vividly. For example, “it is a very long journey to Delhi from Mumbai”, the word length is a descriptive adjective. Also, “the tiger is a ferocious animal”, the word ferocious is a descriptive adjective.

If you observe, the usage of descriptive adjectives in the sentences enhances and provides an accurate representation of nouns under description. Without the word long in the first example, the full explanation of the journey is not done and the reader will not have enough information to conclude the noun that is being described in the sentence. Also, they help in modifying the noun. In the second example of the tiger, the word ferocious explains and gives an accurate idea to the reader about the type of animal under discussion. It also conveys the thought process of the writer, very aptly and vividly to the reader.

Descriptive Adjectives List

Below we have given a comprehensive list of 100 descriptive adjectives that can be used for different purposes by students, teachers, etc.

  1. Exciting
  2. Ferocious
  3. Furious
  4. Wild
  5. Wide
  6. Witty
  7. Angry
  8. Sad
  9. Anxious
  10. Fast
  11. Slow
  12. Amused
  13. Creepy
  14. Adorable
  15. Cute
  16. Small
  17. Big
  18. Large
  19. Broken-hearted
  20. Light Hearted
  21. Alpine
  22. Black
  23. Blue
  24. Awful
  25. Long-lasting
  26. Full-time
  27. Indian
  28. European
  29. Bright
  30. Light
  31. Dark
  32. Full
  33. Brave
  34. Brittles
  35. Scared
  36. Timid
  37. Gullible
  38. Brown
  39. Drab
  40. Elated
  41. Elegant
  42. Careful
  43. Careless
  44. Cautious
  45. Negligent
  46. Easy
  47. Adorable
  48. Ashamed
  49. Proud
  50. Energetic
  51. Red-blooded
  52. Dizzying
  53. Eager
  54. Early
  55. Late
  56. Cooperative
  57. Rude
  58. Crowded
  59. Cowardly
  60. Difficult
  61. Worrisome
  62. Charming
  63. Clean
  64. Clever
  65. Thick-skinned
  66. Well-known
  67. Well read
  68. Life-giving
  69. Apt
  70. Wonderful
  71. Super
  72. Optimistic
  73. Outstanding
  74. Awful
  75. Eager
  76. Delightful
  77. Lovely
  78. Juicy
  79. Nasty
  80. Miniature
  81. Scrumptious
  82. Rotten
  83. Petite
  84. Surefooted
  85. Savour
  86. Abactinal
  87. Exotic
  88. Fit
  89. Addicted
  90. Alert
  91. Alive
  92. Baseless
  93. Chubby
  94. Confused
  95. Cruel
  96. Impressive
  97. Powerful
  98. Brainy
  99. Abaxial
  100. Belligerent

Descriptive Adjectives

Assignment on Descriptive Adjectives

As a small activity or an assignment, we advise students to make sentences on their own using the list of 100 descriptive adjectives given in the above section. This will help them understand when to use Descriptive Adjectives and, more importantly, when not to use Descriptive Adjectives and learn the appropriate situation to use the same.

If you are unable to speak or write in English, you can download our English Grammar Notes & study material for free that helps you to improve your English communication skills.

Descriptive Adjectives Examples

Below we have given a few examples of sentence formation using Descriptive Adjectives for students and teachers to learn and write the same.

  • The cashier at the counter was particularly rude to all the women customers waiting in the line
  • The bike that my friend got me was as fast as a bullet
  • The horse that we saw the other day was black, shiny, and beautiful
  • The tigers in the zoo were looking dull and lethargic
  • Rohit, who according to me is the most energetic employee in the company, has won the employee of the year title
  • I have developed a thick skin over the years and I am almost immune to criticism and negative thoughts
  • Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, is a very well-known and well-read person
  • I fell sick during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and couldn’t recover for almost 20 long days
  • She was an evil-minded person and no one likes her in our classroom
  • Having a good sense of humour, he gets along with everyone in the school and is sort of a popular guy

What is the Importance of Descriptive Adjectives?

The following pointers will help one understand the importance of proper usage of Descriptive Adjectives in passage formation and casual communication:

  • Essay writing: Good essay writing, in itself, is a talent that many people develop eventually over the years. Usage of proper adjectives, in addition to other English grammar such as nouns, verbs, and tenses, is what makes a good essay
  • Email communication: Good mail communication is a very important criterion for one to survive in a corporate environment. Usage of appropriate descriptive adjectives is going to aid one in drafting a well-rounded email
  • Scriptwriting: Script writing, in a nutshell, is basically about conveying the emotions of the readers and converting their thoughts into words. And for this to happen vividly, a good vocabulary, including but not limited to appropriate usage of Descriptive Adjectives is important
  • General communication: In this era of globalization and the 22nd-century digital world, good hold and command over the English language pave a long way. Whether it’s to impress your boss during appraisal, HR during the interview, or on your date, good English can help you make a great impression. Trust us, good usage of Descriptive Adjectives is going to help one achieve this.

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FAQs on Descriptive Adjectives

1. Name a few examples of Descriptive Adjectives?

Angry, fast, ferocious, delicious, and vivid are a few words that can be used as Descriptive Adjectives in a sentence formation

2. How to teach descriptive adjectives to students in school?

Descriptive adjectives can be thought of for students using various teaching methodologies such as homework, class works, assignments, regular class tests, classroom activities, games, etc.

3. How are descriptive adjectives helpful?

Descriptive adjectives will help a writer convey his or her feelings and thoughts and impressions aptly to the reader through a good usage of Descriptive Adjectives

4. Where are descriptive adjectives used?

Descriptive adjectives are used in email drafting, essay writing, answer writing, script writing, novel writing, and general form of communication.

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