The letter P is a pretty important letter. Without it, we wouldn't have the adjective pretty, for example. To confuse the issue a little, when a P is followed by an H, it can sound like an F (as in phenomenal). The P is also sometimes silent and has no sound at all (as in psychological). No matter what sound they make, these adjectives that start with P are exactly what you need.
Pleasant Adjectives That Start With P
There are lots of different adjectives that start with the letter P. It might be a pretty fun game in fact to try to name all of the adjectives that start with the letter P. For now, here is a list of pleasant and positive adjectives that start with P.
- patient: able to wait without complaining
- peaceful: calm, restful, at peace
- perfect: flawless, expert, complete
- perky: always cheerful and happy
- personable: sociable, enjoys talking to people
- philanthropic: generous, charitable
- picturesque: very beautiful, almost like a picture
- placid: calm
- playful: lighthearted, fun
- pleasant: enjoyable
- polished: sophisticated, well-practiced
- polite: having good manners
- popular: being liked by many
- praiseworthy: having behavior that deserves approval
- precious: important, valued highly
- pretty: visually attractive
- priceless: too important to place a value on
- prized: special, valuable
- proper: correct, suitable
- pure: without faults, innocent
Powerful Adjectives That Start With P
Some might say that P is a powerful letter used to make plenty of adjectives, so it is prudent to know your Ps. Use these passionate and pristine adjectives that start with P in your everyday writing.
- passionate: intense interest or enthusiasm, easily angered
- perceptive: sensitive, understanding
- persistent: never gives up
- persuasive: good at convincing others
- phenomenal: incredible, amazing
- pivotal: very important or life-changing
- poignant: keenly affecting the sense
- poised: composed, elegant
- powerful: strong, having a lot of influence
- pragmatic: reasonable, practical
- precise: exact, perfect
- preeminent: distinguished above all others
- principled: acting according to a moral code; knows right from wrong
- pristine: perfect, having no flaws
- proficient: skilled at something
- prolific: producing a lot of work
- prominent: well known
- promising: having a lot of potential; someone with a bright future
- prosperous: wealthy, successful
- proud: pleased with, showing pride
- purposeful: working with a goal in mind
Pessimistic Adjectives That Start With P
Sometimes you need an adjective that starts with P that's a bit more painful or pessimistic. Whether you're writing about a pigheaded principal or a pitiful peasant, these adjectives are excellent ways to get your point across.
- painful: causes pain or harm
- pallid: pale, sickly
- panicky: extremely nervous, easily startled
- paternalistic: acting very parent-like; restricting others' freedom
- pathetic: having no strength, making others pity them
- pedantic: overly corrective or too focused on details
- pernicious: slowly harmful or destructive
- petty: obsessed with small, unimportant negative details
- pessimistic: seeing the negative side of a situation
- petulant: moody, behaving like a child
- pigheaded: stubborn and unwilling to change one's mind
- pitiful: sad, deserving pity
- pitiless: having no pity for others, cruel
- pointless: having no purpose
- pompous: arrogant, overly pleased with oneself
- poor: having no money, doing worse than others
- powerless: without any ability to stop something from happening
- prejudiced: forming an opinion about something based on stereotypes
- problematic: may cause problems going forward
- profane: not socially acceptable (speech or behavior)
Puzzling Adjectives That Start With P
Some P adjectives are hard to define, but they're not as puzzling as they seem! Check out these adjectives that are perfect for both pithy messages and platitudinous essays.
- paranormal: supernatural; involving ghosts or otherworldly events
- parsimonious: does not spend money easily
- peevish: cranky, easily annoyed
- perilous: dangerous
- perspicacious: insightful, very wise
- phallocentric: male-centered
- phobic: extremely scared or fearful
- pithy: short but full of meaning
- platitudinous: corny; an overused expression
- pneumatic: round, full of air
- political: relating to government or acting for one's own benefit
- posthumous: after death
- preposterous: ridiculous, unbelievable
- presumptuous: using assumptions to dictate behavior or speech
- prophetic: able to predict or sense what will happen in the future
- psychological: relating to the mind
- pugnacious: ready to fight
- puritanical: very strict, restrictive
- pusillanimous: timid, not courageous
- puzzling: confusing or difficult to understand
Example Sentences With Adjectives That Start With P
Want to see these adjectives in action? See how adjectives that start with P work in these example sentences.
- He was very passionate about science.
- The patient boy did not complain when the bus was late.
- The beach is so peaceful.
- My mother thinks I'm perfect.
- The personable girl had lots of friends.
- There was no wind and the sea was placid.
- The playful boy ran to the swings.
- I took a pleasant afternoon nap.
- The poignant movie made me cry.
- Polite requests receive more consideration.
- The most popular girl won the class election.
- My wedding ring is very precious to me.
- Priceless art hangs in the museum.
- The proficient scientist won the prize.
- The prosperous businessman drove a fancy sports car.
- His proud parents were so happy to watch him graduate.
- The pitiless king made his servants work all night.
- Even though he died before the ceremony, Mr. Lawson received the award posthumously.
- I think my professor is quite perspicacious when she leads our discussion.
- Oliver's parents were quite puritanical and didn't allow him to go out very much.
P: A Historically Tricky Letter
The letter P can be confusing, soundwise, because it doesn't always make one reliable sound. P is also a letter that created some confusion in the alphabet world for a while. The Phoenicians, who created the pictorial alphabet after the old Egyptian hieroglyphics, actually had two letter Ps.
One of them looked similar to the P we know now, but the other looked more like an upside-down J. Then, when the Greeks modified the alphabet, they used the "P" letter to symbolize an "R" sound. Fortunately, the Romans came along and perfected both the shape and sound of the letter P we know today. Now, there are plentiful adjectives that start with P that we use every day.
Mind Your Ps and Qs (and Rs)
Hopefully, you've found the P word you're looking for in these lists of adjectives. If you haven't, check out a list of positive words that start with P for even more options. Once you're ready to move down the alphabet, take a look at these adjectives that start with R for a really righteous time!