Examples of Adjectives and How to Use Them

Adjectives describe, identify or further define nouns and pronouns. There are thousands of these descriptive words at your disposal. For ease, they've been broken up into lists of adjectives according to various functions, such as their ability to describe touch, color, shape, and emotion.

Even though these adjective lists are quite extensive, they're merely scratching the surface of the descriptive capabilities of the English language. That's why reading is such a gift. The more you read, the more you add to your vocabulary. In the meantime, explore a large selection to whet your adjectival appetite.

Did you have a bland bagel? How about a delicious entrée at a restaurant? Well, adjectives are what allow you to describe those wonderful tastes.

When it comes to touching something, you can use all kinds of adjectives to describe it. See a list of adjectives to feel your way through this world.

Sounds have different volumes. Something can be a whisper or blaring and anything in between.

The world is full of a rainbow of color. But if you didn't have adjectives, you wouldn't be able to describe them. Explore several descriptive color adjectives you might use every day to color your world.

Was that spider gigantic or large? It honestly doesn't matter because you can use whatever adjective you need to describe it best.

You can find a blob on your table or a distorted toy. Adjectives for shapes can come in handy.

How do you describe the passing of time or looking into the past? There are lots of different ways you can talk about time passing due to adjectives.

Whether it's an ample or minute amount, you need adjectives to describe it. Spice up your written word through these fun and descriptive adjectives.

The emotions of people are vast. From abrasive to grumpy to lazy, you can a lot of different words that describe how a person feels.

Everyone has that famous friend or a restless family member. Imagine how you would describe those around you without adjectives. Thankfully you don't have to. Just to make your life easier, check out this list of descriptive words for personalities or people.

A novel or letter wouldn't even hold weight if you couldn't use words like quirky and dull to paint a verbal picture of your characters. Explore words that describe a person's appearance.

Jazz up your discussion of situations with some descriptive adjectives. These words make a plot so much better!

Since there are so many different adjectives, check out a printable list to inspire you.

Adjectives are used within sentences to modify nouns. So they might tell you what something looks like "beautiful hat" or the number of something "ten flowers." Adjectives are handy within sentences because they provide readers more information. Additionally, adjectives are found with the noun they are modifying. To understand how an adjective is used within a sentence, check out a few example sentences with adjectives.

• We watched the scariest movie yesterday.
• He had a blue bike in his yard.
• He was carrying four flowers.
• The mean dog growled at the mailman.
• I have a messy desk.

Additionally, you can use adjectives to complement a linking verb called a predicate adjective. So the adjective might provide more about how something is feeling.

• My brother is sad.
• It looks messy in the living room.
• Walking is slower than skating.
• My dog is excited.

Now that we've seen a nice sampling of adjectives, there's one thing left to note. It's best to use discretion with adjectives. You never want to overdo it. Generally, nouns and verbs should do most of the descriptive work in your writing. Don't simply tell your reader something is beautiful, exciting or interesting. Use your words to set a detailed scene and consider using a sprinkling of adjectives rather than a heavy dousing.

As you seek to strike that balance, expand your adjectival toolbox a little further with this list of positive adjectives. Having a wide variety of options at your disposal will allow you to choose the right adjective at the right time.