The simplest adjective definition is "a word that describes or adds information about a noun or pronoun". In "a red kite" or "the soup is hot", the bold words are adjectives: they tell you what kind, which one, how many or whose.
Adjectives are one of the main parts of speech, alongside nouns, verbs and adverbs. Knowing how they work helps you write clearer sentences and avoid a few classic errors, such as mixing them up with adverbs or putting several in the wrong order.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A word that describes a noun or pronounPart of speech
Noun (the name of a word class); adjectival is the adjective formPronunciation
AJ-ik-tivExamples
big, honest, wooden, Indian, three, my, thisOrigin
Latin adjectivum, from a verb meaning to add or throw toWorks with
Nouns and pronouns; adverbs modify adjectivesRegister
Grammar term, used in school and language teaching
Adjective definition in action: what it does
An adjective answers questions about a noun:
- What kind? a noisy classroom, fresh bread
- Which one? this bag, the last bus
- How many or how much? five chairs, some rice
- Whose? her phone, our house
Adjectives sit in two main places. Attributive adjectives come before the noun: "a quiet street". Predicative adjectives follow linking verbs like be, seem, look, feel or become: "The street is quiet." Most adjectives can do both, but a few cannot. You can say "the main reason" but not "the reason is main"; you can say "the baby is asleep" but not "an asleep baby".
Types of adjectives
| Type | What it shows | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive (qualitative) | Quality or feature | soft, brave, ancient |
| Quantitative | Amount | many, few, enough |
| Numeral | Number or order | two, second, tenth |
| Demonstrative | Pointing out | this, that, these, those |
| Possessive | Ownership | my, your, his, their |
| Interrogative | Asking | which, what, whose (before a noun) |
| Proper | From a proper noun, with a capital | Indian, Victorian, French |
| Compound | Two or more words joined | well-known, five-star, kind-hearted |
Some grammar books call words like my, this and which determiners rather than adjectives. Indian school textbooks usually list them as adjectives, while many modern grammars treat them as a separate class. Both approaches are common, so follow the one your course uses.
Degrees of comparison
Most descriptive adjectives have three forms:
- Positive: tall, careful
- Comparative (two things): taller, more careful
- Superlative (three or more): tallest, most careful
Short words usually add -er and -est; longer words use more and most. A few are irregular: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; far, farther or further, farthest or furthest. Words with an absolute sense, such as unique or perfect, are often left without comparison in careful writing, though "more perfect" does appear in older formal texts.
The order of adjectives
When you stack several adjectives before a noun, English has a usual order that native speakers follow without thinking:
- Opinion (lovely)
- Size (big)
- Age (old)
- Shape (round)
- Colour (brown)
- Origin (Kashmiri)
- Material (wooden)
- Purpose (dining)
So: "a lovely big old round brown Kashmiri wooden dining table". In real speech you would rarely use more than two or three, but "a big old house" sounds right and "an old big house" sounds odd for this reason.
Adjectives in real sentences
- My younger sister found a tiny grey kitten under the stairs.
- The meeting was shorter than usual, which pleased everyone.
- That is the most comfortable chair in the whole office.
- The exam felt difficult, but the results were encouraging.
- They ordered two large vegetarian pizzas for the team.
Adjective or adverb? Common mistakes
The most frequent slip is using an adjective where an adverb is needed. Adverbs describe verbs: "She sings beautifully", not "She sings beautiful". But after linking verbs, use an adjective: "I feel bad" (your state), not "I feel badly", which would describe your sense of touch.
- Good vs well: "You did a good job" (adjective), "You did well" (adverb). "I'm well" is fine when talking about health.
- -ed vs -ing: "I am bored" (how I feel) vs "The lecture is boring" (what causes it).
- Too many adjectives: piling them up can weaken writing. One precise word often beats three vague ones.
Origin of the word adjective
The definition of adjective makes more sense once you see its roots. The word comes from Latin adjectivum, part of the phrase for an "added name", built on adicere, to put next to or add. French passed it on to English in the late medieval period. The idea is that an adjective is added to a noun. For more grammar terms, such as pronoun, preposition and suffix, head to our grammar hub.
Frequently asked questions
How would you explain the adjective meaning in English to a child?
Call it a describing word. It gives extra detail about whatever a noun names, for example its size, colour, number or quality.
What are 10 examples of adjectives?
Happy, small, green, honest, heavy, French, three, delicious, careful and old are all adjectives. Each can describe a noun, as in "a careful driver".
Can a noun act as an adjective?
Yes. A noun placed before another noun can describe it, for instance "chicken soup", "bus stop" or "school bag". Grammarians may call these noun modifiers or attributive nouns.
How is an adjective different from an adverb?
Adjectives go with nouns and pronouns (a quick reply). Adverbs go with a verb, an adjective or another adverb (she replied quickly, very quick). Many adverbs end in -ly, though not all.
Are numbers adjectives?
When numbers come before a noun, as in "seven days" or "first prize", they work like adjectives. Many grammars label them as determiners or numerals instead.
How do you pronounce adjective?
Say AJ-ik-tiv. The d is silent in normal speech, and the stress falls on AJ.