Adjectives - Definition, Types, Forms, Usage, Examples
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns, providing details about qualities, quantities, or characteristics. Checkout our article to know all about Adjectives.
Neha Tanna13 Aug, 2025
Share
Adjectives: Adjectives are descriptive words that modify nouns or pronouns, adding detail or quality to make language more expressive. They can describe qualities (beautiful, fast), quantities (many, few), size (large, small), shape (round, square), color (red, blue), and more.
Adjectives enhance sentences by providing specific characteristics and enabling comparisons, using forms like comparative (smaller) and superlative (smallest). They also vary by type, including demonstrative (this, that), possessive (my, your), and interrogative (which, what). Adjectives can be placed before or after nouns and are key for creating vivid, nuanced descriptions in writing or speech.Also Read about - Riddles
What Is an Adjectives?
An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. The primary function of an adjective is to provide more information about a person, place, thing, or idea. They allow speakers and writers to convey specific qualities, quantities, or characteristics, making language more expressive and vivid. For example:- The blue sky – The adjective "blue" describes the noun "sky."
- A tall building – The adjective "tall" modifies the noun "building."
Definition of an Adjective
An adjective is defined as "a word that describes a noun or pronoun" by the Cambridge Dictionary. The Collins Dictionary has a definition that is more thorough. It states that an adjective is a term that characterizes or provides further information about a person or object, such as "big," "dead," or "financial." Adjectives usually appear before nouns or after link verbs. "A word that describes a person or thing, for example, "huge," "red," and "smart" in a big house, red wine, and a clever idea," is how the Oxford Learner's Dictionary defines an adjective. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an adjective as "a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages and typically serving as a modifier of a noun to denote a quality of the thing named, to indicate its quantity or extent, or to specify a thing as distinct from something else."Forms of Adjectives
Adjectives come in three forms: absolute, comparative, and superlative. These forms allow us to compare different qualities of nouns or pronouns.1. Absolute Adjectives
An absolute adjective simply describes the quality of a noun or pronoun without making any comparisons. It’s the basic form of the adjective. Examples:- A fast car
- A happy person
- A beautiful painting
2. Comparative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things. They often end in "-er" (for one-syllable adjectives) or use the word "more" for longer adjectives.
Examples:- A faster car (compared to another car)
- A more beautiful painting (compared to another painting)
3. Superlative Adjectives
Superlative adjectives indicate that something possesses the highest degree of a particular quality, often involving three or more things. These adjectives often end in "-est" (for one-syllable adjectives) or use the word "most" for longer adjectives.
Examples:- The fastest car (of all cars)
- The most beautiful painting (of all the paintings)
Rules for Forming Comparatives and Superlatives
One-syllable adjectives : Add "-er" for comparatives and "-est" for superlatives.
- Examples: tall – taller – tallest, big – bigger – biggest
Two-syllable adjectives : Some adjectives use "-er" and "-est," while others require "more" and "most."
- Examples: narrow – narrower – narrowest, peaceful – more peaceful – most peaceful
Three or more syllables : Generally, use "more" for the comparative form and "most" for the superlative form.
- Examples: beautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful
Types of Adjectives
Adjectives can be divided into different categories based on their functions when used in a sentence. Below are some common types:1. Descriptive Adjectives
These adjectives describe the qualities or characteristics of a noun. They can describe size, color, shape, texture, sound, taste, and many other attributes. Examples:- Big – a big dog
- Red – a red apple
- Soft – a soft pillow
- Loud – a loud noise
2. Quantitative Adjectives
These adjectives indicate the quantity or amount of the noun they modify. They can be specific numbers or vague terms like "few," "many," or "several." Examples:- Two – two apples
- Several – several people
- Much – much water
- Many – many books
3. Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives point out specific things or people. These include "this," "that," "these," and "those." Examples:- This – this chair
- That – that tree
- These – these shoes
- Those – those cars
4. Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives show ownership or possession. They include words such as my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Examples:- My – my car
- Your – your phone
- Their – their house
- Which – which book do you prefer?
- What – what color is your car?
- Whose – whose shoes are these?
6. Indefinite Adjectives
Indefinite adjectives are used to describe nouns in a non-specific way. They include words like "some," "few," "many," "all," and "several." Examples:- Some – some people
- Few – few choices
- All – all children
- Several – several houses
7. Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives are formed by combining two or more words to modify a noun. These can be made from two adjectives, a noun and an adjective, or a verb and an adjective. Examples:- Well-known – a well-known author
- High-pitched – a high-pitched voice
- Full-time – a full-time job
How to Use Adjectives in Sentences?
Adjectives are believed to make your speech and writing sound extremely flowery. It helps to make it more descriptive and provides a visual feast for your listeners and readers. Overusing adjectives, however, might give it a hazy, confusing appearance or sound. This would simply cause your content to be misunderstood. Knowing when, when and how to utilise adjectives is a talent that you should master. Any written work needs to be exact and clear. See if there is a word that expresses what you are attempting to say more precisely. For instance, the terms fleet, quick, swift, rushed, and so on all imply "very fast." Similar to this, there are various degrees of happiness that can be described by the adjectives contented, cheerful, merry, joyous, exuberant, pleased, etc. There's another idea you ought to be aware of. When describing the same subject or object with two or more adjectives, there's a specific order in which they should be used. To find out more, look at the adjectives' order.Examples of Adjectives
Do not waste any more time thinking over whether a hue or a number belongs in whatever part of speech. Adjectives are all different colours and numbers. Although adjectives are words that alter nouns, they are usually seen to be capable of much more. The numerous purposes and applications of adjectives are listed below.Adjectives as Complements
Nouns that function as subjects and objects can be modified by adjectives acting as complements. An adjective is referred to as an object complement when it describes the object in a sentence and as a subject complement when it describes the subject. They are observed to be employed in the following pattern-using sentences:- SVC – Aaron is good.
- SVOC – The movie made Karthik sleepy.
Adjectives as Coordinates
Coordinate adjectives are those that appear in a phrase when two or more adjectives describe the same noun. A comma or the conjunction "and" are frequently used to separate coordinate adjectives. For example:- The mobile phone is easy to use and handy.
- My cousin is tall and thin.
Multifunctional Adjectives
It is possible to make adjectives behave like nouns in sentences, and occasionally a noun can act like an adjective when it is employed to describe or expand upon another word. For example:- I like my English teacher.
- It is our duty to tend to the poor and the oppressed.
Adjectives vs. Adverbs
It’s essential to distinguish between adjectives and adverbs. While adjectives modify nouns, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Example:- Adjective : She is a quick runner. (Describes the noun "runner.")
- Adverb : She runs quickly . (Describes the verb "runs.")
Some Examples of Adjectives
Identify the some examples of adjectives in the following sentences: 1. I bought a red dress for the wedding. 2. I have eight apples. 3. The food is delicious . 4. My brother is naughty . 5. The movie we watched last night was boring . 6. Pablo Picasso is a fine artist. 7. The weather in Chennai is sultry all round the year. 8. Now is a great time to visit the United States. 9. It was a fabulous drive. 10. The Marina Beach is the longest beach in India.| Preposition | Tense Chart |
| Alphabet | Adjectives |
Adjectives FAQs
What are the uses of adjectives?
An adjective is a word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can be used to describe the qualities of someone or something independently or in comparison to something else. Examples: Adjectives in a sentence I like old houses.
What can adjectives tell us?
Adjectives describe or modify—that is, they limit or restrict the meaning of—nouns and pronouns. They may name qualities of all kinds: huge, red, angry, tremendous, unique, rare, etc. An adjective usually comes right before a noun: "a red dress," "fifteen people."
Why do we need adjectives?
Adjectives provide clarity to your sentences because they add further information and specify the meaning or nuance of what you intend to communicate.
How to identify an adjective?
Adjectives are usually placed before the nouns they describe, as in the examples, tall man and easy assignment, above. Adjectives may also follow the noun they describe. Like nouns, adjectives are often recognizable by their suffixes. Endings such as -ous -ful -ish -able usually designate adjectives.
What is the purpose of the adjective?
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun. In general, the purpose of an adjective is to describe a noun or pronoun and provide more information about it. Adjectives provide answers to questions such as “What kind?” “Which one?” and “Whose is it?.
Talk to a counsellorHave doubts? Our support team will be happy to assist you!
Check out these Related Articles
Join 15 Million students on the app today!
Live & recorded classes available at easeDashboard for progress trackingMillions of practice questions at your fingertips
Free Learning Resources
PW Books
Notes (Class 10-12)
PW Study Materials
Notes (Class 6-9)
Ncert Solutions
Govt Exams
Class 6th to 12th Online Courses
Govt Job Exams Courses
UPSC Coaching
Defence Exam Coaching
Gate Exam Coaching
Other Exams
Know about Physics Wallah
Physics Wallah is an Indian edtech platform that provides accessible & comprehensive learning experiences to students from Class 6th to postgraduate level. We also provide extensive NCERT solutions, sample paper, NEET, JEE Mains, BITSAT previous year papers & more such resources to students. Physics Wallah also caters to over 3.5 million registered students and over 78 lakh+ Youtube subscribers with 4.8 rating on its app.
We Stand Out because
We provide students with intensive courses with India’s qualified & experienced faculties & mentors. PW strives to make the learning experience comprehensive and accessible for students of all sections of society. We believe in empowering every single student who couldn't dream of a good career in engineering and medical field earlier.
Our Key Focus Areas
Physics Wallah's main focus is to make the learning experience as economical as possible for all students. With our affordable courses like Lakshya, Udaan and Arjuna and many others, we have been able to provide a platform for lakhs of aspirants. From providing Chemistry, Maths, Physics formula to giving e-books of eminent authors like RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal and Lakhmir Singh, PW focuses on every single student's need for preparation.
What Makes Us Different
Physics Wallah strives to develop a comprehensive pedagogical structure for students, where they get a state-of-the-art learning experience with study material and resources. Apart from catering students preparing for JEE Mains and NEET, PW also provides study material for each state board like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others
Copyright © 2025 Physicswallah Limited All rights reserved.