Adjectives
Adjectives are used to describe either the nature or number of noun. While IELTS uses a quarter of its scoring criteria from lexical resource and another one from grammar, you can use wide range of adjectives to explain general or precise information. They add enthusiasm and color to your tone.
Use around three to four adjectives according to the context of your writing and speaking question. This will impress examiner for your careful consideration of parts of speech.
A lot of candidates would use a sentence like “He is nice” or “She is kind”. Both these sentences are okay, but even for native speakers “nice” and “kind” are so common that they have become stale.
HENCE: Try to learn some synonyms of most common and smart adjectives. This polishes your score for lexical resource too.
The table below will furnish you with synonyms for the most common adjectives which can serve as an adequate substitute in the IELTS test.
Adjectives | Synonyms |
Bad | Negative, detrimental, inferior, inadequate, incorrect, poor, unsatisfactory, harmful, unacceptable, unpleasant, discouraging, terrible |
Big | Sizable, enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous |
Amazing | Unbelievable, improbable, fantastic, fabulous, incredible, wonderful, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary |
Awful | Dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant |
Angry | Mad, furious, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed |
Happy | Pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed |
Unhappy | Miserable, uncomfortable, heart-broken, unfortunate, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad |
Interesting | Fascinating , gripping, arresting, enthralling, engaging, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, engrossing, absorbing |
Boring | Mundane, dull, monotonous, tiresome, humdrum |
Lazy | Indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish |
Great | Noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty |
Good | Acceptable, adroit, commendable, competent, excellent, exceptional, fabulous, fantastic, favorable, first-class, great, marvelous, proficient, satisfactory, skillful, splendid, stupendous, super, superb, superior, tip-top, valuable, wonderful |
Important | Chief, critical, crucial, essential, imperative, key, necessary, urgent, weighty, vital |
Beautiful | Attractive, breathtaking, wonderful, picturesque (landscape/view) Attractive, glowing, gorgeous, good-looking (person) |
Brave | Courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome |
Bright | Shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous Intelligent, knowing, smart, intellectual (person) |
Calm | Quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof |
Strong | Powerful, intense, firm, solid, potent |
Weak | Frail, feeble, shaky, flimsy, fragile |
Dangerous | Perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe |
Delicious | Savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite |
Famous | Well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious |
Fast | Quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash |
Fat | Plump, stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, elephantine |
Funny | Humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly |
Serious | Alarming, grave, pressing, pressuring, severe, urgent |
Small | Insignificant, insubstantial, minimal, minor, tiny |
New | Fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent, up-to-date |
Old | Feeble, ancient, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, outdated, antiquated, obsolete |
False | Fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious |
Wrong | Amiss, arguable, askew, awry, bad, debatable, dubious, erroneous, fallacy, fallacious, false, inaccurate, incorrect, miscalculated, misconstrued, misguided, mistaken, on the wrong track, off target, perverse, spurious, unsatisfactory, untrue |