What Are Descriptive Adjectives? Types and Some Popular Examples

Descriptive adjectives (also known as qualitative adjectives) are a way to help someone describe something in prose or in speech. They are very easy to come by and are in fact the most commonly used adjectives. More often than not, adjectives are simply described as “descriptive words”, which rings true when you think about it. However, there are different types of descriptive adjectives, and we’ll discuss them here to talk you through them and how they work.

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What Is A Descriptive Adjective?

To put it simply, descriptive adjectives are any adjectives that are used to describe the appearance or meaning of an object or noun in a sentence. You can use a descriptive adjective to describe the physical features of a character just as easily as you can use one to describe the unusual shape of a cottage. It doesn’t matter what is being described, the adjectives will always be there to describe it.

Types of Descriptive Adjectives with Rules

Descriptive adjectives are the most common adjectives of all and are used to qualify something about an object in text. There are three main types of descriptive adjectives that can be used in different ways to add meaning to a sentence.

Positive Adjective

These adjectives are always used to describe and not compare. Something like “I am happy” or “this is boring” is a good use of a positive descriptive adjective.

Comparative Adjective

These adjectives are used to compare two things while also being able to describe some elements about them. “She was better than me” is a good use of a comparative adjective with “better” is the descriptive adjective being used.

Superlative Adjective

These adjectives are also used as a way to compare but they are reserved for three or more things, or as a way of saying something is “the most”. “This is the best sandwich ever” is a good use of a superlative adjective where “best” becomes the superlative and is used to describe the sandwich.