B2 English Adjectives: Quality, Feelings & Personality
This section of our B2 Adjectives list covers nuanced descriptive words. It includes vocabulary for Quality & Evaluation like accurate and efficient, words for Feelings & Emotions such as anxious and relieved, adjectives for Personality & Character like charming and aggressive, terms for Physical Description, and words for Degree & Intensity.
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Quality & Evaluation
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| acceptable | The committee deemed the risk level to be socially acceptable.
Word Partners: socially acceptable
|
/əkˈseptəbl/ |
| accurate | Scientists require accurate measurements for the experiment. | /ˈækjərət/ |
| adequate | Critics argued that current funding was not adequate to meet demand. | /ˈædɪkwət/ |
| amusing | Despite the serious topic, the lecturer included several amusing anecdotes.
Word Partners: amusing anecdote
|
/əˈmjuːzɪŋ/ |
| appropriate | The minister questioned whether the response was appropriate to the situation. | /əˈprəʊpriət/ |
| astonishing | The athlete demonstrated astonishing speed throughout the race.
Word Partners: astonishing speed
|
/əˈstɒnɪʃɪŋ/ |
| awkward | There was an awkward silence when nobody could answer the interviewer's question.
Word Partners: awkward silence/situation
|
/ˈɔːkwəd/ |
| crucial | Timing proved crucial to the success of the operation. | /ˈkruːʃl/ |
| decent | The charity aims to provide everyone with a decent standard of living.
Word Partners: decent standard
|
/ˈdiːsnt/ |
| fabulous | The gallery acquired a fabulous collection of Renaissance art. | /ˈfæbjələs/ |
| genuine | Experts authenticated the painting as a genuine masterpiece. | /ˈdʒenjuɪn/ |
| gorgeous | The hotel offers gorgeous views across the Mediterranean.
Word Partners: gorgeous view
|
/ˈɡɔːdʒəs/ |
| grand | The council unveiled grand plans for urban regeneration.
Word Partners: grand plans
|
/ɡrænd/ |
| hilarious | The documentary contained hilarious archive footage. | /hɪˈleəriəs/ |
| humorous | The writer is known for his humorous observations on contemporary life. | /ˈhjuːmərəs/ |
| magnificent | The cathedral is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture. | /mæɡˈnɪfɪsnt/ |
| memorable | The conference featured a memorable speech by the keynote speaker. | /ˈmemərəbl/ |
| modest | Despite winning numerous awards, the author remained characteristically modest. | /ˈmɒdɪst/ |
| outstanding | The candidate demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities. | /aʊtˈstændɪŋ/ |
| precious | Negotiators wasted precious time on procedural matters.
Word Partners: precious time
|
/ˈpreʃəs/ |
| remarkable | The patient made a remarkable recovery following treatment.
Word Partners: remarkable recovery
|
/rɪˈmɑːkəbl/ |
| ridiculous | The proposal was dismissed as ridiculous by industry experts. | /rɪˈdɪkjələs/ |
| sexy | Advertisers increasingly use sexy imagery to promote products. | /ˈseksi/ |
| so-called | These so-called reforms achieved minimal improvement.
Word Partners: so-called reforms
|
/ˌsəʊ ˈkɔːld/ |
| spectacular | The observatory offers spectacular views of the night sky.
Word Partners: spectacular view
|
/spekˈtækjələ(r)/ |
| stunning | The team achieved a stunning victory against expectations. | /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ |
| sufficient | Authorities confirmed there was sufficient evidence to proceed. | /səˈfɪʃnt/ |
| super | The software offers super performance at an affordable price. | /ˈsuːpə(r)/ |
| tough | The government faces some tough decisions on public spending.
Word Partners: tough decision
|
/tʌf/ |
| unacceptable | The committee declared the standards completely unacceptable.
Word Partners: completely unacceptable
|
/ˌʌnəkˈseptəbl/ |
| weird | Scientists documented several weird phenomena that defied explanation. | /wɪəd/ |
| wise | In retrospect, selling the shares proved to be a wise decision.
Word Partners: wise decision
|
/waɪz/ |
Feelings & Emotions
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| anxious | Investors are increasingly anxious about the economic outlook. | /ˈæŋkʃəs/ |
| ashamed | The politician admitted he was ashamed of his past behaviour. | /əˈʃeɪmd/ |
| bitter | The divorce left her feeling bitter towards her ex-husband. | /ˈbɪtə(r)/ |
| concerned | Environmental groups are concerned about the impact of deforestation. | /kənˈsɜːnd/ |
| convinced | After reviewing the data, most scientists became convinced that the theory was correct. | /kənˈvɪnst/ |
| delighted | The council announced they were delighted to approve funding for the new facility. | /dɪˈlaɪtɪd/ |
| depressed | After several months of unemployment, he became increasingly depressed. | /dɪˈprest/ |
| depressing | The documentary painted a rather depressing picture of urban poverty. | /dɪˈpresɪŋ/ |
| desperate | Hospitals are in desperate need of additional funding and resources.
Word Partners: desperate need
|
/ˈdespərət/ |
| eager | The volunteers were eager to contribute to the conservation project. | /ˈiːɡə(r)/ |
| emotional | The documentary featured several emotional testimonies from survivors. | /ɪˈməʊʃənl/ |
| enthusiastic | The proposal received enthusiastic support from community leaders. | /ɪnˌθjuːziˈæstɪk/ |
| fond | Despite the difficulties, she retained fond memories of her childhood there. | /fɒnd/ |
| fortunate | We were fortunate to secure funding before the deadline.
Word Partners: fortunate to
|
/ˈfɔːtʃənət/ |
| frustrated | Teachers are increasingly frustrated by budget constraints. | /frʌˈstreɪtɪd/ |
| furious | Local residents were furious about the council's decision. | /ˈfjʊəriəs/ |
| impatient | Shareholders are growing impatient with the lack of progress. | /ɪmˈpeɪʃnt/ |
| impressed | The panel was impressed by the candidate's experience. | /ɪmˈprest/ |
| miserable | Working conditions in the factory were miserable. | /ˈmɪzrəbl/ |
| moving | The film included several moving scenes. | /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ |
| relieved | Officials were relieved to announce that all passengers had survived. | /rɪˈliːvd/ |
| satisfied | Regulators are not satisfied with the company's explanation. | /ˈsætɪsfaɪd/ |
| sympathetic | The tribunal proved sympathetic to the claimant's case. | /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/ |
| unfortunate | The timing of the announcement was particularly unfortunate. | /ʌnˈfɔːtʃənət/ |
Personality & Character
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| aggressive | The company adopted an aggressive marketing strategy to compete with rivals. | /əˈɡresɪv/ |
| bold | The architect proposed a bold design that challenged traditional conventions.
Word Partners: bold move/design
|
/bəʊld/ |
| capable | She is an extremely capable administrator. | /ˈkeɪpəbl/ |
| casual | The dress code for the event is casual rather than formal. | /ˈkæʒuəl/ |
| charming | The cottage retained many of its original charming features. | /ˈtʃɑːmɪŋ/ |
| curious | Researchers discovered a curious phenomenon that defied conventional explanation.
Word Partners: curious phenomenon
|
/ˈkjʊəriəs/ |
| dishonest | The committee concluded that the company had engaged in dishonest practices. | /dɪsˈɒnɪst/ |
| dynamic | The sector requires a more dynamic approach to innovation. | /daɪˈnæmɪk/ |
| elegant | The ambassador hosted guests in the elegant surroundings of the embassy. | /ˈelɪɡənt/ |
| loyal | Despite offers from competitors, she remained loyal to the company. | /ˈlɔɪəl/ |
| nasty | The injury looked particularly nasty and required immediate treatment. | /ˈnɑːsti/ |
| optimistic | Economists are cautiously optimistic about prospects for recovery.
Word Partners: cautiously optimistic
|
/ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk/ |
| passionate | The documentary features passionate advocates for renewable energy. | /ˈpæʃənət/ |
| sensitive | The document contains sensitive information about national security.
Word Partners: sensitive information
|
/ˈsensətɪv/ |
| sincere | The minister offered her sincere condolences to the families affected.
Word Partners: sincere condolences
|
/sɪnˈsɪə(r)/ |
| sophisticated | The organisation uses sophisticated technology to monitor emissions. | /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ |
| strict | Regulators imposed strict controls on financial institutions. | /strɪkt/ |
| willing | The opposition declared they were willing to negotiate a compromise. | /ˈwɪlɪŋ/ |
Physical Description
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| armed | Police arrested three suspects following an armed robbery.
Word Partners: armed robbery
|
/ɑːmd/ |
| athletic | The scholarship programme recruits students with athletic potential from across the region.
Word Partners: athletic potential
|
/æθˈletɪk/ |
| bent | Engineers discovered the bent metal had compromised structural integrity. | /bent/ |
| blind | The charity raised a lot of money for local blind children.
Word Partners: turn a blind eye
|
/blaɪnd/ |
| colourful | The festival featured colourful displays celebrating cultural diversity. | /ˈkʌləfl/ |
| curved | The architect designed a building with a distinctive curved facade. | /kɜːvd/ |
| disabled | The building now includes disabled access following recent renovations. | /dɪsˈeɪbld/ |
| exotic | The botanical garden cultivates exotic species from tropical regions.
Word Partners: exotic species
|
/ɪɡˈzɒtɪk/ |
| folding | The auditorium was equipped with folding chairs for flexibility. | /ˈfəʊldɪŋ/ |
| golden | The negotiators seized a golden opportunity to resolve differences.
Word Partners: golden opportunity
|
/ˈɡəʊldən/ |
| hollow | Critics dismissed the promises as hollow rhetoric.
Word Partners: hollow rhetoric
|
/ˈhɒləʊ/ |
| naked | The photographs revealed the naked truth about conditions in the camps.
Word Partners: naked truth
|
/ˈneɪkɪd/ |
| neat | The accountant kept extremely neat records of all transactions. | /niːt/ |
| pointed | The ambassador made several pointed remarks about trade barriers.
Word Partners: pointed remark
|
/ˈpɔɪntɪd/ |
| pregnant | Employers must provide adequate support for employees who are pregnant. | /ˈpreɡnənt/ |
| raw | The documentary presented raw footage from the conflict zone.
Word Partners: raw footage
|
/rɔː/ |
| shallow | Critics dismissed the analysis as rather shallow and superficial. | /ˈʃæləʊ/ |
| shaped | The committee is working to create a shaped policy framework. | /ʃeɪpt/ |
| spare | Commuters utilised every spare minute during their journeys.
Word Partners: spare minute
|
/speə(r)/ |
| steep | The policy faced steep opposition from industry groups. | /stiːp/ |
| sticky | Negotiators encountered several sticky issues requiring compromise.
Word Partners: sticky issue
|
/ˈstɪki/ |
| stiff | The legislation imposed stiff penalties for violations.
Word Partners: stiff penalty
|
/stɪf/ |
| tropical | Climate change threatens tropical rainforests worldwide.
Word Partners: tropical rainforest
|
/ˈtrɒpɪkl/ |
| vertical | The company restructured its vertical integration strategy. | /ˈvɜːtɪkl/ |
Degree & Intensity
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| absolute | The director demanded absolute silence during filming.
Word Partners: absolute silence
|
/ˈæbsəluːt/ |
| bound | With such strong evidence, the defendant is bound to be convicted. | /baʊnd/ |
| broad | The policy gained broad support across political parties.
Word Partners: broad support
|
/brɔːd/ |
| comprehensive | The government published a comprehensive review of immigration policy.
Word Partners: comprehensive review
|
/ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv/ |
| considerable | The reforms required considerable effort from all departments. | /kənˈsɪdərəbl/ |
| constant | Nurses work under constant pressure in emergency departments.
Word Partners: constant pressure
|
/ˈkɒnstənt/ |
| entire | The scandal dominated headlines for the entire week.
Word Partners: entire week
|
/ɪnˈtaɪə(r)/ |
| excessive | Regulators expressed concern about excessive risk-taking by banks. | /ɪkˈsesɪv/ |
| extensive | The archaeologists conducted extensive excavations at the site.
Word Partners: extensive excavations
|
/ɪkˈstensɪv/ |
| fundamental | The report identified fundamental flaws in the current system.
Word Partners: fundamental flaw/difference
|
/ˌfʌndəˈmentl/ |
| intense | Negotiators faced intense pressure to reach an agreement.
Word Partners: intense pressure
|
/ɪnˈtens/ |
| limited | Researchers faced limited resources during the study. | /ˈlɪmɪtɪd/ |
| massive | The earthquake caused massive destruction across the region.
Word Partners: massive destruction
|
/ˈmæsɪv/ |
| minor | The aircraft experienced only minor technical problems. | /ˈmaɪnə(r)/ |
| multiple | The accident victim sustained multiple injuries. | /ˈmʌltɪpl/ |
| numerous | The report identified numerous violations of safety regulations. | /ˈnjuːmərəs/ |
| pure | The investigation revealed an act of pure negligence by officials.
Word Partners: pure negligence
|
/pjʊə(r)/ |
| rapid | The sector experienced rapid growth following deregulation.
Word Partners: rapid growth
|
/ˈræpɪd/ |
| severe | The region experienced severe weather conditions last winter. | /sɪˈvɪə(r)/ |
| significant | The study revealed a significant correlation between variables.
Word Partners: significant correlation
|
/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ |
| slight | The data showed only a slight improvement in performance.
Word Partners: slight improvement
|
/slaɪt/ |
| thorough | Inspectors conducted a thorough investigation into safety procedures.
Word Partners: thorough investigation
|
/ˈθʌrə/ |
| ultimate | The ultimate goal is achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Word Partners: ultimate goal
|
/ˈʌltɪmət/ |
| vast | The vast majority of respondents supported the proposal.
Word Partners: vast majority
|
/vɑːst/ |
