C1 English Adjectives: Quality, Certainty & Character
Advancing to the C1 level requires a sophisticated command of descriptive language. This initial section focuses on adjectives that allow for precise evaluation and characterisation. You will find nuanced vocabulary for assessing Quality & Value, such as flawed and worthwhile; words for determining Certainty & Validity, including credible and plausible; and a range of adjectives for describing complex Character & Behaviour, from cynical to humble.
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Quality & Value
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| absurd | The whole situation seemed completely absurd. | /əbˈsɜːd/ |
| appealing | The idea sounds quite appealing to me. | /əˈpiːlɪŋ/ |
| bizarre | He told us a rather bizarre story. | /bɪˈzɑː(r)/ |
| costly | The delay proved to be very costly. | /ˈkɒstli/ |
| delicate | Peace in the region depends on a delicate balance of power.
Word Partners: delicate balance, delicate situation
|
/ˈdelɪkət/ |
| desirable | The house is in a highly desirable area. | /dɪˈzaɪərəbl/ |
| distinctive | The bird has a very distinctive call.
Word Partners: distinctive feature, distinctive style, distinctive call
|
/dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/ |
| divine | The food at that restaurant is absolutely divine. | /dɪˈvaɪn/ |
| dumb | That was a really dumb thing to do. | /dʌm/ |
| exceptional | Her performance was truly exceptional. | /ɪkˈsepʃənl/ |
| favourable | The conditions were favourable for sailing. | /ˈfeɪvərəbl/ |
| fierce | There was fierce competition for the contract.
Word Partners: fierce competition, fierce debate
|
/fɪəs/ |
| fragile | The country's economy is in a fragile state.
Word Partners: fragile state
|
/ˈfrædʒaɪl/ |
| frustrating | It's very frustrating when the internet is slow. | /frʌˈstreɪtɪŋ/ |
| glorious | It was a glorious sunny day. | /ˈɡlɔːriəs/ |
| grave | His actions have put us in grave danger.
Word Partners: grave concern, grave danger
|
/ɡreɪv/ |
| gross | That's a gross exaggeration of what happened.
Word Partners: gross misconduct, gross exaggeration
|
/ɡrəʊs/ |
| harsh | The harsh reality is that we cannot afford it.
Word Partners: harsh reality, harsh criticism
|
/hɑːʃ/ |
| hostile | He received a hostile reception from the crowd.
Word Partners: hostile environment, hostile reception
|
/ˈhɒstaɪl/ |
| inadequate | The funding was totally inadequate. | /ɪnˈædɪkwət/ |
| intriguing | That's an intriguing idea. | /ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋ/ |
| magical | It was a truly magical evening. | /ˈmædʒɪkl/ |
| moderate | The wine should be drunk at a moderate temperature. | /ˈmɒdərət/ |
| peculiar | There was a peculiar smell in the room. | /pɪˈkjuːliə(r)/ |
| prestigious | She attended a prestigious university. | /preˈstɪdʒəs/ |
| problematic | The new policy could prove problematic. | /ˌprɒbləˈmætɪk/ |
| productive | We had a very productive meeting. | /prəˈdʌktɪv/ |
| profitable | The business has become highly profitable. | /ˈprɒfɪtəbl/ |
| straightforward | The instructions are quite straightforward. | /ˌstreɪtˈfɔːwəd/ |
| superb | The hotel offers superb service. | /suːˈpɜːb/ |
| terrific | That's a terrific idea! | /təˈrɪfɪk/ |
| thoughtful | That was very thoughtful of you. | /ˈθɔːtfl/ |
| thrilled | I was absolutely thrilled to hear the news. | /θrɪld/ |
| transparent | The company needs to be more transparent about its finances. | /trænsˈpærənt/ |
| vicious | It was a vicious attack.
Word Partners: vicious attack, vicious circle
|
/ˈvɪʃəs/ |
| worthwhile | Learning a language is a worthwhile investment of time.
Word Partners: worthwhile investment
|
/ˌwɜːθˈwaɪl/ |
| worthy | It's a worthy cause.
Word Partners: worthy cause
|
/ˈwɜːði/ |
Certainty & Validity
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| accountable | We must hold the board accountable for its decisions.
Word Partners: hold accountable
|
/əˈkaʊntəbl/ |
| applicable | The rules are applicable to all employees. | /əˈplɪkəbl/ |
| arbitrary | The decision to cancel the event seemed completely arbitrary. | /ˈɑːbɪtrəri/ |
| authentic | The restaurant is known for its authentic cuisine.
Word Partners: authentic cuisine, authentic experience
|
/ɔːˈθentɪk/ |
| comparable | The two products are comparable in quality. | /ˈkɒmpərəbl/ |
| compelling | The lawyer presented compelling evidence in court.
Word Partners: compelling evidence, compelling argument
|
/kəmˈpelɪŋ/ |
| credible | She is a credible witness.
Word Partners: credible witness, credible source
|
/ˈkredəbl/ |
| definitive | This is the definitive biography of the author. | /dɪˈfɪnətɪv/ |
| eligible | Only people over 18 are eligible to vote. | /ˈelɪdʒəbl/ |
| explicit | The contract contains explicit terms. | /ɪkˈsplɪsɪt/ |
| fraudulent | He was convicted of making a fraudulent claim.
Word Partners: fraudulent claim/trading
|
/ˈfrɔːdjələnt/ |
| inappropriate | His comment was a clear example of inappropriate behaviour. | /ˌɪnəˈprəʊpriət/ |
| inclined | I'm inclined to agree with you. | /ɪnˈklaɪnd/ |
| inherent | There are inherent risks in any business venture.
Word Partners: inherent risk, inherent problem
|
/ɪnˈhɪərənt/ |
| insufficient | There is insufficient evidence to proceed.
Word Partners: insufficient evidence, insufficient time
|
/ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃnt/ |
| irrelevant | That point is completely irrelevant to the discussion. | /ɪˈreləvənt/ |
| legitimate | That's a legitimate concern.
Word Partners: legitimate concern, legitimate question
|
/lɪˈdʒɪtɪmət/ |
| liable | You are liable for any damage caused. | /ˈlaɪəbl/ |
| misleading | The advertisement was deliberately misleading. | /ˌmɪsˈliːdɪŋ/ |
| plausible | His explanation for being late sounded plausible enough. | /ˈplɔːzəbl/ |
| preliminary | The preliminary results look promising. | /prɪˈlɪmɪnəri/ |
| rational | We need to make a rational decision based on the facts. | /ˈræʃənl/ |
| regulatory | The company must comply with regulatory requirements. | /ˈreɡjələtəri/ |
| symbolic | The gesture was purely symbolic. | /sɪmˈbɒlɪk/ |
| underlying | We need to address the underlying causes. | /ˌʌndəˈlaɪɪŋ/ |
| vague | He gave only a vague description of the suspect. | /veɪɡ/ |
| verbal | They had a verbal agreement. | /ˈvɜːbl/ |
| viable | We need to find a viable alternative.
Word Partners: viable option, viable alternative
|
/ˈvaɪəbl/ |
Character & Behaviour
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| beloved | She was a beloved member of the community. | /bɪˈlʌvd/ |
| brutal | It was a brutal attack on an innocent person.
Word Partners: brutal attack, brutal honesty
|
/ˈbruːtl/ |
| cautious | The company is taking a cautious approach to expansion.
Word Partners: cautious approach
|
/ˈkɔːʃəs/ |
| competent | She is a very competent manager. | /ˈkɒmpɪtənt/ |
| content | He seems content with his simple life. | /kənˈtent/ |
| cooperative | The staff have been very cooperative throughout the investigation. | /kəʊˈɒpərətɪv/ |
| corrupt | The corrupt officials were finally arrested.
Word Partners: corrupt officials, corrupt practices
|
/kəˈrʌpt/ |
| crude | His manners were rather crude. | /kruːd/ |
| cynical | He has a very cynical view of politics. | /ˈsɪnɪkl/ |
| damaging | The new evidence had damaging effects on the case.
Word Partners: damaging effects
|
/ˈdæmɪdʒɪŋ/ |
| decisive | She took decisive action to resolve the crisis.
Word Partners: decisive action, decisive moment
|
/dɪˈsaɪsɪv/ |
| dedicated | She is a dedicated teacher who cares about her students. | /ˈdedɪkeɪtɪd/ |
| defensive | He adopted a defensive attitude when questioned. | /dɪˈfensɪv/ |
| destructive | The psychologist is studying the causes of destructive behaviour.
Word Partners: destructive behaviour, destructive force
|
/dɪˈstrʌktɪv/ |
| engaging | She has a very engaging personality. | /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ/ |
| humble | Despite his success, he never forgot his humble origins.
Word Partners: humble origins
|
/ˈhʌmbl/ |
| infamous | The dictator was infamous for his cruelty. | /ˈɪnfəməs/ |
| influential | She is one of the most influential figures in modern art.
Word Partners: influential figure
|
/ˌɪnfluˈenʃl/ |
| instrumental | Her support was instrumental in the project's success. | /ˌɪnstrəˈmentl/ |
| just | The charity campaigns for a just society.
Word Partners: just society, just cause
|
/dʒʌst/ |
| legendary | His legendary status continues to grow.
Word Partners: legendary status, legendary figure
|
/ˈledʒəndri/ |
| naive | It would be naive to think the problem will solve itself. | /naɪˈiːv/ |
| noble | It was a noble gesture.
Word Partners: noble cause, noble gesture
|
/ˈnəʊbl/ |
| notorious | The area is notorious for crime. | /nəʊˈtɔːriəs/ |
| passive | She took a rather passive role in the discussion. | /ˈpæsɪv/ |
| persistent | She ignored his persistent questions. | /pəˈsɪstənt/ |
| protective | Wear protective clothing when handling chemicals. | /prəˈtektɪv/ |
| reluctant | He was reluctant to discuss the matter. | /rɪˈlʌktənt/ |
| renowned | The chef is world-renowned for his innovative dishes.
Word Partners: world-renowned
|
/rɪˈnaʊnd/ |
| selective | The university is very selective in its admissions. | /sɪˈlektɪv/ |
| suspicious | The police found his behaviour highly suspicious. | /səˈspɪʃəs/ |
