C2 English Adjectives: Scale, Quality & Physicality
Advancing your descriptive abilities requires a sophisticated understanding of words that qualify and quantify. This section focuses on adjectives that define the magnitude, value, and physical nature of subjects, providing the vocabulary needed for detailed and authoritative assessment.
This extensive list covers several key evaluative domains: words for Importance & Significance like paramount and pivotal; adjectives for assessing Quality & Standards from impeccable to shoddy; vocabulary for Physical Appearance & Condition such as ethereal and wizened; terms for Size, Amount & Extent; and words related to Time & Duration.
Jump to a section:
- Positive Personality Traits
- Neutral/Descriptive Personality Traits
- Dishonest, Cruel & Immoral
- Rude, Arrogant & Annoying
- Foolish, Weak & Incompetent
- Communication & Expression
- Danger, Threat & Severity
- Importance & Significance
- Quality & Standards
- Physical Appearance & Condition
- Size, Amount & Extent
- Time & Duration
- Emotional States
- Behaviour & Conduct
- Abstract Qualities & States
Importance & Significance
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| cardinal | In his view, wasting food was a cardinal sin.
Word Partners: cardinal sin/rule/error
|
/ˈkɑːdɪnl/ |
| imperative | It is imperative that we act now to solve the crisis. | /ɪmˈperətɪv/ |
| incontrovertible | The DNA results provided incontrovertible evidence of his guilt.
Word Partners: incontrovertible evidence/proof
|
/ˌɪnkɒntrəˈvɜːtəbl/ |
| ostensible | The ostensible reason for his visit was business, but he was really seeing a friend.
Word Partners: ostensible reason/purpose
|
/ɒˈstensəbl/ |
| paramount | In this situation, safety is of paramount importance.
Word Partners: paramount importance
|
/ˈpærəmaʊnt/ |
| propitious | The timing for launching the new product was particularly propitious. | /prəˈpɪʃəs/ |
| salient | In her summary, she highlighted the salient points of the discussion. | /ˈseɪliənt/ |
| seminal | This was a seminal work that influenced a generation of thinkers.
Word Partners: seminal work/article
|
/ˈsemɪnl/ |
| serendipitous | The discovery was entirely serendipitous, the result of a laboratory accident. | /ˌserənˈdɪpɪtəs/ |
| tangible | We need to see tangible results from this investment.
Word Partners: tangible evidence/results
|
/ˈtændʒəbl/ |
| tantamount | His refusal to cooperate was tantamount to an admission of guilt. | /ˈtæntəmaʊnt/ |
| untenable | The government's position became increasingly untenable. | /ʌnˈtenəbl/ |
| unthinkable | Such an outcome was previously unthinkable in modern politics. | /ʌnˈθɪŋkəbl/ |
Quality & Standards
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| banal | The dialogue in the play was disappointingly banal and predictable. | /bəˈnɑːl/ |
| desultory | He made a few desultory attempts to tidy up, but soon gave up. | /ˈdesəltri/ |
| lacklustre | The team gave a lacklustre performance and lost the match.
Word Partners: lacklustre performance
|
/ˈlækˌlʌstə(r)/ |
| lukewarm | The proposal received a lukewarm response from the committee.
Word Partners: lukewarm response/reception
|
/ˌluːkˈwɔːm/ |
| perfunctory | He gave a perfunctory nod of acknowledgement.
Word Partners: perfunctory manner/glance
|
/pəˈfʌŋktəri/ |
| sordid | The sordid details of the scandal were revealed in court. | /ˈsɔːdɪd/ |
| specious | His argument was specious and misleading to those who didn't know the facts.
Word Partners: specious argument/reasoning
|
/ˈspiːʃəs/ |
| spurious | The document was proven to contain spurious claims.
Word Partners: spurious claim
|
/ˈspjʊəriəs/ |
Physical Appearance & Condition
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| ambrosial | The flowers gave off an ambrosial scent. | /æmˈbrəʊziəl/ |
| decrepit | The city council planned to demolish the decrepit old building. | /dɪˈkrepɪt/ |
| defunct | The company has been defunct for several years. | /dɪˈfʌŋkt/ |
| derelict | The derelict building on the corner was unsafe.
Word Partners: derelict building
|
/ˈderəlɪkt/ |
| destitute | The long war left thousands of families destitute. | /ˈdestɪtjuːt/ |
| diaphanous | She wore a gown made of a diaphanous fabric. | /daɪˈæfənəs/ |
| dingy | They rented a dingy little room in the city centre.
Word Partners: dingy room/flat
|
/ˈdɪndʒi/ |
| dishevelled | He arrived at the meeting looking tired and dishevelled. | /dɪˈʃevld/ |
| dormant | The dormant volcano hasn't erupted for centuries.
Word Partners: dormant volcano
|
/ˈdɔːmənt/ |
| emaciated | The prisoner looked thin and emaciated after years of poor nutrition. | /ɪˈmeɪʃieɪtɪd/ |
| ethereal | The dancer had an ethereal quality that captivated the audience. | /ɪˈθɪəriəl/ |
| flimsy | He gave a rather flimsy excuse for his absence. | /ˈflɪmzi/ |
| immaculate | The house was kept in immaculate condition.
Word Partners: immaculate condition
|
/ɪˈmækjələt/ |
| inclement | We stayed indoors due to the inclement weather.
Word Partners: inclement weather
|
/ɪnˈklemənt/ |
| inhospitable | The barren desert terrain was bleak and inhospitable. | /ˌɪnhɒˈspɪtəbl/ |
| luminous | The watch has luminous hands so you can see it in the dark. | /ˈluːmɪnəs/ |
| luxuriant | The garden was full of luxuriant vegetation.
Word Partners: luxuriant growth/vegetation
|
/lʌɡˈʒʊəriənt/ |
| malodorous | The bins at the back of the restaurant were particularly malodorous. | /mælˈəʊdərəs/ |
| meagre | They survived on a meagre income. | /ˈmiːɡə(r)/ |
| moribund | The moribund industry finally collapsed. | /ˈmɒrɪbʌnd/ |
| opulent | They lived an opulent lifestyle in a huge mansion.
Word Partners: opulent lifestyle/surroundings
|
/ˈɒpjələnt/ |
| ornate | The ceiling was highly ornate, with detailed plasterwork. | /ɔːˈneɪt/ |
| palatable | The truth was not always palatable to many of the board members. | /ˈpælətəbl/ |
| palatial | They lived in a palatial home in the suburbs. | /pəˈleɪʃl/ |
| pallid | His face was pallid after the long illness. | /ˈpælɪd/ |
| palpable | The palpable tension in the room was impossible to ignore.
Word Partners: palpable tension
|
/ˈpælpəbl/ |
| precipitous | The path descended via a precipitous cliff. | /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/ |
| pristine | The car was ten years old but was in pristine condition.
Word Partners: pristine condition
|
/ˈprɪstiːn/ |
| resplendent | She looked resplendent in her new evening gown. | /rɪˈsplendənt/ |
| shoddy | The building was condemned due to its shoddy workmanship.
Word Partners: shoddy workmanship
|
/ˈʃɒdi/ |
| shrouded | The details of the agreement remain shrouded in secrecy. | /ˈʃraʊdɪd/ |
| squalid | The family were living in squalid conditions. | /ˈskwɒlɪd/ |
| stately | We visited a stately home that was owned by the National Trust. | /ˈsteɪtli/ |
| sumptuous | The hotel served a sumptuous banquet. | /ˈsʌmptʃuəs/ |
| supple | The leather for the gloves was soft and supple. | /ˈsʌpl/ |
| tawdry | The hotel's decorations looked cheap and tawdry in the daylight. | /ˈtɔːdri/ |
| translucent | The translucent fabric allowed light to filter through. | /trænzˈluːsnt/ |
| unsullied | Despite the scandal, her reputation remained unsullied. | /ʌnˈsʌlid/ |
| variegated | The plant had beautiful variegated leaves. | /ˈveəriəɡeɪtɪd/ |
| verdant | The valley was lush and verdant after the spring rains. | /ˈvɜːdnt/ |
| virulent | A virulent strain of the disease spread rapidly. | /ˈvɪrələnt/ |
| wizened | His face was wizened with age. | /ˈwɪznd/ |
| wretched | They lived in wretched conditions with no running water.
Word Partners: wretched conditions
|
/ˈretʃɪd/ |
Size, Amount & Extent
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| colossal | The project was a colossal mistake from start to finish.
Word Partners: colossal mistake/failure/undertaking
|
/kəˈlɒsl/ |
| copious | She took copious notes during the lecture. | /ˈkəʊpiəs/ |
| exorbitant | The hotel charged exorbitant prices during the peak season. | /ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt/ |
| innumerable | There are innumerable examples of this phenomenon in nature. | /ɪˈnjuːmərəbl/ |
| paltry | The workers received a paltry pay rise. | /ˈpɔːltri/ |
| pervasive | There was a pervasive sense of gloom in the office after the announcement. | /pəˈveɪsɪv/ |
| prodigious | She has a prodigious talent for music.
Word Partners: prodigious talent/amount
|
/prəˈdɪdʒəs/ |
| prohibitive | The prohibitive cost of the software meant that small businesses could not afford it.
Word Partners: prohibitive cost
|
/prəˈhɪbɪtɪv/ |
| prolific | She was a prolific writer, producing dozens of novels. | /prəˈlɪfɪk/ |
| replete | The report was replete with statistical errors. | /rɪˈpliːt/ |
| ubiquitous | The ubiquitous presence of CCTV cameras has become a feature of modern life. | /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ |
| utmost | This is a matter of utmost importance. | /ˈʌtməʊst/ |
Time & Duration
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| ephemeral | Fame in the world of pop music is often ephemeral. | /ɪˈfemərəl/ |
| evanescent | The beauty of the sunset was evanescent, lasting only a few moments. | /ˌiːvəˈnesnt/ |
| fleeting | She caught a fleeting glimpse of him in the crowd.
Word Partners: fleeting moment/glimpse
|
/ˈfliːtɪŋ/ |
| incessant | The incessant noise from the construction site was unbearable.
Word Partners: incessant noise/chatter
|
/ɪnˈsesnt/ |
| latent | She has a latent talent for music that she should develop. | /ˈleɪtnt/ |
| nascent | The country's nascent democracy was still very fragile. | /ˈnæsnt/ |
| obsolete | The technology they were using is now completely obsolete. | /ˈɒbsəliːt/ |
| pending | The decision is still pending. | /ˈpendɪŋ/ |
| perennial | Lack of funding is a perennial problem for the arts. | /pəˈreniəl/ |
| perpetual | The country seemed locked in perpetual conflict. | /pəˈpetʃuəl/ |
| pioneering | Her pioneering work in genetics changed the field forever.
Word Partners: pioneering work/research
|
/ˌpaɪəˈnɪərɪŋ/ |
| posthumous | He received a posthumous award for bravery.
Word Partners: posthumous award/recognition
|
/ˈpɒstjʊməs/ |
| precarious | The company is in a very precarious financial position.
Word Partners: precarious position/situation
|
/prɪˈkeəriəs/ |
| prevalent | The disease is particularly prevalent in urban areas. | /ˈprevələnt/ |
| primeval | They explored the primeval forest. | /praɪˈmiːvl/ |
| temporal | The novel explores both the spiritual and temporal concerns of its characters.
Word Partners: temporal power/concerns
|
/ˈtempərəl/ |
| transient | The city has a large transient population of seasonal workers. | /ˈtrænziənt/ |
