C2 English Adjectives: Emotional States & Abstract Qualities
The final section of our C2 adjectives list provides the vocabulary necessary to articulate the most subtle and complex aspects of experience and existence. These words are crucial for literary analysis, philosophical discussion, and expressing profound personal insights with clarity and elegance.
Here you will find a rich collection of words for describing intricate Emotional States, such as elated and despondent. The list also covers vocabulary for evaluating Behaviour & Conduct with terms like surreptitious and decorous, and a deep dive into Abstract Qualities & States, featuring words like ephemeral and immutable.
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
Emotional States
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| bereft | She was utterly bereft after the loss of her partner. | /bɪˈreft/ |
| despondent | She felt increasingly despondent about her job prospects. | /dɪˈspɒndənt/ |
| forlorn | It was a forlorn hope, but she clung to it.
Word Partners: forlorn hope, a forlorn figure
|
/fəˈlɔːn/ |
| mortifying | The experience of forgetting my lines on stage was utterly mortifying. | /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪɪŋ/ |
| perturbed | He seemed perturbed by the unexpected news. | /pəˈtɜːbd/ |
Behaviour & Conduct
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| arduous | It was an arduous journey through the mountains.
Word Partners: arduous task/journey
|
/ˈɑːdjuəs/ |
| cursory | He gave the document a cursory glance.
Word Partners: cursory glance/inspection
|
/ˈkɜːsəri/ |
| gruelling | The team faced a gruelling schedule of matches.
Word Partners: gruelling schedule/ordeal
|
/ˈɡruːəlɪŋ/ |
| peremptory | His peremptory dismissal of the idea annoyed everyone. | /pəˈremptəri/ |
| quaint | We stayed in a quaint little village.
Word Partners: quaint village/cottage
|
/kweɪnt/ |
| querulous | He spoke in a querulous voice, complaining constantly.
Word Partners: querulous tone/voice
|
/ˈkwerələs/ |
| sedentary | An increasingly sedentary lifestyle is a major health concern.
Word Partners: sedentary lifestyle/job
|
/ˈsedntrɪ/ |
| seditious | The pamphlet contained seditious material. | /sɪˈdɪʃəs/ |
| subversive | His writings were considered to contain subversive ideas by the authorities.
Word Partners: subversive activities/ideas
|
/səbˈvɜːsɪv/ |
Abstract Qualities & States
| Word | Example Sentence | IPA (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| anachronistic | The film contained several anachronistic details, such as a character wearing a modern watch.
Word Partners: anachronistic detail/element
|
/əˌnækrəˈnɪstɪk/ |
| analogous | The functioning of the human brain is in some ways analogous to a computer. | /əˈnæləɡəs/ |
| antiquated | The factory was full of antiquated equipment that was hopelessly inefficient.
Word Partners: antiquated system/equipment
|
/ˈæntɪkweɪtɪd/ |
| axiomatic | It is axiomatic that any investment carries a degree of risk. | /ˌæksiəˈmætɪk/ |
| bilateral | The two countries signed a bilateral agreement.
Word Partners: bilateral agreement/talks
|
/ˌbaɪˈlætərəl/ |
| commensurate | The salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. | /kəˈmenʃərət/ |
| complementary | The two skills are complementary and work well together. | /ˌkɒmplɪˈmentri/ |
| disparate | The report attempted to bring together disparate sources of information. | /ˈdɪspərət/ |
| eclectic | The restaurant serves an eclectic mix of cuisines.
Word Partners: eclectic mix/collection
|
/ɪˈklektɪk/ |
| efficacious | The treatment proved highly efficacious in clinical trials. | /ˌefɪˈkeɪʃəs/ |
| elusive | For the philosophers, happiness was an elusive concept. | /ɪˈluːsɪv/ |
| endemic | Corruption is endemic in the country's political system. | /enˈdemɪk/ |
| exquisite | The watch was a masterpiece of exquisite craftsmanship.
Word Partners: exquisite detail/craftsmanship
|
/ɪkˈskwɪzɪt/ |
| extraneous | Please remove any extraneous details from the report. | /ɪkˈstreɪniəs/ |
| homogeneous | The population of the village was surprisingly homogeneous. | /ˌhɒməˈdʒiːniəs/ |
| hypothetical | This is a purely hypothetical question, but what would you do?
Word Partners: hypothetical question/scenario
|
/ˌhaɪpəˈθetɪkl/ |
| immortal | The author's classic works are considered immortal. | /ɪˈmɔːtl/ |
| immutable | These are the immutable laws of physics.
Word Partners: immutable law/fact
|
/ɪˈmjuːtəbl/ |
| implausible | The story he told about seeing a ghost seemed highly implausible. | /ɪmˈplɔːzəbl/ |
| impracticable | The proposed plan proved to be completely impracticable. | /ɪmˈpræktɪkəbl/ |
| impregnable | The fortress was thought to be impregnable. | /ɪmˈpreɡnəbl/ |
| inclusive | The final price is inclusive of all taxes. | /ɪnˈkluːsɪv/ |
| incomprehensible | The technical instructions were completely incomprehensible to a layperson.
Word Partners: completely/utterly incomprehensible
|
/ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensəbl/ |
| inconceivable | It is inconceivable that he knew nothing about the plan. | /ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbl/ |
| incongruous | His formal suit looked incongruous at the casual beach party. | /ɪnˈkɒŋɡruəs/ |
| incredulous | She gave me an incredulous look when I told her the news.
Word Partners: incredulous look
|
/ɪnˈkredjʊləs/ |
| indefatigable | She was an indefatigable campaigner for human rights.
Word Partners: indefatigable campaigner/worker
|
/ˌɪndɪˈfætɪɡəbl/ |
| indelible | The experience left an indelible mark on her.
Word Partners: indelible mark/impression
|
/ɪnˈdeləbl/ |
| inexhaustible | She seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of energy.
Word Partners: inexhaustible supply/energy
|
/ˌɪnɪɡˈzɔːstəbl/ |
| inexorable | The inexorable march of time cannot be stopped.
Word Partners: inexorable march/rise
|
/ɪnˈeksərəbl/ |
| infallible | No system of government is infallible. | /ɪnˈfæləbl/ |
| insoluble | The team was faced with a seemingly insoluble problem. | /ɪnˈsɒljəbl/ |
| insurmountable | The team faced what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles.
Word Partners: insurmountable obstacles/difficulties
|
/ˌɪnsəˈmaʊntəbl/ |
| internecine | The party was torn apart by internecine conflict.
Word Partners: internecine conflict/warfare
|
/ˌɪntəˈniːsaɪn/ |
| intrinsic | The jewellery has little financial worth but great intrinsic value.
Word Partners: intrinsic value
|
/ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk/ |
| noxious | The factory emitted noxious fumes into the atmosphere.
Word Partners: noxious fumes/chemicals
|
/ˈnɒkʃəs/ |
| reciprocal | The two countries have a reciprocal arrangement for healthcare.
Word Partners: reciprocal arrangement
|
/rɪˈsɪprəkl/ |
| refractory | The refractory material could withstand extremely high temperatures. | /rɪˈfræktəri/ |
| reminiscent | The style is reminiscent of the 1920s. | /ˌremɪˈnɪsnt/ |
| residual | There were some residual effects from the medication. | /rɪˈzɪdjuəl/ |
| restive | The crowd was becoming increasingly restive. | /ˈrestɪv/ |
| salubrious | The mountain air was wonderfully salubrious. | /səˈluːbriəs/ |
| sombre | The mood at the funeral was very sombre. | /ˈsɒmbə(r)/ |
| stagnant | The water in the pond was green and stagnant. | /ˈstæɡnənt/ |
| staid | The company had a rather staid image that needed updating. | /steɪd/ |
| strident | Her strident tone alienated many potential supporters. | /ˈstraɪdnt/ |
| stringent | The company must adhere to stringent quality controls.
Word Partners: stringent controls/measures/rules
|
/ˈstrɪndʒənt/ |
| sublime | The view of the mountains from the summit was sublime. | /səˈblaɪm/ |
| sullen | He sat in sullen silence for the entire journey. | /ˈsʌlən/ |
| superficial | The report provided only a superficial analysis of a complex issue. | /ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃl/ |
| superfluous | The report was well-written, but it included too many superfluous details. | /suːˈpɜːfluəs/ |
| supine | The government's supine response to the crisis angered many citizens. | /ˈsuːpaɪn/ |
| surreptitious | She took a surreptitious glance at her phone during the meeting. | /ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs/ |
| susceptible | Older people are more susceptible to the virus. | /səˈseptəbl/ |
| tacit | There was a tacit agreement between them that the subject would not be discussed.
Word Partners: tacit agreement/understanding
|
/ˈtæsɪt/ |
| tedious | The process of data entry was long and tedious. | /ˈtiːdiəs/ |
| tempestuous | They had a tempestuous relationship, full of arguments and passion.
Word Partners: tempestuous relationship
|
/temˈpestʃuəs/ |
| tenuous | The evidence linking him to the crime was tenuous at best. | /ˈtenjuəs/ |
| torrid | The newspapers reported every detail of their torrid affair. | /ˈtɒrɪd/ |
| tortuous | The negotiations followed a tortuous path before finally reaching agreement. | /ˈtɔːtʃuəs/ |
| totalitarian | The country was ruled by a totalitarian regime.
Word Partners: totalitarian regime/state
|
/təʊˌtælɪˈteəriən/ |
| truculent | His truculent attitude made productive negotiations impossible. | /ˈtrʌkjələnt/ |
| tumultuous | The country went through a tumultuous period of change. | /tjuːˈmʌltʃuəs/ |
| turbulent | The company survived a turbulent decade of financial uncertainty. | /ˈtɜːbjələnt/ |
| unanimous | The committee reached a unanimous decision to approve the proposal.
Word Partners: unanimous decision/verdict
|
/juːˈnænɪməs/ |
| unenviable | She faced the unenviable task of informing the families.
Word Partners: unenviable position/task
|
/ʌnˈenviəbl/ |
| unequivocal | The government's message on the issue was unequivocal. | /ˌʌnɪˈkwɪvəkl/ |
| unfathomable | His motives for committing the crime remained unfathomable. | /ʌnˈfæðəməbl/ |
| unpalatable | The truth about the company's finances was unpalatable to the shareholders. | /ʌnˈpælətəbl/ |
| unrivalled | The company has an unrivalled reputation for quality.
Word Partners: unrivalled reputation
|
/ʌnˈraɪvld/ |
| unruly | The unruly crowd had to be dispersed by police.
Word Partners: unruly behaviour/crowd
|
/ʌnˈruːli/ |
| untrodden | They ventured into untrodden territory, exploring areas no one had seen before.
Word Partners: untrodden path/territory
|
/ʌnˈtrɒdn/ |
| unwieldy | The old database system was large and unwieldy. | /ʌnˈwiːldi/ |
| unwitting | He was an unwitting participant in the fraud. | /ʌnˈwɪtɪŋ/ |
| uproarious | His jokes were met with uproarious laughter. | /ʌpˈrɔːriəs/ |
| vanquished | The vanquished foe surrendered unconditionally.
Word Partners: vanquished foe/army
|
/ˈvæŋkwɪʃt/ |
| vapid | The conversation at the dinner party was utterly vapid. | /ˈvæpɪd/ |
| vexatious | The court dismissed the case as vexatious litigation.
Word Partners: vexatious litigation/delays
|
/vekˈseɪʃəs/ |
| vicarious | She got vicarious pleasure from her daughter's success. | /vɪˈkeəriəs/ |
| visceral | His reaction to the news was immediate and visceral. | /ˈvɪsərəl/ |
| vitriolic | The debate descended into vitriolic personal attacks. | /ˌvɪtriˈɒlɪk/ |
| volatile | The political situation in the region remained highly volatile. | /ˈvɒlətaɪl/ |
| voracious | She was a voracious reader. | /vəˈreɪʃəs/ |
| wry | He gave a wry smile at the irony of the situation. | /raɪ/ |
