Parts of Speech: Adjectives - Gradeable vs Ungradeable

Adjectives: Gradable vs Ungradable

Section 1: Understanding the Difference

Adjectives in English can be divided into two main types: Gradable (or Normal) adjectives and Ungradable (or Extreme) adjectives. The key difference between them is how they express intensity and whether they can be modified by comparatives and superlatives.

Gradable adjectives describe qualities that can exist in different degrees. These adjectives have comparative and superlative forms (e.g., big → bigger → biggest, happy → happier → happiest).
Ungradable adjectives describe qualities that are either absolute (e.g., impossible) or extreme (e.g., huge instead of big). They do not have comparative or superlative forms in standard speech because their meaning is already at the highest intensity.

For example, we say “That meal was tasty”, but if it was extremely good, we say “That meal was delicious”: delicious gives a much stronger meaning than tasty!

Now, let’s look at some common Normal 🆚 Extreme adjectives, grouped by category.

General Qualities

Good → Brilliant, Fantastic, Wonderful, Perfect, Outstanding
Bad → Terrible, Awful, Dreadful, Horrible
Interesting→ Fascinating, Spellbinding
Boring → Mind-numbing
Difficult → Impossible
Loud → Deafening
Quiet → Silent
Funny → Hilarious
Damaged → Ruined
Crowded → Packed
Clean→ Spotless
Dirty → Filthy
Old → Ancient
Strong (e.g. smell) → Overwhelming
Big → Huge, Vast, Enormous, Colossal, Massive, Gigantic, Mammoth
Small → Tiny, Miniscule

Weather

Hot → Boiling, Scorching
Cold → Freezing
Wet → Soaked, Drenched

Appearance & Beauty

Beautiful → Stunning, Gorgeous, Breathtaking
Ugly → Hideous
Bright → Radiant
Grand → Majestic
Noticeable → Striking
Shiny → Dazzling
Impressive → Spectacular
Elegant → Exquisite

Quality & Excellence

Notable → Remarkable
Very good → Outstanding
Unusual → Extraordinary
Clever → Brilliant
Stupid → idiotic
Silly → Ridiculous

Value & Importance

Expensive → Astronomical
Cheap → Dirt cheap
Expensive → Astronomical
Valuable → Priceless
Important → Crucial, Essential

Emotions & Sensations

Happy → Ecstatic, Overjoyed
Happy about → Delighted
Sad → Heartbroken, Devastated
Memorable → Unforgettable
Excited* → Exhilirated
Exciting** → Electrifying, Thrilling, Exhilarating
Scared* → Terrified, Petrified
Scary** → Terrifiying, Petrifiying
Angry → Furious, Livid
Tired* → Exhausted, Drained
Tiring** → Exhausting
Surprised* → Astonished, Amazed
Surprising** → Astonishing, Amazing

Food & Taste

Tasty → Delicious, Sublime, Mouth-watering
Bland → Insipid
Spicy (hot) → Scorching
Sweet → Sickly-sweet
Bad → Disgusting, Inedible
Hungry → Starving, Ravenous
Full (stomach) → Stuffed

Note about using ED*/ING** adjectives

Show

Understanding the Difference Between “-ed” and “-ing” Adjectives

In English, many adjectives come in two forms:

-ing adjectives describe the cause of a feeling or reaction.
- They tell us about a person, thing, or situation that creates an emotion.
- Example: The movie was surprising. (The movie caused surprise.)
-ed adjectives describe the feeling itself.
- They tell us how someone feels as a result of something.
- Example: I was surprised by the movie. (I felt surprise because of the movie.)

Not all ‘ed’ adjectives have an ‘ing’ form: Scared* – Scary**

Key Rule:

Use -ing adjectives to describe the thing or situation that causes the feeling.
Use -ed adjectives to describe the person (or sometimes animal) that experiences the feeling.

You can study the ‘ed’ & ‘ing’ adjectives on their own Open Lexis page.

The basic meaning of the Extreme Adjectives is roughly the same as using VERY + Normal Adjective

Look at the phrases below and transform each by using an extreme adjective. Then press ‘reveal word’ to see the correct or suggested word.

Adjective Transformation Test

1. The cake was very tasty → The cake was

2. The house was very big → The house was

3. The movie was very exciting → The movie was

4. The journey was very tiring → The journey was

5. The kitchen was very clean → The kitchen was

6. The exam was very difficult → The exam was

7. The view was very impressive→ The view was

Emphasising & Modifying Adjectives

Section 2: Emphasizing Normal (Gradable) vs. Extreme (Ungradable) Adjectives

We often use modifiers (adverbs) to increase or decrease the intensity of adjectives. However, the words we use to modify Gradable and Ungradable adjectives are different.

Gradable Adjectives

Gradable adjectives (e.g., happy, cold, interesting) can have different degrees of intensity. To increase intensity we use:

Extremely – Very – Really

It’s extremely cold today.
The test was very easy.
This book is really interesting.

To slightly reduce the intensity we use:

Pretty – Quite

💡 Note: “Quite” with a gradable adjective means “a bit but not very”.

It’s quite hot outside.

Notes:

a bit / a little /somewhat: used to give slightly ‘negative’ meaning, e.g. €5 for a vanilla icecream, that’s a bit expensive (= slightly too expensive in my opinion)
Rather: British English uses rather to intensify, but it isn’t as strong as extremely/very/really

Ungradable Adjectives

Ungradable adjectives (e.g., freezing, furious, enormous) are already strong, but if we want to increase intensity, we use the following words with roughly the same meaning:

Absolutely – Completely – Totally – Utterly – Really – Quite

I was absolutely furious at the mistake.
Her idea was completely ridiculous.
The movie was totally amazing.

🚨 Warning! “Quite” with Ungradable Adjectives

The word “quite” means “completely” with ungradable adjectives

It’s quite impossible to finish on time. (= completely impossible)
She was quite amazed by the news. (= completely amazed)

To slightly reduce intensity we use:

Pretty

The test was pretty impossible, but in the end I managed to finish it

Wrap Up & Final Check

Don’t get stuck repeating the same old adjectives—spice up your expressions by choosing words that accurately reflect the intensity you want to convey. Look how you can transform a simple statement step-by-step, increasing impact at each stage:

⭐ His work was good.

⭐⭐ His work was very good.

⭐⭐⭐ His work was very very good.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ His work was brilliant.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ His work was absolutely brilliant.