Adjectives for People and Places
Do more with this exercise
Use these opposite pairs to describe people and places clearly. Read the examples, then compare two people or two places.
People: appearance
tallHigh in height; opposite of short.
My brother is tall.
shortLow in height; opposite of tall.
My sister is short.
youngNot old.
The teacher is young.
oldNot young.
My grandfather is old.
strongAble to carry heavy things.
She is strong.
weakNot strong.
He feels weak today.
neatClean and tidy in appearance.
His clothes are neat.
People: personality
friendlyKind and easy to talk to.
Our new neighbour is friendly.
unfriendlyNot warm or kind to others.
The man at the desk was unfriendly.
kindHelpful and caring.
Mia is kind to everyone.
unkindNot caring about others.
That comment was unkind.
quietNot speaking much.
My friend is quiet in class.
talkativeTalking a lot.
Leo is talkative at lunch.
patientAble to wait calmly.
The doctor is patient.
Places
crowdedFull of people; opposite of empty.
The train station is crowded.
emptyWith nobody or nothing inside.
The café is empty today.
modernNew in style; opposite of old-fashioned.
The library is modern.
old-fashionedFrom an earlier style.
The hotel looks old-fashioned.
noisyWith a lot of sound.
The street is noisy.
peacefulCalm and quiet.
The garden is peaceful.
cleanWithout dirt.
The room is clean.
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Match the word and meaning
Match each English item with its meaning.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the right English
Choose the English phrase or word for each meaning.
7.Which word describes a person high in height?
8.Which word is the opposite of young?
9.Which word describes someone easy to talk to?
10.Which word means not caring about others?
11.Which word describes a place full of people?
12.Which word describes a place with a lot of sound?
Complete the English
Type the missing word.
Use adjectives for people and places
Adjectives add detail to a description. Tall and short contrast in height; friendly and unfriendly describe how someone treats others. Some words in this list form clear opposite pairs, while others add useful detail without an exact opposite here.
For places, compare crowded with empty, noisy with peaceful, and modern with old-fashioned. Listen to each example, then make your own sentence about a person or place you know.
Frequently asked questions
Where does an adjective go in an English sentence?
It can come after be, as in “The café is crowded”, or before a noun, as in “a crowded café”.
Do all the adjectives on this page have exact opposites?
No. Several form useful contrasts, but words such as patient and clean are included for description, not as complete opposite pairs.
Answer key
1. tall
Answer: High in height; opposite of short.
tall — High in height; opposite of short.
2. young
Answer: Not old.
young — Not old.
3. strong
Answer: Able to carry heavy things.
strong — Able to carry heavy things.
4. friendly
Answer: Kind and easy to talk to.
friendly — Kind and easy to talk to.
5. unkind
Answer: Not caring about others.
unkind — Not caring about others.
6. crowded
Answer: Full of people; opposite of empty.
crowded — Full of people; opposite of empty.
7. Which word describes a person high in height?
Answer: tall
tall is the answer: High in height; opposite of short.
8. Which word is the opposite of young?
Answer: old
old is the answer: Not young.
9. Which word describes someone easy to talk to?
Answer: friendly
friendly is the answer: Kind and easy to talk to.
10. Which word means not caring about others?
Answer: unkind
unkind is the answer: Not caring about others.
11. Which word describes a place full of people?
Answer: crowded
crowded is the answer: Full of people; opposite of empty.
12. Which word describes a place with a lot of sound?
Answer: noisy
noisy is the answer: With a lot of sound.
13. My brother is much taller than me. He is ___.
Answer: tall
The complete sentence is My brother is much taller than me. He is tall.
14. My grandfather is 90. He is ___.
Answer: old
The complete sentence is My grandfather is 90. He is old.
15. She can lift very heavy boxes. She is ___.
Answer: strong
The complete sentence is She can lift very heavy boxes. She is strong.
16. Everyone likes talking to her. She is ___.
Answer: friendly
The complete sentence is Everyone likes talking to her. She is friendly.
17. He laughed at her problem and did not help. That was ___.
Answer: unkind
The complete sentence is He laughed at her problem and did not help. That was unkind.
18. The bus has no free seats. It is ___.
Answer: crowded
The complete sentence is The bus has no free seats. It is crowded.