COCA · one billion words
The 100 Most Common English Adjectives
Adjectives are where learners most often reach for a word they half-know. These are the 100 most frequent in a one-billion-word corpus of real American English — the ones worth owning completely before collecting synonyms.
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The list, ranked by frequency
- 1
otherA11,550.77
different from the one already mentioned
Let's try the other door.
adjective · #74 in the corpus overall · 1,550.77 times per million words
- 2
goodA11,119.53
of a high standard, or pleasant
That was a really good film.
adjective · #93 in the corpus overall · 1,119.53 times per million words
- 3
newA11,024.32
recently made, bought or discovered
She's wearing a new coat.
adjective · #100 in the corpus overall · 1,024.32 times per million words
- 4
greatA1701.9
very good, or very large in degree
We had a great time in Porto.
adjective · #138 in the corpus overall · 701.9 times per million words
- 5
bigA1604.58
large in size or importance
They live in a big old house.
adjective · #156 in the corpus overall · 604.58 times per million words
- 6
highA1571.71
tall, or far above the ground; also large in amount
Prices are very high this year.
adjective · #164 in the corpus overall · 571.71 times per million words
- 7
oldA1541.2
having lived or existed for a long time
My grandmother is ninety years old.
adjective · #174 in the corpus overall · 541.2 times per million words
- 8
badA1429.56
of poor quality, or unpleasant
The weather was bad all weekend.
adjective · #229 in the corpus overall · 429.56 times per million words
- 9
differentA1416.48
not the same as something else
This recipe is different from the last one.
adjective · #236 in the corpus overall · 416.48 times per million words
- 10
AmericanA2413.58
relating to the United States
She has an American accent.
adjective · #237 in the corpus overall · 413.58 times per million words
- 11
littleA1407.5
small in size, or small in amount
A little dog followed us home.
adjective · #238 in the corpus overall · 407.5 times per million words
- 12
sureA1386.4
certain about something
Are you sure you locked the door?
adjective · #247 in the corpus overall · 386.4 times per million words
- 13
smallA1384.67
not large in size or amount
We rented a small flat near the centre.
adjective · #248 in the corpus overall · 384.67 times per million words
- 14
rightA1376.56
correct, or the opposite of left
That's the right answer.
adjective · #252 in the corpus overall · 376.56 times per million words
- 15
largeA2356.19
big in size or quantity
A large crowd waited outside.
adjective · #270 in the corpus overall · 356.19 times per million words
- 16
realA2350.69
actually existing, not imagined or fake
Is that a real diamond?
adjective · #280 in the corpus overall · 350.69 times per million words
- 17
bestA1350.65
better than all the others
This is the best coffee in town.
adjective · #281 in the corpus overall · 350.65 times per million words
- 18
longA1347.43
measuring a lot from end to end, or lasting a lot of time
It was a very long meeting.
adjective · #285 in the corpus overall · 347.43 times per million words
- 19
youngA1343.4
not having lived for many years
She started singing when she was young.
adjective · #288 in the corpus overall · 343.4 times per million words
- 20
importantA2333.98
having a big effect or great value
This is an important decision.
adjective · #297 in the corpus overall · 333.98 times per million words
- 21
onlyA2328.21
being the single one of its kind
He's the only person who replied.
adjective · #306 in the corpus overall · 328.21 times per million words
- 22
nationalB1324.22
relating to a whole country
It became a national scandal.
adjective · #310 in the corpus overall · 324.22 times per million words
- 23
blackA1295.16
of the darkest colour
She was wearing a black dress.
adjective · #340 in the corpus overall · 295.16 times per million words
- 24
socialB1292.41
relating to society or to spending time with others
It's a social problem, not a personal one.
adjective · #344 in the corpus overall · 292.41 times per million words
- 25
ableA2281.52
having the skill or chance to do something
I wasn't able to finish in time.
adjective · #355 in the corpus overall · 281.52 times per million words
- 26
politicalB1281.37
relating to government and power
The article takes a clear political position.
adjective · #356 in the corpus overall · 281.37 times per million words
- 27
publicA2266.92
open to or shared by everyone
There's a public library two streets away.
adjective · #370 in the corpus overall · 266.92 times per million words
- 28
whiteA1253.43
of the colour of snow or milk
He painted the walls white.
adjective · #386 in the corpus overall · 253.43 times per million words
- 29
betterA1249.19
of higher quality than something else
This route is better in the morning.
adjective · #391 in the corpus overall · 249.19 times per million words
- 30
lateA1244.46
after the expected time, or near the end of a period
Sorry I'm late.
adjective · #401 in the corpus overall · 244.46 times per million words
- 31
freeA1244.04
costing nothing, or not restricted
Entry is free on Sundays.
adjective · #403 in the corpus overall · 244.04 times per million words
- 32
sorryA1239.21
feeling regret or sympathy
I'm sorry about the mess.
adjective · #408 in the corpus overall · 239.21 times per million words
- 33
lowA2238.69
not far above the ground, or small in amount
Wages here are still very low.
adjective · #410 in the corpus overall · 238.69 times per million words
- 34
humanB1237.85
relating to people rather than animals or machines
It was a simple human mistake.
adjective · #411 in the corpus overall · 237.85 times per million words
- 35
trueA2235.92
matching the facts; not false
Everything he said turned out to be true.
adjective · #414 in the corpus overall · 235.92 times per million words
- 36
wholeA2234.75
complete, with nothing missing
She read the whole book on the flight.
adjective · #420 in the corpus overall · 234.75 times per million words
- 37
easyA1200.09
not difficult
The instructions are easy to follow.
adjective · #423 in the corpus overall · 200.09 times per million words
- 38
hardA1229.84
difficult, or firm and solid
That was a hard question.
adjective · #430 in the corpus overall · 229.84 times per million words
- 39
earlyA1226.24
before the usual or expected time
We caught an early train.
adjective · #434 in the corpus overall · 226.24 times per million words
- 40
possibleA2215.31
able to happen or be done
It's possible she missed the message.
adjective · #448 in the corpus overall · 215.31 times per million words
- 41
wrongA1208.31
not correct, or not morally right
I got the wrong platform.
adjective · #465 in the corpus overall · 208.31 times per million words
- 42
fullA1205.69
holding as much as it can
The bus was full.
adjective · #470 in the corpus overall · 205.69 times per million words
- 43
localA2202.08
belonging to the area you are in
We ate at a local restaurant.
adjective · #480 in the corpus overall · 202.08 times per million words
- 44
strongA2195.24
physically powerful, or hard to break or resist
The coffee here is very strong.
adjective · #497 in the corpus overall · 195.24 times per million words
- 45
fineA2192.12
good enough, or of high quality
Don't worry, everything's fine.
adjective · #509 in the corpus overall · 192.12 times per million words
- 46
federalB2186.44
relating to the central government of a country made of states
It falls under federal law.
adjective · #523 in the corpus overall · 186.44 times per million words
- 47
niceA1182.84
pleasant or kind
That was a nice thing to say.
adjective · #531 in the corpus overall · 182.84 times per million words
- 48
specialA2177.76
different from what is usual, in a good way
Tonight is a special occasion.
adjective · #547 in the corpus overall · 177.76 times per million words
- 49
majorB1176.66
large, serious or important
There's been a major change of plan.
adjective · #551 in the corpus overall · 176.66 times per million words
- 50
economicB2173.36
relating to money, trade and industry
The economic outlook is uncertain.
adjective · #559 in the corpus overall · 173.36 times per million words
- 51
happyA1171.77
feeling pleased
She looked genuinely happy.
adjective · #564 in the corpus overall · 171.77 times per million words
- 52
clearA2169.77
easy to understand or see through
The instructions weren't very clear.
adjective · #573 in the corpus overall · 169.77 times per million words
- 53
deadA2168.48
no longer alive
The plant has been dead for weeks.
adjective · #576 in the corpus overall · 168.48 times per million words
- 54
personalB1165.42
belonging to or about one particular person
That's a personal question.
adjective · #587 in the corpus overall · 165.42 times per million words
- 55
militaryB2164.7
relating to the armed forces
He comes from a military family.
adjective · #589 in the corpus overall · 164.7 times per million words
- 56
openA1154.37
not closed or blocked
The shop is open until nine.
adjective · #590 in the corpus overall · 154.37 times per million words
- 57
internationalA2158.83
involving more than one country
She works for an international charity.
adjective · #616 in the corpus overall · 158.83 times per million words
- 58
certainB1155.14
sure about something, or particular but unnamed
I'm certain I locked it.
adjective · #630 in the corpus overall · 155.14 times per million words
- 59
recentB1152.76
having happened a short time ago
A recent survey says otherwise.
adjective · #639 in the corpus overall · 152.76 times per million words
- 60
availableA2152.47
able to be obtained or used
There are no rooms available tonight.
adjective · #640 in the corpus overall · 152.47 times per million words
- 61
readyA1149.22
prepared for something
Dinner is ready.
adjective · #642 in the corpus overall · 149.22 times per million words
- 62
singleA2149.84
only one; also not married
Not a single person complained.
adjective · #649 in the corpus overall · 149.84 times per million words
- 63
currentB1149.43
happening or existing now
The current rules expire in May.
adjective · #650 in the corpus overall · 149.43 times per million words
- 64
likelyB1149.26
probably going to happen
Rain is likely this afternoon.
adjective · #651 in the corpus overall · 149.26 times per million words
- 65
generalB1147.3
involving most people or things, not detailed
The general mood was positive.
adjective · #661 in the corpus overall · 147.3 times per million words
- 66
shortA1145.86
small in length, distance or time
It's a short walk from here.
adjective · #669 in the corpus overall · 145.86 times per million words
- 67
redA1145.14
of the colour of blood
She marked the mistake in red pen.
adjective · #672 in the corpus overall · 145.14 times per million words
- 68
closeA2140.69
near in space, time or relationship
They're close friends.
adjective · #688 in the corpus overall · 140.69 times per million words
- 69
medicalB1137.81
relating to medicine and treating illness
He needs medical attention.
adjective · #707 in the corpus overall · 137.81 times per million words
- 70
difficultA2137.43
not easy to do or understand
It's a difficult decision.
adjective · #711 in the corpus overall · 137.43 times per million words
- 71
privateB1134.85
for one person or group only, not public
This is a private road.
adjective · #728 in the corpus overall · 134.85 times per million words
- 72
simpleA2132.93
easy to do or understand; not complicated
The answer is quite simple.
adjective · #735 in the corpus overall · 132.93 times per million words
- 73
poorA2132.03
having little money, or of low quality
The photo is of poor quality.
adjective · #740 in the corpus overall · 132.03 times per million words
- 74
commonA2131.21
happening often, or shared by many
That's a common mistake.
adjective · #745 in the corpus overall · 131.21 times per million words
- 75
similarA2130.18
almost the same but not identical
The two designs are very similar.
adjective · #751 in the corpus overall · 130.18 times per million words
- 76
pastB1129.74
having happened before now
It has rained for the past three days.
adjective · #754 in the corpus overall · 129.74 times per million words
- 77
hotA1129.21
having a high temperature
Careful, the plate is hot.
adjective · #755 in the corpus overall · 129.21 times per million words
- 78
naturalB1124.66
existing in nature, not made by people
The park is a natural habitat for birds.
adjective · #783 in the corpus overall · 124.66 times per million words
- 79
significantB2123.9
large or important enough to matter
There was a significant drop in sales.
adjective · #787 in the corpus overall · 123.9 times per million words
- 80
entireB1123.26
whole; complete
He ate the entire cake.
adjective · #792 in the corpus overall · 123.26 times per million words
- 81
seriousA2123.11
severe or important; not joking
This is a serious problem.
adjective · #795 in the corpus overall · 123.11 times per million words
- 82
financialB2121.57
relating to money
They're in financial difficulty.
adjective · #804 in the corpus overall · 121.57 times per million words
- 83
beautifulA1121.53
very pleasant to look at or hear
What a beautiful garden.
adjective · #806 in the corpus overall · 121.53 times per million words
- 84
interestingA1117.59
holding your attention
That's an interesting point.
adjective · #828 in the corpus overall · 117.59 times per million words
- 85
leftA1115.12
on the side of the body where the heart is
Take the second street on the left.
adjective · #848 in the corpus overall · 115.12 times per million words
- 86
foreignB1112.29
belonging to a country that is not your own
She speaks three foreign languages.
adjective · #868 in the corpus overall · 112.29 times per million words
- 87
hugeA2110.86
extremely large
There was a huge queue outside.
adjective · #883 in the corpus overall · 110.86 times per million words
- 88
physicalB1110.35
relating to the body or to material things
The job involves physical work.
adjective · #888 in the corpus overall · 110.35 times per million words
- 89
legalB1107.89
allowed by law, or relating to the law
You should get legal advice.
adjective · #899 in the corpus overall · 107.89 times per million words
- 90
finalA2106.43
coming last, or not to be changed
That's my final offer.
adjective · #908 in the corpus overall · 106.43 times per million words
- 91
perfectA2106.3
as good as it could possibly be
The weather was perfect all week.
adjective · #910 in the corpus overall · 106.3 times per million words
- 92
safeA2105.67
not in danger, or not causing harm
Is it safe to swim here?
adjective · #916 in the corpus overall · 105.67 times per million words
- 93
supposedB1105.78
expected or required to do something (in 'supposed to')
You were supposed to call me back.
adjective · #918 in the corpus overall · 105.78 times per million words
- 94
centralB1105.14
in the middle, or most important
The hotel is very central.
adjective · #922 in the corpus overall · 105.14 times per million words
- 95
mainA2104.53
largest or most important
The main entrance is round the corner.
adjective · #928 in the corpus overall · 104.53 times per million words
- 96
darkA1104.11
with little or no light; deep in colour
It gets dark early in December.
adjective · #933 in the corpus overall · 104.11 times per million words
- 97
blueA1102.89
of the colour of a clear sky
He was wearing a blue shirt.
adjective · #940 in the corpus overall · 102.89 times per million words
- 98
specificB1101.93
particular and clearly defined
Can you give me a specific example?
adjective · #952 in the corpus overall · 101.93 times per million words
- 99
globalB2100.55
affecting the whole world
It has become a global issue.
adjective · #966 in the corpus overall · 100.55 times per million words
- 100
variousB1100.54
several different
We tried various solutions.
adjective · #967 in the corpus overall · 100.54 times per million words
Test yourself
Reading a list is not the same as knowing it. Answer 10 questions drawn at random from these 100 words and find out which ones you only recognise.
Why these 100 adjectives first
The ranking is by raw corpus frequency, not by teaching order. It rewards adjectives that fit almost any noun — good, new, great, big — over the vivid ones learners often study first.
You will notice several pairs sitting near each other: good and bad, big and small, old and new, high and low. English keeps its basic opposites in constant use, and learning them as pairs is far more efficient than meeting them chapters apart.
Common English adjectives explained
Adjectives carry a reputation for being the decorative part of a sentence, which makes their frequency profile surprising. The most common ones are not descriptive at all in the literary sense — they are evaluative and relational. Other, good, new, great, big. They tell you where something sits relative to something else rather than what it looks like.
That explains why so many of them are gradable and appear constantly in comparisons. English speakers spend a great deal of time saying that one thing is bigger, better, older or more important than another, and this handful of adjectives does most of that work. Learning their comparative and superlative forms properly is worth more than learning fifty new adjectives.
Frequency also exposes a trap. Words like 'right', 'fine', 'hard' and 'clear' rank high precisely because each of them carries several unrelated senses. A learner who knows only one meaning of 'fine' will misread it half the time. Every entry here gives one core sense and an example, but the common adjectives reward looking up their other senses too.
Use the list as a checklist for production, not recognition. Tick the adjectives you could place correctly in a sentence, with the right preposition and the right comparative form. The ones you leave unticked are a better guide to your next lesson than any level test.
Frequently asked questions
How were these 100 adjectives chosen?
They are the 100 highest-ranked adjectives in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), a one-billion-word corpus. We filtered the frequency list to entries tagged as adjectives and took the top 100 in order.
Why is 'American' in the list?
Because the corpus is American English, and nationality words are adjectives. It is a genuine reflection of what this corpus contains rather than a claim about English everywhere — one of the honest limits of any single-corpus ranking.
Why do 'better' and 'best' appear separately from 'good'?
The corpus tags them as their own entries rather than folding them into 'good', and they are frequent enough to rank on their own. We left them where the data puts them instead of quietly merging them.
Some of these are also nouns or adverbs. Which is counted?
Only the adjective. Words like right, left, past, open and close work as several parts of speech, and the corpus counts each separately. The number shown is the adjective's frequency alone.
Should I learn synonyms for these instead?
Not yet. Learners often replace 'good' with 'marvellous' before they can use 'good' accurately in every pattern it appears in. Precision with the common hundred reads as fluent; reaching for rare synonyms usually does not.
Practise these words
Other rankings
Frequency data from www.wordfrequency.info, derived from the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). wordfrequency.info