Comparative and Superlative Adjectives List – Regular and Irregular Forms

Learning comparative and superlative adjectives is an important step for English language learners. Once you know how to form these words, you can describe differences and extremes in everyday situations, from saying one building is taller than another to noting that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.

This guide explains the rules for forming comparatives and superlatives and provides a large list of examples showing each adjective in its base, comparative, and superlative form. First, let’s review what comparatives and superlatives are.

What Are Comparative and Superlative Adjectives?

Comparative and superlative adjectives are used to compare people, places, things, or ideas.

• Comparative adjectives compare the difference between two things. For example:
  • My house is bigger than yours.
  • She is faster than her brother.
• Superlative adjectives show that something has the highest or lowest degree of a quality among three or more things. For example:
  • Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
  • This is the most interesting book I’ve ever read.

In English, comparatives often use -er or the word more, while superlatives use -est or the word most. Which form you choose depends on the length of the adjective and a few spelling rules.

Comparative And Superlative Rules

One-syllable adjectives – Add -er for the comparative form and -est for the superlative form.
Example: fast → faster → fastest

One- and two-syllable adjectives ending in -y – Drop the y and add -ier for the comparative, or -iest for the superlative.
Example: happy → happier → happiest

Adjectives ending in a single vowel + single consonant – Double the final consonant before adding -er or -est.
Example: big → bigger → biggest

Two-syllable adjectives not ending in -y, and all adjectives with three or more syllables – Use more for the comparative and most for the superlative.
Example: beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful

Irregular adjectives – These do not follow the standard rules and must be memorized.
Example: good → better → best

Comparative And Superlative List – Regular Adjectives

Here’s a list of common regular adjectives in their comparative and superlative forms. As these are regular, they follow the standard formation rules, so you don’t need to memorize each one individually, but it’s still useful to practice them. Use this list to practice recognizing and forming comparatives and superlatives.

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
angry	angrier	angriest
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
big	bigger	biggest
boring	more boring	most boring
cheap	cheaper	cheapest
clean	cleaner	cleanest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
close	closer	closest
cold	colder	coldest
cool	cooler	coolest
crazy	crazier	craziest
crispy	crispier	crispiest
cute	cuter	cutest
dark	darker	darkest
deep	deeper	deepest
dirty	dirtier	dirtiest
dry	drier	driest
early	earlier	earliest
easy	easier	easiest
expensive	more expensive	most expensive
fast	faster	fastest
fat	fatter	fattest
few	fewer	fewest
fit	fitter	fittest
flat	flatter	flattest
fresh	fresher	freshest
funny	funnier	funniest
great	greater	greatest
hairy	hairier	hairiest
happy	happier	happiest
healthy	healthier	healthiest
heavy	heavier	heaviest
high	higher	highest
hot	hotter	hottest
hungry	hungrier	hungriest
interesting	more interesting	most interesting
kind	kinder	kindest
large	larger	largest
late	later	latest
light	lighter	lightest
little	littler	littlest
long	longer	longest
loud	louder	loudest
low	lower	lowest
modern	more modern	most modern
near	nearer	nearest
new	newer	newest
nice	nicer	nicest
old	older	oldest
poor	poorer	poorest
popular	more popular	most popular
quick	quicker	quickest
rich	richer	richest
sad	sadder	saddest
salty	saltier	saltiest
scary	scarier	scariest
short	shorter	shortest
skinny	skinnier	skinniest
slow	slower	slowest
small	smaller	smallest
smart	smarter	smartest
soft	softer	softest
strong	stronger	strongest
tall	taller	tallest
thick	thicker	thickest
tired	more tired	most tired
ugly	uglier	ugliest
warm	warmer	warmest
weak	weaker	weakest
wet	wetter	wettest
wide	wider	widest
young	younger	youngest

Comparative And Superlative List – Irregular Adjectives

Here’s a list of common irregular adjectives in their comparative and superlative forms. These adjectives do not follow the standard formation rules, so they must be learned and memorized individually. Practicing with these words will help you use them correctly in conversation and writing.

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
good	better	best
bad	worse	worst
much	more	most
far	further	furthest
less	lesser	least
many	more	most
well	better	best

Related Comparative And Superlative Resources

• Comparative and Superlative Question Examples – Speaking prompts to practice making comparisons.
• Comparative and Superlative Classroom Games – Fun, no-prep activity ideas.
• Comparative Adjective Exercises – Interactive practice for forming and using comparatives.
• Superlative Adjective Exercises – Interactive practice for forming and using superlatives.
• Comparatives PowerPoint Lesson – A ready-to-use presentation to teach comparative adjectives.
• Superlatives PowerPoint Lesson – A ready-to-use PowerPoint to teach superlative adjectives.