Did you know that P is the 16th letter in the English alphabet? It's also a fairly common starting letter, so with that in mind, here are all the adjectives that start with P that you need to know. We've got positive p adjectives, adjectives with p to describe a person, and a list of adjectives starting with P for kids to build their vocabulary and spelling-sound correspondences. Are you ready to showcase your powerful vocabulary?

11 Positive Adjectives That Start with P

We all need a bit of positivity in our lives, so let's make that possible with these positive adjectives that start with a P! Whether you want to describe your pragmatic younger sister or a picturesque scene from your window.

• Panoramic - wide and comprehensive
• Paradisiacal - is idyllic and heavenly
• Perspicacious - perceptive and understanding
• Pervasive - spreads widely and is broad
• Picturesque - visually attractive 
• Pleasant - enjoyable and pleasing 
• Praiseworthy - something that deserves honor 
• Productive - successful and hardworking
• Protean - something that is versatile and can change, is adaptable
• Pure - not affected by outside influences, not mixed

Adjectives That Start with P to Describe a Person and Things People Do

There are tons of ways to describe a person using a P adjective. Try describing a dog waiting patiently for its food or a philanthropic celebrity.

• Perseverant - showing persistence in doing something
• Philanthropic - a charitable person and gives to others
• Polish - someone who is from or related to Poland
• Polished - a sophisticated person, well put together, or skillful
• Polite - well mannered, show respect towards others
• Prudent - a person who shows good judgment, is cautious
• Pregnant - expecting a baby, developing an embryo or fetus
• Portuguese - someone who is from or related to Portugal
• Preoccupied - having your mind on something else 
• Polyamorous - a person who loves many and engages in multiple consensual romantic relationships
• Plucky - someone who is brave and courageous

Example Sentences

• My great-grandmother was Polish but moved to the US when she was fifteen.
• Jenny’s boss was rude, but she had to be polite if she wanted to keep her job.
• It's always prudent to have a backup plan so you're prepared if things don't go as expected.

Negative Adjectives That Start with P

• Pompous - self-important and arrogant
• Possessive - trying to control and dominate, not able to share
• Pusilimamous - lacking in courage, timid, not determined
• Patronizing - treating others as if they are less important or know less, condescending
• Pessimistic - always believing the worst, lacking in hope
• Provocative - causing annoyance or a reaction 
• Poor - lacking enough money to live sufficiently according to societal standards
• Painful - something that causes hurt or pain
• Petty - not letting things go, concerned over small details
• Passive - inactive, submissive
• Prejudiced - showing a strong dislike of a particular group or person because of gender, race, or experience
• Perfidious - not to be trusted, deceitful

Example Sentences

• Tom's pessimistic attitude toward life began getting on his partner's nerves.
• They discovered his perfidious intentions when they caught him lying.
• He was too pusillanimous to stand up for his beliefs and always backed down if someone questioned him.

Adjectives That Start with P for Kids

P adjectives for kids are a great way to work on building vocabulary and understanding how to use adjectives in sentences. We've got beginner P adjectives for kindergarteners, adjectives for elementary, and more complex adjectives starting with P for middle schoolers to dig into.

P Adjectives for Kindergarten

These P adjectives are for beginners; use them to show younger kids how to work on the P consonant sound and spelling-sound correspondences.

• Playful - fun and play
• Polite - showing respect for others
• Patient - able to wait calmly for something
• Powerful - being strong and powerful
• Pretty - nice to look at
• Proud - feeling happy about your achievements
• Pink - a light red color
• Positive - feeling good about something
• Puzzled - confused about something, not sure

Example Sentences

• The pink flower is pretty.
• My mom is powerful.
• When do you feel proud?

Adjectives Starting with P Picture Flashcards

Need help explaining these adjectives to your kindergartners. Use these P-adjective picture flashcards.

Adjectives Starting with P for Elementary

Adjectives starting with P to describe people, things, or ideas for elementary kids' word list. 

• Precious - valuable, treasured, or rare
• Pleased - feeling happy with something
• Perfect - flawless, doesn’t have any faults
• Peaceful - calm and free
• Popular - well-liked
• Petite - small in size
• Purple - a dark blue-red color
• Precise - accurate and exact
• Prickly - covered in sharp points or thorns
• Puffy - full of air, gas, swollen

Example Sentences

• Her eyes are puffy because of the pollen.
• My bedroom is peaceful.
• They found a precious box, but it was locked.

P Adjectives Middle Schoolers Need to Know

Struggling to search for P adjectives to fit into your essay or work? Pluck one of these out and see if it fits!

• Profound - something that is deep and makes you think more
• Paradoxical - something that contradicts but is surprisingly true
• Paramount - very important, uttermost importance 
• Passionate - showing or feeling intense enthusiasm for something
• Patriotic - proud and devoted to the country you were born
• Pensive - intense thinking, deep thoughts 
• Perceptive - able to get and understand things quickly
• Persistent - never give up despite setbacks
• Persuasive - very convincing
• Poignant - something that gives you strong emotions or feelings
• Pragmatic - something or someone sensible and practical in approach
• Precocious - showing or having exceptional skills or talents at a young age
• Proactive - take charge, being driven, doing something before being told
• Proficient - able to do something well with skill
• Prolific - lots of it, plentiful, productive

Example Sentences

• Samantha is a passionate guitar player and practices every day after school.
• The Pandemic was a poignant moment in modern history.
• Mozart was described as a precocious child. At a very young age, he displayed an extraordinary talent for music composition and performance.

Using P Adjectives in Sentences

How do you use these adjectives in a sentence? By now, you know a plethora of adjectives that start with P, but even the most positively awesome wordsmiths might have trouble using these words in a sentence. Reading these P adjectives can help you better understand how to use them and stop your brain from going into pensive overdrive.

• Her plea to get a hamster was very persuasive.
• He is passionate about anime.
• I think our approach right now is too pragmatic. We need to be more creative.
• Our dress sizes range from petite to extra large.
• Students who want to succeed need to be proactive to achieve their goals.
• They told us our safety was paramount but didn’t help us when we got in trouble.
• He is very patriotic about his home country.
• The sunset had a pink, reddish hue.
• She spent all morning pretty puzzled about what her boss wanted her to do.
• As a young boy, his teachers told me he was very perceptive.
• I am highly proficient in making candles.