Adjectives That Start With R - Reliable Word List

R adjectives are useful to learn to have in your word arsenal, especially because, as a consonant, it's one of the most common. R is a pretty important letter in the English language, so spend some time looking at this refreshing word list of adjectives starting with R to boost your knowledge of descriptive words.

Positive Adjectives Starting with R

Express your resilient positive vocabulary with this word list of positive R adjectives. 

1. Rad - informal word for cool
2. Radiant - glowing and reflects light
3. Rare - original and unique, not many of it
4. Ravishing - attractive and pleasing
5. Razor-sharp - quick, able to think quickly, and very sharp
6. Reassuring - gives or restores confidence and assurance
7. Recommendable - something that can be recommended
8. Relaxed - chilled, calm, and at ease
9. Reliable - can be dependent on
10. Resilient - able to keep going despite a change or shock
11. Respectable - highly respected
12. Responsible - liable, trustworthy, or assumed responsibility
13. Restorative - having the ability to restore to the natural state, life-changing
14. Reverential - highly respectable and honorable 
15. Revolutionary - related to a revolution, brings about a major change
16. Robust - showing strength or sturdy
17. Royal - describing something related to the royal family or very high quality and magnificent 

Example Sentences

• After an intense workout, stretching can be extremely restorative.
• I like to put on some calming music and sit on my couch to feel relaxed.
• My grandma is a reliable person; I can always count on her.

Positive R Adjective Flashcards

See if you can answer the following questions! Flip the flashcards for the answers.

Negative R Adjectives

Sometimes you've got to be a little ruthless! Here's a list of refreshingly negative R adjectives, depending on what you think is negative and rude.

• Rusty - affected by rust
• Rambunctious - unruly and energetic. It isn’t always negative!
• Reluctant - feeling unwilling or showing hesitation in doing something 
• Ruthless - cruel and horrible
• Rugged - rough, uneven, and weathered
• Rash - quick to do something without thinking
• Repulsive - extremely disgusting 
• Repugnant - incompatible, disgusting, and revolting
• Remorseless - not having or showing any remorse for something
• Reclusive - lives alone and prefers to spend time alone without others
• Rigged - something manipulated or controlled, fitted out with rigging
• Rigid - very stiff, doesn’t move, unmoveable

Example Sentences

• The smell coming from the swamp was so repulsive that they had to cover their noses.
• The ruthless principal showed no mercy.
• She made a rash decision to quit her job and quickly regretted it.

List of Adjectives That Start with R for Kids

Kids can be raucous, but learning some adjectives that start with R can help them to build their vocabulary of descriptive words. R adjectives won't necessarily help them to be less rowdy, but they could help them improve their spelling and language skills.

• Rude - not very nice, impolite, and disrespectful
• Revolting - disgusting 
• Rusty - something that is old, worn out, or not working properly
• Rainbow-colored - uses all the colors of the rainbow
• Red - a color 
• Rushed - finished or done quickly
• Round - a circle shape like a ball, full
• Roaring - describing the sound of a roar, loud sounds, intense boom
• Rubbery -  feels like rubber
• Runny - Has lots of liquid and is soft, like a runny egg
• Ripe - a fruit or vegetable ready to eat
• Rich - lots of money or high-quality
• Ready - prepared and organized to do something 
• Respectful - showing respect
• Rebellious - describing someone who has a strong opposition to authority
• Rewarding - valuable and makes you feel good about it
• Responsible - trustworthy and accountable for what you do
• Rumpled - something that is creased or wrinkled
• Roomy - comfortable and has lots of room
• Ruddy - has red cheeks
• Rowdy - loud and rough
• Rotten - spoiled and in food is inedible, like a rotten banana

Example Sentences

• The teacher couldn’t control her rowdy class of toddlers on a Friday afternoon.
• She studied hard and knew it was rewarding when she got good grades.
• After a whole day outside, his cheeks were ruddy from the sun.

R Adjectives Quiz for Kids

Can you remember what the adjectives that start with R mean? See if you can drag and drop the R adjective to the meaning.

List of Adjectives That Start with RE- prefix

Lots of adjectives that start with r begin with the English prefix re-. This prefix is used for lots of descriptive words, and it often means "again" in phrases like rewrite your message or a can of refried beans. The re-prefix can sometimes mean "behind or back," like being reluctant to get out of bed on a Monday morning.

• Reformed - something changed for the better
• Refried - when describing something that has been re-cooked in oil
• Resolute - firm determination, bold, or steady
• Resilient - able to recover quickly from change
• Resourceful - capable of coming up with ideas and ways to do things
• Reflective - is able to reflect light, feeling or to be thoughtful
• Reductive - simplifying or reducing something to its simplest form
• Refractive - able to refract light, bend light
• Reactive - describing something that easily responds to a situation or stimuli in a certain way
• Regal - something that’s majestic, fit for royalty, elegant
• Remorseful - feeling or showing deep guilt 
• Renowned - something that is widely known, respected, or famous
• Regretful - feeling or showing shame and disappointment over something in the past

Example Sentences

• They ordered a plate of refried beans with their tacos.
• Glass is a refractive material because it can bend light.
• The sodium was highly reactive and quickly mixed with the other compounds in the solution.

Example Sentences for Using R Adjectives

It's all well and good knowing a word list of R adjectives, but you have to put it into practice to increase your vocabulary. Here are some example sentences for using these adjectives that start with R in your daily life.

• The refrigerator is full of rotten fruit.
• The company has implemented a reformed business plan.
• Sally’s razor-sharp brain solved the Wordle puzzle quickly.
• The red hue of the sunrise woke me up.
• Her rumpled clothes are in the corner.
• She’s a responsible employee who always completes her tasks.
• Their rude attitude towards the staff was unacceptable.
• Tony did a rad trick at the skatepark.
• The detective was known for his ruthless and remorseless behavior.
• Louise spoke with a reverent tone when talking about her grandma.

FAQs

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Before you go...

Want more word lists of adjectives that start with P? How about adjectives starting with S? Head to the links below. We have tons of word lists for kids, adults, ESL learners, educators, and homeschoolers!