In English, adjectives are something we use to better describe temporary and permanent aspects of things or people. There are different types of adjectives, and this guide will focus on how to identify and use positive adjectives to describe a person, thing, or object. We will structure this piece as a teaching tool that instructors should be able to use with students at both the middle and high school levels. Because many such students could be learning as ESL, this guide aims to use simple, concrete examples that can help them grasp the concepts we put forth, too. Throughout this article, we will group different positive adjectives according to their categories, and we will provide some basic examples of each by using them in common sentence structures.
Positive Adjectives
Want a positive adjective or a good adjective to describe something? Check out this table.
| Adjective | Meaning | Example | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective Amiable | Meaning being friendly or pleasant | Example He's an amiable person | Synonyms friendly or nice |
| Adjective Brainy | Meaning intelligent or clever | Example Sam is brainy | Synonyms clever or bright |
| Adjective Blithesome | Meaning a cheerful carefree disposition | Example They have a blithesome energy | Synonyms carefree or lighthearted |
| Adjective Bright | Meaning intelligent or clever | Example Anne is intelligent and hard-working | Synonyms clever or brainy |
| Adjective Charismatic | Meaning something that is charming or is compelling | Example His guitar rifts are charismatic | Synonyms charming magnetic or fascinating |
| Adjective Creative | Meaning original and expressive | Example Her piece of work is super creative | Synonyms artistic or imaginative |
| Adjective Dynamic | Meaning constant change and activity or positive | Example She's a dynamic toddler | Synonyms energetic or lively |
| Adjective Exuberant | Meaning full of energy or excitement | Example her exuberant personality is infectious | Synonyms cheerful or high-spirited |
| Adjective Fabulous | Meaning exceptionally good | Example Your work is fabulous | Synonyms amazing or exceptional |
| Adjective Gifted | Meaning having exceptional talent or skills | Example He's a gifted virtuoso | Synonyms talented or skillful |
| Adjective Hilarious | Meaning extremely funny | Example Her jokes are hilarious | Synonyms funny or entertaining |
| Adjective Idyllic | Meaning peaceful or picture perfect | Example Yellowstone is idyllic | Synonyms picturesque or ideal |
| Adjective Jovial | Meaning cheerful and friendly | Example They're in a jovial mood | Synonyms cheerful or jolly |
| Adjective Kingly | Meaning associated with regal or king | Example She's a kingly person | Synonyms noble or royal |
| Adjective Lavish | Meaning rich or luxurious | Example His apartment is lavish | Synonyms costly opulent or gorgeous |
How To Recognize Positive Adjectives
Nice or positive adjectives just express anything good about the noun subject that they help to describe. It may be easier for some students to remember that, instead of being negative or bad, positive adjectives are how they might talk or write about something nicely. Further, positive adjectives can describe things that are not concrete, such as emotions.
- Mary is always happy when the day starts with sunshine. A sunny start to the day brings Mary happiness. Although examples like this one describe a feeling that might not be permanent, we know that Mary feels happy whenever a sunny day is ahead.
- A visiting friend might tell you that their city is a very safe city in which to live. Safety is something that gives us comfort, and it helps us live without so much worry. Therefore, it is easy to recognize that safety is an example of a good adjective.
- You are amiable, meaning you're friendly.
- Your necklace is charming, meaning your necklace is delightful or pleasing.
- I am feeling optimistic. This might not be permanent, but right now, you're feeling hopeful or confident.
Positive Adjectives To Describe a Person
Here are some of the ways you might use positive adjectives to describe a person. We talked about Mary’s mood on a sunny day. However, there are different ways you might use such adjectives with people, and we can break those ways down into further categories. One of those ways is to describe the overall characteristics of another person that you might meet. Typically, these are things that affect a person’s personality or are positive traits that don't change.
- My uncle is easygoing and calm under pressure. Although your uncle might become upset at some point in this life, you’ve noticed that he is generally laid back and calm, for the most part.
- My friend is smart, diligent, and thoughtful.
- My dog is pretty easygoing.
- My class is super energetic today!
- I think he's pretty observant.
20 Positive Adjectives To Describe a Person or Personality Traits
This category of adjectives relates back to an earlier one about people and their personalities. However, it is a bit different. There are certain adjectives in English that have concrete definitions that can help us describe a person’s personality.
- Dazzling - extremely impressive, skillful, or outstanding
- Enchanting - charming or attractive
- Jestful - full of jokes
- Knowledgeable - knows a lot, is well informed or intelligent
- Lustrous - shining, gleaming
- Magnetic - the power or ability to attract, makes others feel good
- Persistent - continuing to do something, determined
- Plucky - showing determination despite difficulties
- Quirky - unusual or unique
- Ravishing - something that is delightful
- Self-confident - trusting in one's abilities and skills. Being confident
- Tenacious - determined or persistent
- Unique - one-of-a-kind
- Vivacious - lively and animated
- Vivid - full of life
- Warm-hearted - sympathetic, and kind
- Willing - ready, eager, or prepared to do something
- Xenial - hospitable, welcoming
- Youthful - young, active, young-looking
- Zealous - displaying energy or enthusiasm for something
Examples of Positive Adjectives for Temporary Situations
We can use these kinds of adjectives to describe states of being or things that are not necessarily the same all the time, too. To illustrate this, let’s start with people again. For example, one might say that their friend Richard is excited to see everyone at the party. Excitement is typically a good thing, which means that the person feeling it is experiencing positive emotions. However, it is not necessarily a permanent state for most people. In this case, Richard is feeling excitement based on the specific expectation of going to a party and seeing friends. The next day, he may not feel any excitement for any particular reason.
Good Adjectives for Professionals
Eventually, there will be a time in your life when you will need to impress a potential employer. If you are in high school, you might be learning something about this topic already. Knowing how to use the best kinds of adjectives to describe yourself in a good light is important. For example, anyone who hires you might like to know that you are responsible, organized, resourceful, or intelligent. You can use decent adjectives and adapt them to any kind of resume based on the qualifications that you might need to put on your resume.
Conclusion
These are just a few examples of the broad categories into which you can put adjectives like the ones above. Once you understand the basic concept that surrounds these words, it should be relatively easy to recognize them in sentence structures. There are many more adjectives that are nice or pleasant than just the ones we’ve mentioned here. Now that you know what to look for, you can spend a lifetime gathering good things to say about others and yourself.