Adjectives are used to describe either the nature or number of noun. While IELTS uses a quarter of its scoring criteria from lexical resource and another one from grammar, you can use wide range of adjectives to explain general or precise information. They add enthusiasm and color to your tone.
A lot of candidates would use a sentence like “it is a good idea”. This sentence is okay, but even for native speakers “good” is so common that they have become stale.
The table below will furnish you with synonyms for the most common adjectives which can serve as an adequate substitute in the IELTS test.
| Adjectives | Synonyms |
| Bad | Negative, detrimental, inferior, inadequate, incorrect, poor, unsatisfactory, harmful, unacceptable, unpleasant, discouraging, terrible |
| Big | Sizable, enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous |
| Amazing | Unbelievable, improbable, fantastic, fabulous, incredible, wonderful, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary |
| Awful | Dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant |
| Angry | Mad, furious, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed |
| Happy | Pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed |
| Unhappy | Miserable, uncomfortable, heart-broken, unfortunate, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad |
| Interesting | Fascinating , gripping, arresting, enthralling, engaging, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, engrossing, absorbing |
| Boring | Mundane, dull, monotonous, tiresome, humdrum |
| Lazy | Indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish |
| Great | Noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty |
| Good | Acceptable, adroit, commendable, competent, excellent, exceptional, fabulous, fantastic, favorable, first-class, great, marvelous, proficient, satisfactory, skillful, splendid, stupendous, super, superb, superior, tip-top, valuable, wonderful |
| Important | Chief, critical, crucial, essential, imperative, key, necessary, urgent, weighty, vital |
| Beautiful | Attractive, breathtaking, wonderful, picturesque (landscape/view) Attractive, glowing, gorgeous, good-looking (person) |
| Brave | Courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome |
| Bright | Shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous Intelligent, knowing, smart, intellectual (person) |
| Calm | Quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof |
| Strong | Powerful, intense, firm, solid, potent |
| Weak | Frail, feeble, shaky, flimsy, fragile |
| Dangerous | Perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe |
| Delicious | Savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite |
| Famous | Well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious |
| Fast | Quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash |
| Fat | Plump, stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, elephantine |
| Funny | Humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly |
| Serious | Alarming, grave, pressing, pressuring, severe, urgent |
| Small | Insignificant, insubstantial, minimal, minor, tiny |
| New | Fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent, up-to-date |
| Old | Feeble, ancient, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, outdated, antiquated, obsolete |
| False | Fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious |
| Wrong | Amiss, arguable, askew, awry, bad, debatable, dubious, erroneous, fallacy, fallacious, false, inaccurate, incorrect, miscalculated, misconstrued, misguided, mistaken, on the wrong track, off target, perverse, spurious, unsatisfactory, untrue |
Complex adjectives
When an adjective takes another word, more frequently an adverb, it becomes complex adjectives. Use at least one in your IELTS essay. Some examples are as follow:-
| A less-discussed form | A widely-observed impact | There should be a wide-ranging discussion about . . . | |
| The ever-rising use | A long-term impact | The ever-present danger of . . . | A long-held belief.. |
| A well-known cause | There is a widely-held concern that . . | X is a constantly-evolving field of research.. | Many long-established traditions have been lost… |