Irregular Adjectives | 100 Examples of Irregular Adjectives

You probably already know words like big, small, and happy. But then English suddenly gives you strange forms like better instead of gooder or worse instead of badder. That confuses many learners.

The good news? Irregular adjectives are not hard once you see them used in real sentences. In this blog post, you will learn what irregular adjectives are, how they change, and how to use them naturally in daily English.

I have spent 8 years creating vocabulary flashcards and visual learning sheets for students. One thing I often notice is that learners remember irregular adjectives faster when they read short, real-life examples instead of long grammar rules.

Table of Contents

What Are Irregular Adjectives?

Irregular adjectives are adjectives that do not follow the normal grammar rule when we compare things.

Most adjectives use:

-er for comparison
-est for the highest degree

Example:

small → smaller → smallest

But irregular adjectives change in a different way.

Example:

good → better → best

These special forms are called irregular adjectives.

How Irregular Adjectives Change

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
good	better	best
bad	worse	worst
far	farther/further	farthest/furthest
little	less	least
many	more	most
much	more	most
old	older/elder	oldest/eldest

Types of Irregular Adjectives

1. Change to a Different Word

These adjectives completely change in their comparative and superlative forms.

Examples:

Good → better → best
Bad → worse → worst

2. Change Spelling Form

These adjectives change their spelling in an unusual way.

Examples:

Far → farther/further → farthest/furthest

3. Stay the Same in All Forms

Some adjectives do not change at all.

Examples:

Fun → fun → fun (commonly used in spoken English)

Common Irregular Adjectives

Base Form	Comparative	Superlative	Meaning
good	better	best	of high quality
bad	worse	worst	not good
far	farther / further	farthest / furthest	long distance
little (amount)	less	least	small quantity
many	more	most	large number
much	more	most	large amount
well (adverb)	better	best	healthy or good
old	older / elder	oldest / eldest	aged
late	later	latest	not early
early	earlier	earliest	before expected

Daily Used Irregular Adjectives Examples

ill → worse → worst
near → nearer → nearest
long → longer → longest
big → bigger → biggest
hot → hotter → hottest
thin → thinner → thinnest
fat → fatter → fattest
sad → sadder → saddest
dry → drier → driest
happy → happier → happiest
easy → easier → easiest
busy → busier → busiest
funny → funnier → funniest
pretty → prettier → prettiest
angry → angrier → angriest
heavy → heavier → heaviest
lazy → lazier → laziest
crazy → crazier → craziest
friendly → friendlier → friendliest
lovely → lovelier → loveliest

Academic and Descriptive Irregular Adjectives

shy → shyer → shyest
narrow → narrower → narrowest
simple → simpler → simplest
gentle → gentler → gentlest
clever → cleverer → cleverest
quiet → quieter → quietest
polite → politer → politest
rude → ruder → rudest
brave → braver → bravest
safe → safer → safest
large → larger → largest
small → smaller → smallest
young → younger → youngest
old-fashioned → more old-fashioned → most old-fashioned
modern → more modern → most modern
useful → more useful → most useful
harmful → more harmful → most harmful
serious → more serious → most serious
curious → more curious → most curious

Irregular Adjectives List

No.	Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
1	good	better	best
2	bad	worse	worst
3	far	farther/further	farthest/furthest
4	many	more	most
5	much	more	most
6	little	less	least
7	well (adv.)	better	best
8	old	older/elder	oldest/eldest
9	late	later	latest
10	ill	worse	worst
11	near	nearer	nearest
12	long	longer	longest
13	big	bigger	biggest
14	hot	hotter	hottest
15	thin	thinner	thinnest
16	fat	fatter	fattest
17	sad	sadder	saddest
18	dry	drier	driest
19	happy	happier	happiest
20	easy	easier	easiest
21	busy	busier	busiest
22	pretty	prettier	prettiest
23	angry	angrier	angriest
24	heavy	heavier	heaviest
25	crazy	crazier	craziest
26	funny	funnier	funniest
27	friendly	friendlier	friendliest
28	lovely	lovelier	loveliest
29	shy	shyer	shyest
30	narrow	narrower	narrowest
31	simple	simpler	simplest
32	gentle	gentler	gentlest
33	clever	cleverer	cleverest
34	quiet	quieter	quietest
35	rude	ruder	rudest
36	brave	braver	bravest
37	safe	safer	safest
38	large	larger	largest
39	small	smaller	smallest
40	young	younger	youngest
41	bright	brighter	brightest
42	dark	darker	darkest
43	sharp	sharper	sharpest
44	soft	softer	softest
45	warm	warmer	warmest
46	cold	colder	coldest
47	sweet	sweeter	sweetest
48	sour	sourer	sourest
49	deep	deeper	deepest
50	high	higher	highest
51	low	lower	lowest
52	strong	stronger	strongest
53	weak	weaker	weakest
54	fast	faster	fastest
55	slow	slower	slowest
56	rich	richer	richest
57	poor	poorer	poorest
58	fresh	fresher	freshest
59	kind	kinder	kindest
60	calm	calmer	calmest
61	cool	cooler	coolest
62	warm	warmer	warmest
63	proud	prouder	proudest
64	loud	louder	loudest
65	bright	brighter	brightest
66	bold	bolder	boldest
67	harsh	harsher	harshest
68	smooth	smoother	smoothest
69	rough	rougher	roughest
70	strange	stranger	strangest
71	strong	stronger	strongest
72	weak	weaker	weakest
73	neat	neater	neatest
74	clean	cleaner	cleanest
75	dirty	dirtier	dirtiest
76	tasty	tastier	tastiest
77	noisy	noisier	noisiest
78	messy	messier	messiest
79	cloudy	cloudier	cloudiest
80	tricky	trickier	trickiest
81	healthy	healthier	healthiest
82	wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest
83	lovely	lovelier	loveliest
84	lucky	luckier	luckiest
85	lonely	lonelier	loneliest
86	icy	icier	iciest
87	mighty	mightier	mightiest
88	fancy	fancier	fanciest
89	spicy	spicier	spiciest
90	muddy	muddier	muddiest
91	windy	windier	windiest
92	sunny	sunnier	sunniest
93	tricky	trickier	trickiest
94	funny	funnier	funniest
95	lovely	lovelier	loveliest
96	tiny	tinier	tiniest
97	early	earlier	earliest
98	late	later	latest
99	hard	harder	hardest
100	fun (informal)	more fun	most fun