Synonyms for Commonly-used Adjectives in IELTS Speaking & Writing

To achieve a high score in the IELTS test, you must show that you can use a fairly wide range of word forms. In this post I’m going to cover synonyms of various common adjectives used by IELTS learners.

An adjective is the most commonly-used type of word in IELTS which functions as modifiers of nouns, typically by describing, delimiting, or specifying quantity, as beautiful in a beautiful woman.

A synonym is a word or expression with the same or a similar meaning as another word. For example, the words beautiful and resplendent are synonyms used to describe something having great beauty.

Bear in mind that some synonyms in the list below might not be “perfect” synonyms – there may be slight differences in meaning and connotation. For example, the words angry and mad. Both of them mean “feeling or expressing annoyance” but the word mad also means being mentally deranged and foolish.

Synonyms are often used in different collocations, too. For example, we can describe either a person or an idea as brilliant, but only a person can be astute.

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	Examples
Bad	Negative, detrimental, inferior, inadequate, incorrect, poor, unsatisfactory, harmful, unacceptable, unpleasant, discouraging, terrible	Dumping waste exerts a negative effect on environment Passive smoking can have a detrimental effect on anyone’s health.
Big	Sizable, enormous, huge, immense, gigantic, vast, large, sizable, grand, great, tall, substantial, mammoth, astronomical, ample, broad, expansive, spacious, stout, tremendous, titanic, mountainous	The mechanic spent an immense amount of time getting the engine into perfect condition. Global warming influences a large number of people living in this area.
Amazing	Unbelievable, improbable, fantastic, fabulous, incredible, wonderful, astonishing, astounding, extraordinary	This extraordinary event is held occasionally by the government. John has already had an incredible moment with his friends in England.
Awful	Dreadful, terrible, abominable, bad, poor, unpleasant	The dreadful service could decrease the number of visitors booking rooms in the summer. Bad attitude may lead people into trouble in every occasions.
Angry	Mad, furious, wrathful, indignant, exasperated, aroused, inflamed	He could have been mad to decide to do this risky project. This furious decision could lead us into trouble.
Happy	Pleased, contented, satisfied, delighted, elated, joyful, cheerful, ecstatic, jubilant, gay, tickled, gratified, glad, blissful, overjoyed	He is pleased to come to New Zealand to study MBA. She is gratified to except this invitation.
Unhappy	Miserable, uncomfortable, heart-broken, unfortunate, downhearted, sorrowful, depressed, gloomy, dismal, discouraged, sad	What has led to this miserable state of affairs? He did not know the reason why an unfortunate coincidence happens.
Interesting	Fascinating , gripping, arresting, enthralling, engaging, attractive, inviting, intriguing, provocative, though-provoking, challenging, inspiring, titillating, tantalizing, exciting, entertaining, piquant, engrossing, absorbing	This challenging sport brings certain benefits to trainees. He had a fascinating idea to support this next project.
Boring	Mundane, dull, monotonous, tiresome, humdrum	This book is a little bit tiresome to read. Grinding is all well and good, but after a while, the monotonous repetition wears away at your soul.
Lazy	Indolent, slothful, idle, inactive, sluggish	He lifted his dark face, indolent dark eyes. An inactive FED and low bond yields are effectively buoying the stock market and driving major US indexes to record highs.
Great	Noteworthy, worthy, distinguished, remarkable, grand, considerable, powerful, much, mighty	” To hear people call me a word record holder, it sounds remarkable. “ Mr Deeds became a powerful advocate for Representative Murphy’s mental health bill.
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	This immediately fulfilled my need to collect things but was also cheaper, more socially acceptable, and more fun than cardboard. ” The US right now is in a very favorable position.”
Important	Chief, critical, crucial, essential, imperative, key, necessary, urgent, weighty, vital	She was taken to a local hospital where she was listed in critical but stable condition. That would be nice, but in many ways, it is kind of an imperative.
Beautiful	Attractive, breathtaking, wonderful, picturesque (landscape/view) Attractive, glowing, gorgeous, good-looking (person)	This means that the garden is no breathtaking work of land art. Behold the warrior women power, a sword hidden in a gorgeous dress, and so, so, so many classic Wonder Woman trappings.
Brave	Courageous, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, plucky, daring, heroic, valorous, audacious, bold, gallant, valiant, doughty, mettlesome	Transgender children and adults are the strongest and most courageous people I have ever met. Glaring into a bottomless mining cycle, the acquisition may seem daring.
Bright	Shining, shiny, gleaming, brilliant, sparkling, shimmering, radiant, vivid, colorful, lustrous Intelligent, knowing, smart, intellectual (person)	They were left with vivid memories of him. While healthy competition is an intellectual stimulus, a cutthroat environment is disruptive.
Calm	Quiet, peaceful, still, tranquil, mild, serene, smooth, composed, collected, unruffled, level-headed, unexcited, detached, aloof	Smaller demonstrations, community policing tactics and the use of officers on bikes all played a role in the largely peaceful outcome. The product lines of Joy and Komatsu are mostly complimentary, which should smooth antitrust concerns.
Strong	Powerful, intense, firm, solid, potent	She couldn’t predict the intense political climate and debate surrounding Syrian refugees in the US and abroad. She recognizes the risks inherent in the most potent relationship of her life, yet is unwilling to relinquish it.
Weak	Frail, feeble, shaky, flimsy, fragile	It’s the only known member of the group to have feeble arms with two fingers. My years in public offices have taught me that progress can be fragile.
Dangerous	Perilous, hazardous, risky, uncertain, unsafe	The most perilous situation came in the fourth, when the Giants loaded the bases with one out. The sequence of events surrounding the collapse remain uncertain.
Delicious	Savory, delectable, appetizing, luscious, scrumptious, palatable, delightful, enjoyable, toothsome, exquisite	The chicken has just the right amount of savory tang, the pickle brine playing nicely against the sweetness of the maple. That doesn’t make it, or her, less political, even if, for her admirers, her presentation is more palatable.
Famous	Well-known, renowned, celebrated, famed, eminent, illustrious, distinguished, noted, notorious	So far, however, there has been no sign of Knight, the famed Indiana basketball coach. Rabbi is among the most eminent and respected Rabbis in the country.
Fast	Quick, rapid, speedy, fleet, hasty, snappy, mercurial, swiftly, rapidly, quickly, snappily, speedily, posthaste, hastily, expeditiously, like a flash	For every snappy scene or exchange, there are three or four that feel baggy and haft-written. He sent a hasty, mistake-filled letter to Kent, hoping to lessen the potential damage.
Fat	Plump, stout, corpulent, fleshy, beefy, paunchy, elephantine	Some form plump landscapes, a la Grant Wood. The three fleshy nudes are at once solid and kinetic.
Funny	Humorous, amusing, droll, comic, comical, laughable, silly	The idea for a humorous ad came from Adam Barth, Felix’s predecessor. It needed to be unlike any traditional greeting, but it couldn’t be at all comical.
Serious	Alarming, grave, pressing, pressuring, severe, urgent	His grave is located at the edge of of the settlement and remains a pilgrimage site for extremists. The most urgent tasks involve the key institutions of education, business and government.
Small	Insignificant, insubstantial, minimal, minor, tiny	The model shows that increasing the share of immigrants with, say, college degrees had only a minimal effect on GDP and employment. A minor in dramatic arts, this is Norman’s stage.
New	Fresh, unique, original, unusual, novel, modern, current, recent, up-to-date	Mr Trump is a unique and present danger. The movie, airing Saturday night, is a continuation of a vibe that’s special and unusual for TV.
Old	Feeble, ancient, aged, used, worn, dilapidated, former, old-fashioned, outmoded, venerable, primitive, traditional, archaic, outdated, antiquated, obsolete	It’s true that society will probably always have devices to read DNA, so that gets around the problem of obsolete readers. The reason, suggested Tom Mann, a political scholar at the Brookings Institution, is downright primitive.
False	Fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, spurious, untrue, unfounded, erroneous, deceptive, groundless, fallacious	This is another problem with this game: It gives you erroneous notions of evolution. The accusations may be spurious, but they are serious and need to be addressed.
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	All of the proposed solutions are debatable, and the next shooting has already happened before those debates are over. The bright colors help them avoid being mistaken for game and shot.
Right	Correct, accurate, factual, true, good, just, honest, upright, lawful, moral, proper, suitable, apt, legal, fair	It is always one step ahead of you, yet virtually everyone gets faster and more accurate with practice. The appeals court responded with a judicial shrug to the trial court’s factual findings.
Easy	Simple, effortless, straightforward, uncomplicated, child’s play	The new tools aim to reverse that pattern, by using technology to make saving as effortless as spending. He left a lot of uncomplicated pleasure in his wake, and some complicated pleasure, too.
Difficult	Taxing, tough, challenging, daunting, tricky	He recently won an appeal against the tough regime of his incarceration. It’s possible to serve draught beer on a plane – but the physics are tricky.