Synonyms for Commonly-used Adjectives in IELTS Speaking & Writing

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.

• IELTS Speaking

• IELTS Writing Task 1

• Vocabulary for IELTS

• IELTS Listening

• IELTS Writing Task 2

• Free IELTS Books

• IELTS Reading

• IELTS Writing Forum

• Free IELTS Practice Tests

• IELTS Writing

• Grammar for IELTS

• Exam Tips

• Word of the Day

• Idiom of the day

• Homepage