Extreme adjectives
What are extreme adjectives
Extreme adjectives (sometimes called strong adjectives) are adjectives with which we do not use very because they in themselves already have the meaning of very.
Here are some examples:
| very + adjective | extreme adjectives |
|---|---|
| very big | enormous, huge, vast |
| very small | tiny |
| very clever | brilliant |
| very bad | awful, terrible, disgusting, dreadful |
| very sure | certain |
| very good | excellent, perfect, ideal, splendid, wonderful, fantastic |
| very tasty | delicious |
| very ugly | hideous |
| very funny | hilarious |
| very scared | terrified |
| very tired | exhausted |
| very cold | freezing |
| very hot | boiling, scorching |
| very angry | furious, enraged, incensed |
| very pleased | over the moon, floating on air |
When to use extreme adjectives
Strong adjectives can make your writing more interesting.
Use them when you have to persuade a reader in your writing assignment, when an assignment calls for your opinion, or when you want to show a strong feeling in a creative writing assignment.
Exercise
Rewrite the following sentences with extreme adjectives.
We went to a football match last weekend. Even though it was very cold, we had a very good time. At half-time we had a very tasty pork pie and my father ordered something very bad to drink: Beef tea. He said he enjoyed it, but I took just a very small sip and I instantly knew he was lying.