The comparative and the superlative

Comparative adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two objects they modify (larger, smaller, faster, higher). They
are used in sentences where two nouns are compared, in this pattern:

Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

The second item of comparison can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final example below).

Examples

 My house is larger than hers.

 This box is smaller than the one I lost.
 Your dog runs faster than Jim's dog.
 The rock flew higher than the roof.
 Jim and Jack are both my friends, but I like Jack better. ("than Jim" is understood)

Superlative adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a quality (the tallest, the smallest, the
fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of objects.

Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).

The group that is being compared with can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final example below).

Examples

 My house is the largest one in our neighborhood.

 This is the smallest box I've ever seen.
 Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.
 We all threw our rocks at the same time. My rock flew the highest. ("of all the rocks" is understood)

Forming regular comparatives and superlatives

Forming comparatives and superlatives is easy. The form depends on the number of syllables in the original adjective.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

One syllable adjectives
Add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative. If the adjective has a consonant tall Taller tallest
+ single vowel + consonant spelling, the final consonant must be doubled before adding
the ending. fat fatter fattest

Two syllables big bigger biggest

Adjectives with two syllables can form the comparative either by adding -er or by
preceeding the adjective with more. These adjectives form the superlative either by sad sadder saddest
adding -est or by preceeding the adjective with most. In many cases, both forms are
used, although one usage will be more common than the other. If you are not sure
whether a two-syllable adjective can take a comparative or superlative ending, play it safe and use more and most instead. For
adjectives ending in y, change the y to an i before adding the ending.

Adjective Comparative Superlative Adjective Comparative Superlative

happy happier happiest ilted more tilted most tilted

simple simpler simplest tangled more tangled most tangled

busy busier busiest

Three or more syllables

Adjectives with three or more syllables form the comparative by putting more in front of the adjective, and the superlative by
putting most in front.
 Adjective Comparative Superlative

important more important most important

expensiv more most expensive

e expensive
Irregular comparatives and superlatives

These very common adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

good better best

bad worse worst

little less least

much more most

far further / farther furthest / farthest

Examples

 Today is the worst day I've had in a long time.

 You play tennis better than I do.
 This is the least expensive sweater in the store.
 This sweater is less expensive than that one.
 I ran pretty far yesterday, but I ran even farther today.

Adjetivo Comparativo Superlativo Español

1 angry angrier angriest enfadado, enojado

2 bad worse worst malo

3 big bigger biggest grande

4 bitter bitterer bitterest amargo

5 black blacker blackest negro

6 bossy bossier bossiest mandón

7 brave braver bravest valiente

8 brief briefer briefest breve

9 bright brighter brightest brillante, luminoso

10 broad broader broadest ancho, amplio

11 busy busier busiest ocupado, ajetreado

12 calm calmer calmest tranquilo

13 cheap cheaper cheapest barato, económico

14 clean cleaner cleanest limpio, sano

15 clear clear clearest claro, despejado

16 clever cleverer cleverest listo, ingenioso

17 close closer closest cerca

18 cloudy cloudier cloudiest nubiado

19 clumsy clumsier clumsiest torpe

20 cold colder coldest frío

21 cool cooler coolest fresco

22 crazy crazier craziest loco

23 creepy creepier creepiest espeluznante, repugnante

24 crispy crispier crispiest crujiente

25 cruel crueler cruelest cruel

26 crunchy crunchier crunchiest crujiente

27 curvy curvier curviest curvo

28 dark darker darkest oscuro, moreno

29 deadly deadlier deadliest mortal, mortífero

30 deep deeper deepest profundo

31 dense denser densest denso

32 dirty dirtier dirtiest sucio

33 dry drier driest seco

34 dull duller dullest aburrido, sonso, apagado

35 dumb dumber dumbest tonto

36 early earlier earliest temprano

37 easy easier easiest facíl

38 faint fainter faintest leve, tenue, pálido, ligero

39 fancy fancier fanciest lujoso

40 far further/farther furthest/farthest lejos, distante

41 fast faster fastest rápido

42 fat fatter fattest gordo

43 few fewer fewest pocos

44 firm firmer firmest firme, estricto

45 fit fitter fittest apto, en forma

46 fresh fresher freshest fresco, nuevo, original

agradable, amable,
47 friendly friendlier friendliest
amistoso

48 full fuller fullest lleno, completo

49 funny funnier funniest gracioso, curioso, raro

pesimista, abatido,
50 gloomy gloomier gloomiest
decaído

51 good better best bueno

grandioso, ambicioso,
52 grand grander grandest
impotente

53 greasy greasier greasiest grasiento

54 great greater greatest grande, genial

55 gross grosser grossest asqueroso, grosero, craso

56 guilty guilter guiltiest culpable

57 hairy hairier hairiest velludo, peludo

58 happy happier happiest feliz, contento, alegre

59 hard harder hardest duro, difícil

60 healthy healthier healthiest sano, saludable

pesado, grueso, fuerte,

61 heavy heavier heaviest
duro

62 high higher highest alto, elevado, agudo

63 hot hotter hottest caliente, caluroso, picante

64 hungry hungrier hungriest hambriento

65 icy icier iciest helado, frío

66 itchy itchier itchiest pica

amable, bueno,
67 kind kinder kindest
bondadoso

68 large larger largest grande

69 lazy lazier laziest perezoso

70 light lighter lightest ligero, claro

71 little littler littlest pequeño, poco

72 lonely lonelier loneliest solitario

73 long longer longest largo

74 lovely lovelier loveliest precioso, bello, lindo

75 low lower lowest bajo

76 mad madder maddest enfadado, enojado, loco

77 mean meaner meanest malo, mezquino, tacaño

sucio, desordenado,
78 messy messier messiest
desastroso

79 nasty nastier nastiest repugnante, desagradable

80 naughty naughtier naughtiest malo, travieso, pícaro

81 near nearer nearest cercano, próximo

82 neat neater neatest ordenado, aseado, pulcro

83 needy needier neediest necesitado

nuevo, fresco, reciente,

84 new newer newest
moderno

simpatico, agradable,
85 nice nicer nicest
bueno

86 noisy noisier noisiest ruidoso, clamoroso

87 old older/elder oldest/eldest viejo, anciano, antiguo

88 plain plainer plainest claro, sencillo

89 polite politer politest educado, cortés

90 poor poorer poorest pobre

91 pretty prettier prettiest bonito, lindo, hermoso

92 proud prouder proudest orgulloso, soberbio, digno

93 pure purer purest puro

94 quick quicker quickest rápido

95 quiet quieter quietest tranquilo, silencioso

96 rare rarer rarest raro

97 rich richer richest rico, abundante

98 risky riskier riskiest arriesgado, peligroso

99 roomy roomier roomiest espacioso

áspero, tosco, bruto,

100 rough rougher roughest
ronco

maleducado, grosero,
101 rude ruder rudest
tosco

102 sad sadder saddest triste, lamentable, penoso

103 safe safer safest seguro

104 salty saltier saltiest salado

105 sane saner sanest cuerdo, sensato

106 scary scarier scariest espantoso, asustadizo

superficial, poco
107 shallow shallower shallowest
profundo

108 shiny shinier shiniest brillante, reluciente

109 short shorter shortest corto, bajo, chaparro

110 shy shyer shyest tímido

111 silly sillier silliest tonto

112 simple simpler simplest sencillo, simple, facíl

113 sincere sincerer sincerest sincero, genuino

114 skinny skinnier skinniest flaco

115 sleepy sleepier sleepiest adormilado, soñoliento

116 slim slimmer slimmest delgado, fino

viscoso, pegajoso,
117 slimy slimier slimiest
empalagoso

118 slow slower slowest lento

119 small smaller smallest pequeño

120 smart smarter smartest listo, inteligente, agudo

121 smelly smellier smelliest apestoso

122 smooth smoother smoothest liso, suave, llano, fluido

123 soft softer softest blando, suave

124 soon sooner soonest pronto

125 sorry sorrier sorriest lamentable

picante, especiado,
126 spicy spicier spiciest
sazonado

127 stingy stingier stingiest tacaño, rácano, raquítico

raro, extraño,
128 strange stranger strangest
desconocido

129 strict stricter strictest estricto, rígido

fuerte, sólido, intenso,

130 strong stronger strongest
marcado

131 sunny sunnier sunniest soleado, radiante

132 sweaty sweatier sweatiest sudoroso

133 sweet sweeter sweetest dulce

134 tall taller tallest alto

135 tan tanner tannest bronceado, moreno

136 tasty tastier tastiest rico, sabroso, apetitoso

137 thin thinner thinnest delgado, fino

138 thirsty thirstier thirstiest sediento

139 tiny tinier tiniest diminuto, minúsculo

140 ugly uglier ugliest feo

141 warm warmer warmest caliente, templado, cálido

142 weak weaker weakest débil, flojo

143 weird weirder weirdest raro, extraño

144 wet wetter wettest mojado, húmedo, lluvioso

145 wide wider widest ancho, amplio, extenso

salvaje, silvestre,
146 wild wilder wildest
descontrolado

147 windy windier windiest ventoso

148 wise wiser wisest sabio, sensato, prudente

149 worldly worldlier worldliest mundano, terreno

150 young younger youngest joven