100 Superlatives: List & Examples

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Let’s learn all about superlative adjectives – when to use them, how to form them, and mistakes to avoid!

Adjectives are words that describe things, and superlative adjectives compare 3 or more things, or compare one thing to all others. Here are some examples:

• My grandmother is the oldest person in my family.
• Russia is the biggest country in the world.
• This is the easiest test I’ve ever taken.
• I just finished the most interesting book I’ve ever read

How to form superlatives: 5 rules

1. With one-syllable adjectives, add -est:

• cheap – the cheapest
• fast – the fastest
• nice – the nicest
• young – the youngest

2. If the adjective ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, then we double the final consonant before adding -est:

• big – the biggest
• thin – the thinnest
• sad – the saddest

3. For adjectives ending in -Y, change Y to I before adding -est:

• busy – the busiest
• shy – the shiest
• friendly – the friendliest
• messy – the messiest

4. Use “the most” for 2-syllable adjectives NOT ending in -Y, and 3+ syllable adjectives:

• modern – the most modern
• shocking – the most shocking
• careful – the most careful
• crowded – the most crowded
• comfortable – the most comfortable
• exciting – the most exciting
• complicated – the most complicated
• successful – the most successful

5. Some superlatives are irregular, so just memorize these:

• good – the best
• bad – the worst
• far – the farthest
• little – the least

Common error with superlative adjectives

The most common error I see English learners making with superlatives is forgetting the word “the.” For example:

• She is best student in the class.
• I think 7 is luckiest number.
• That was most exciting movie I’ve ever seen.

Superlatives always have “the:”

• She is the best student in the class.
• I think 7 is the luckiest number.
• That was the most exciting movie I’ve ever seen.

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100 Superlative Adjectives + Examples

Irregular superlatives:

• the best
  • This restaurant is known for serving the best sushi in town
• the worst
  • That was the worst movie I’ve ever seen.
• the farthest
  • This is the farthest he’s ever gotten in the video game.
• the least
  • Out of all my siblings, I’m the one with the least

One-syllable adjectives with -EST in the superlative:

• the cheapest
  • This store offers the cheapest electronics in the area.
• the fastest
  • Usain Bolt is known for being the fastest runner in the world.
• the fewest
  • Out of all the recipes, this one had the fewest
• the highest
  • Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth.
• the latest
  • She always wears the latest fashion trends.
• the longest
  • The Nile River is the longest river in the world.
• the loudest
  • The concert was the loudest event I’ve ever attended.
• the cutest
  • That puppy is definitely the cutest one in the litter.
• the cleanest
  • This hotel is known for being the cleanest in the city.
• the nicest
  • Everyone agrees that she is the nicest person in the office.
• the oldest
  • The ancient pyramids of Egypt are among the oldest structures on Earth.
• the proudest
  • He was the proudest parent at the graduation ceremony.
• the poorest
  • This neighborhood is one of the poorest in the country.
• the richest
  • She is considered the richest person in the world.
• the safest
  • This neighborhood is regarded as the safest in the city.
• the softest
  • This blanket is the softest one I’ve ever felt.
• the soonest
  • We need to get the project done by the soonest possible date.
• the smartest
  • Albert Einstein is often cited as one of the smartest people in history.
• the strangest
  • That was the strangest dream I’ve ever had.
• the strongest
  • He’s known as the strongest man in the weightlifting competition.
• the tallest
  • The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world.
• the weakest
  • In that match, he was the weakest player on the team.
• the weirdest
  • That was the weirdest experience I’ve ever had.
• the wisest
  • The old sage was considered the wisest person in the village.
• the youngest
  • She is the youngest member of the staff.

One-syllable adjectives with doubled consonant before -EST:

• the biggest
  • The blue whale is the biggest animal on Earth.
• the hottest
  • Death Valley is known as one of the hottest places on the planet.
• the fattest
  • The oldest elephant in the sanctuary is also the fattest.
• the saddest
  • That was the saddest book I’ve ever read; it left me in tears.
• the thinnest
  • She wore the thinnest layer of fabric to stay cool in the heat.

Adjectives ending in -Y, with -IEST in the superlative:

• the angriest
  • He was the angriest I had ever seen after finding out about the mistake.
• the busiest
  • December is typically the busiest month for retail stores.
• the prettiest
  • The garden was filled with the prettiest flowers of the season.
• the driest
  • The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth.
• the luckiest
  • She felt like the luckiest person when she won the grand prize.
• the laziest
  • My cat is definitely the laziest member of the household.
• the easiest
  • This is the easiest recipe I’ve ever followed.
• the funniest
  • That comedian was the funniest performer of the night.
• the happiest
  • Her wedding day was the happiest day of her life.
• the healthiest
  • Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits is the healthiest
• the silliest
  • The children made the silliest faces during the photo session.
• the messiest
  • His room is always the messiest in the house.
• the spiciest
  • This curry is the spiciest dish on the menu.
• the grumpiest
  • He was the grumpiest person at the party because of the long day at work.
• the shiest
  • Among the new students, she was the shiest.
• the spookiest
  • The abandoned house on the hill is considered the spookiest place in town.
• the clumsiest
  • She’s the clumsiest person I know, always tripping over her own feet.
• the nastiest
  • The rumor turned out to be the nastiest thing we’d heard all year.
• the fanciest
  • The gala was held at the fanciest venue in the city.
• the ugliest
  • He thought the old wallpaper was the ugliest pattern ever.

Superlatives of present participle adjectives:

• the most boring
  • The lecture turned out to be the most boring one I’ve ever attended.
• the most daring
  • Her skydiving jump was the most daring stunt she had ever attempted.
• the most thrilling
  • Riding the roller coaster was the most thrilling experience of the amusement park.
• the most interesting
  • The documentary about space exploration was the most interesting film I’ve ever seen.
• the most frightening
  • The horror movie had the most frightening scenes that kept me up all night.
• the most charming
  • The small, picturesque village was the most charming place I had ever visited.
• the most embarrassing
  • Spilling coffee on my boss during the meeting was the most embarrassing moment of my career.
• the most exciting
  • Winning the championship was the most exciting moment of his sports career.
• the most confusing
  • The instructions for assembling the furniture were the most confusing I’ve ever read.
• the most depressing
  • The news report about the disaster was the most depressing story of the year.
• the most frustrating
  • Trying to fix the computer problem without any help was the most frustrating experience.
• the most outstanding
  • Her performance in the play was the most outstanding of all the actors.
• the most shocking
  • The plot twist in the novel was the most shocking part of the story.
• the most surprising
  • The unexpected news was the most surprising thing she’d heard in a while.
• the most tiring
  • The marathon was the most tiring physical challenge I’ve ever faced.

Superlatives of past participle adjectives:

• the most complicated
  • The new software update is the most complicated one we’ve had to install.
• the most crowded
  • The subway station during rush hour is the most crowded place in the city.
• the most organized
  • Her desk is the most organized one in the office, with everything neatly arranged.
• the most talented
  • He is considered the most talented musician in the orchestra.
• the most narrow-minded
  • His views on the subject are the most narrow-minded of anyone in the discussion.
• the most relaxed
  • A day at the beach is usually the most relaxed I feel all year.
• the most annoyed
  • She was the most annoyed when her flight was delayed for the third time.
• the most disappointed
  • I was the most disappointed after realizing that the concert was sold out.
• the most satisfied
  • After completing the project, she felt the most satisfied with her work.

Superlatives of other 2+ syllable adjectives:

• the most athletic
  • My 12-year-old son is the most athletic of my children.
• the most beautiful
  • The sunset over the ocean was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.
• the most careful
  • When handling delicate materials, she is the most careful technician in the lab.
• the most comfortable
  • This armchair is the most comfortable piece of furniture in the house.
• the most cooperative
  • Among all the team members, she was the most cooperative in completing the project.
• the most dependable
  • He is considered the most dependable employee in the company, always meeting deadlines.
• the most difficult
  • The final exam was the most difficult test I’ve taken during my entire course of study.
• the most efficient
  • The new system proved to be the most efficient method for managing our inventory.
• the most famous
  • The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world.
• the most flexible
  • Yoga helps me become the most flexible I can be, improving my overall mobility.
• the most generous
  • She is known as the most generous donor to the charity, giving substantial amounts every year.
• the most important
  • The safety of our employees is the most important aspect of our company’s policy.
• the most intelligent
  • She is considered the most intelligent student in her class, consistently achieving top grades.
• the most mysterious
  • The ancient ruins have remained the most mysterious site to archaeologists for decades.
• the most modern
  • The new skyscraper is the most modern building in the city, featuring cutting-edge technology.
• the most popular
  • His song became the most popular hit of the summer, topping the charts for weeks.
• the most powerful
  • The president is the most powerful person in the country, influencing national policy and decisions.
• the most precious
  • The family heirloom is the most precious item in her collection, cherished for generations.
• the most selfish
  • His actions were considered the most selfish, as he only thought of his own interests.
• the most successful
  • The startup became the most successful company in the tech industry within just a few years.
• the most talkative
  • Among all my friends, she is the most talkative, always engaging in lively conversations.
• the most thoughtful
  • His gift was the most thoughtful gesture, carefully chosen to match her interests.
• the most valuable
  • The rare diamond is the most valuable gem in the collection, worth millions.

Learn more:

• Comparatives vs. Superlatives
• 100 Common Adjectives
• Order of Adjectives in English