Vocabulary · Basics
Quality adjectives in English
A2
Quality adjectives in English: from good and bad to amazing, brilliant and rubbish, with the strength of each word and useful adjectives like reliable or worthwhile. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Good and bad: the basics
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| good(adj.)“This book is good.” | nice, or of high quality | /ɡʊd/ |
| bad(adj.)“The weather is bad.” | not nice, or of low quality | /bæd/ |
| great(adj.)“That's a great idea!” | very good, really nice | /ɡreɪt/ |
| terrible(adj.) | very bad | /ˈterəbl/ |
| awful(adj.) | very bad and unpleasant | /ˈɔːfl/ |
| OK / okay(adj.) | acceptable, but not special | /ˌəʊˈkeɪ/ |
Excellent: the top of the scale
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| excellent(adj.)“The food was excellent.” | extremely good | /ˈeksələnt/ |
| amazing(adj.) | so good that it surprises you | /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/ |
| awesome(adj.)“That movie was awesome!” | extremely good (informal, American) | /ˈɔːsəm/ |
| fantastic(adj.) | extremely good and exciting | /fænˈtæstɪk/ |
| brilliant(adj.) | extremely good (informal, British) | /ˈbrɪliənt/ |
| wonderful(adj.) | very good and enjoyable | /ˈwʌndəfl/ |
| outstanding(adj.) | much better than the others | /aʊtˈstændɪŋ/ |
| perfect(adj.) | with no mistakes or problems | /ˈpɜːfɪkt/ |
Average and so-so
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| mediocre(adj.) | only ordinary, not good enough | /ˌmiːdiˈəʊkə/ |
| average(adj.)“The service was average.” | normal, neither good nor bad | /ˈævərɪdʒ/ |
| so-so(adj.) | just OK, not very good | /ˈsəʊ səʊ/ |
| poor(adj.)“The quality was poor.” | of low quality | /pɔː/ |
| disappointing(adj.) | not as good as you hoped | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋ/ |
| not bad(adj.) | quite good, better than expected | /nɒt bæd/ |
Very bad
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| horrible(adj.) | very unpleasant | /ˈhɒrəbl/ |
| dreadful(adj.) | extremely bad | /ˈdredfl/ |
| rubbish(adj.) | very bad (informal, British) | /ˈrʌbɪʃ/ |
| lousy(adj.) | very bad (informal, mostly American) | /ˈlaʊzi/ |
| pathetic(adj.) | so bad that it is sad | /pəˈθetɪk/ |
| disgusting(adj.) | so bad that it makes you sick | /dɪsˈɡʌstɪŋ/ |
Useful qualities
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| high-quality(adj.) | made very well, with good materials | /ˌhaɪ ˈkwɒləti/ |
| reliable(adj.) | you can always trust it | /rɪˈlaɪəbl/ |
| durable(adj.) | lasting a long time | /ˈdjʊərəbl/ |
| efficient(adj.) | works well without wasting time or energy | /ɪˈfɪʃnt/ |
| useful(adj.) | helps you do something | /ˈjuːsfl/ |
| useless(adj.) | does not help at all | /ˈjuːsləs/ |
| valuable(adj.) | worth a lot of money | /ˈvæljuəbl/ |
| worthwhile(adj.) | it deserves the time or effort | /ˌwɜːθˈwaɪl/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
She speaks English good ❌: use well
Good is an adjective and well is an adverb. The food is good (adjective), but She speaks English well (adverb). To answer How are you?, both I'm good (informal, common in the US) and I'm well (a bit more formal) are correct.
Awesome (US) or brilliant (UK)?
To say that something is very good in an informal way, Americans say awesome and British people say brilliant. Amazing works everywhere. In formal writing, choose excellent or outstanding.
Rubbish in the UK and in the US
In the UK, rubbish means things you throw away, and it is also an informal adjective for very bad: That film is rubbish (it is very bad). In the US, people rarely say rubbish: they say garbage (things you throw away) or terrible (very bad).
Practice quiz
Related pages: Quality adjectives
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Frequently asked questions
What can I say instead of good?+
There are many options. Great is neutral and soft. Brilliant! is informal British English, and awesome is informal American English. Amazing works everywhere. Fantastic is expressive, mostly when you speak. Excellent is more formal. Choose the word for the situation and the person.
What is the difference between good and well?+
Good is an adjective: it describes a noun (a good book). Well is an adverb: it describes a verb (She sings well.). To answer How are you?, both I'm good (common in the US) and I'm well (a bit more formal) are fine, even if some people argue about it.
What does rubbish mean in British English?+
In the UK, rubbish has two meanings: (1) things you throw away (trash or garbage in the US), (2) an informal adjective that means very bad (This film is rubbish.). In the US, people rarely say rubbish. They say garbage for things you throw away, and terrible or awful for very bad.
How do you put quality adjectives in order from worst to best?+
From the worst to the best: terrible / awful → poor → mediocre / average → not bad → OK → good → great → excellent → amazing / brilliant / awesome → outstanding → perfect. This scale is useful to remember.
What is the difference between useful, useless and worthwhile?+
Useful means it helps you or does a job. Useless means it does not help at all. Worthwhile means it is worth the time or the effort. Examples: a useful tool, a useless argument, This trip was worthwhile.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/quality-adjectives
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.