Adjectives Word Search With Sense, Character and Comparing Words

Sixteen describing words are already hidden: press New puzzle to swap them, or print the sheet and answer key.

Name Date

Adjectives Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 16 words found

WCOYRNNSMOOTHWO

SHINYAFUNNYEACA

TLLFEROCIOUSNTG

SLQYLCYWZCCACBF

PWDPSLIPPERYIFR

SOURDXYESUOTEAA

YIAIGNCUODOENSG

SRRAUOBBFMKRTAR

EGBIADIRTREUTEA

OHFVSUGAOIDIIYN

EACQGHRVUYAANAT

DELICATESCSAYEB

ENORMOUSTUBBORN

BOUXTMCTNTKSWZT

EYMOARTDRPRTATH

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

BigBIG
TinyTINY
CrookedCROOKED
EnormousENORMOUS
ShinySHINY
SourSOUR
FragrantFRAGRANT
SoftSOFT
SmoothSMOOTH
SlipperySLIPPERY
DelicateDELICATE
FunnyFUNNY
BraveBRAVE
StubbornSTUBBORN
FerociousFEROCIOUS
AncientANCIENT

16 of 24 words from the Adjectives list.

Write a noun that three of the adjectives you found could describe.

Start from a list

Easy: words go across and down.

More options

Show clues, not words

Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Adjectives Word Search

WCOYRNNSMOOTHWO

SHINYAFUNNYEACA

TLLFEROCIOUSNTG

SLQYLCYWZCCACBF

PWDPSLIPPERYIFR

SOURDXYESUOTEAA

YIAIGNCUODOENSG

SRRAUOBBFMKRTAR

EGBIADIRTREUTEA

OHFVSUGAOIDIIYN

EACQGHRVUYAANAT

DELICATESCSAYEB

ENORMOUSTUBBORN

BOUXTMCTNTKSWZT

EYMOARTDRPRTATH

BIG, TINY, CROOKED, ENORMOUS, SHINY, SOUR, FRAGRANT, SOFT, SMOOTH, SLIPPERY, DELICATE, FUNNY, BRAVE, STUBBORN, FEROCIOUS, ANCIENT

Next step Print the geometry word search for shape names Print the elements of art word search

All 190 words

Size and Shape 26

Big Large in size. An elephant is this next to a mouse.
Crooked Bent or twisted, not in a line, like an old fence or a winding path.
Deep Going a long way down, like the middle of the ocean.
Enormous Far bigger than normal. A blue whale is this.
Flat Level and even, with no bumps or slopes, like a tabletop.
Gigantic As large as a giant; one of the largest sizes there is.
Hollow With nothing on the inside, like a drum, a straw or a log an owl lives in.
Huge Much larger than usual, like a whale or a mountain.
Long Measuring a lot from one end to the other, like a train or a river.
Lopsided With one side lower or heavier than the other, like a badly stacked tower.
Microscopic Too small to see without a microscope, like a germ.
Miniature Made much smaller than the real thing, like a dollhouse chair.
Narrow Only a little way from side to side, like a path for one walker.
Oval Shaped like an egg or a stretched circle.
Rectangular Shaped like a door or a sheet of paper: four sides and four right angles.

Show all 190 words (175 more)

Size and Shape, continued

Round Shaped like a ball or a circle.
Shallow Not going far down, like a puddle or the little kids' end of a pool.
Short Not far from bottom to top, or from one end to the other.
Square Having four equal sides and four right angles.
Straight Going one way with no bend or curve, like the edge of a ruler.
Tall A long way from bottom to top, like a giraffe or a tower.
Thick A long way from one side to the other, like a castle wall or a heavy book.
Thin Not far from one side to the other, like a sheet of paper or a thread.
Tiny Very, very small, like an ant or a grain of sand.
Triangular Having three sides and three corners, like a slice of pizza.
Wide A long way from side to side, like a highway with six lanes.

How Things Look 18

Blurry Smeared at the edges and hard to see, like a photo taken while moving.
Bright Giving off or full of strong light, like the noon sun.
Clear Easy to see through, like clean water or a window.
Colorful Full of many bright colors, like a rainbow or a box of crayons.
Dark With little or no light, like a cave or a night with no moon.
Dim With only a little light, like a room lit by one candle.
Dull With little color, light or sparkle, like a gray sky.
Fancy Decorated and not plain, like a party dress or a frosted cake.
Golden Having the deep yellow color of gold, like a field of wheat.
Invisible Impossible to see, like the air or the wind.
Pale Light in color, with very little of it, like the sky at dawn.
Rusty Covered with the reddish brown coat that forms on old wet iron.
Shiny Bright because light bounces off it, like a new coin or a polished apple.
Spotless Perfectly clean, without a single mark or stain.
Spotted Marked with many small round dots, like a ladybug or a leopard.
Striped Marked with long bands of color, like a zebra or a candy cane.
Transparent Letting light pass so you can see through it, like glass.
Vivid Very strong and bright in color, like a parrot's feathers.

How Things Sound 17

Creaky Making a long squeak when it moves, like an old stair or door.
Deafening So loud that you cannot hear anything else, like a jet taking off.
Faint So weak or far off that you can hardly hear it, like a distant bell.
Gruff Low and rough, like a bear's growl or a grumpy voice.
Harmonious Made of notes that sound good together, like a choir in tune.
Harsh Unpleasant and hard on the ears, like a crow's call or a grinding gate.
Loud Making a lot of sound, like thunder or a marching band.
Melodic Having a sweet tune you could hum along to.
Musical Pleasant to hear, like a song; also, having to do with music.
Noisy Full of sounds that are hard to talk over, like a lunchroom or a busy street.
Quiet Making very little sound, like a library or a sleeping cat.
Raspy Rough and scratchy, like a voice with a sore throat.
Rhythmic Having a steady beat that repeats, like a drum or clapping hands.
Shrill High and sharp enough to hurt your ears, like a whistle.
Silent Making no sound at all.
Squeaky Making short high sounds, like a mouse or a new pair of sneakers.
Thunderous As loud as thunder, like a crowd clapping in a stadium.

Taste and Smell 21

Bitter Sharp and not sweet, like dark chocolate or black coffee.
Bland Having very little flavor, like plain rice or dry toast.
Delicious Very pleasant to taste or smell; a word for your favorite meal.
Fragrant Having a sweet, pleasant smell, like roses or baking bread.
Fresh Just picked or just made; not old, canned or frozen.
Juicy Full of liquid that runs out when you bite, like a peach in summer.
Peppery Hot and sharp on the tongue, like black pepper or a radish.
Raw Not cooked, like the carrots in a salad.
Ripe Fully grown and ready to eat, like a yellow banana.
Rotten Gone bad and no longer safe to eat, like old fruit with mold.
Salty Tasting of salt, like pretzels, chips or sea water.
Savory Tasting rich and salty, not sweet, like soup, cheese or roast chicken.
Scrumptious So tasty that you want a second helping.
Smoky Tasting or smelling of smoke, like food cooked over a campfire.
Sour Tasting sharp, like a lemon, so your mouth puckers.
Stale No longer fresh; dry and hard, like bread left out for days.
Stinky Smelling very bad, like old socks or a skunk.
Sugary Full of sugar, like frosting or soda.
Sweet Tasting like sugar or honey.
Tangy Having a sharp, lively taste, like orange juice or pickles.
Zesty Having a fresh, lively flavor, like lemon peel or salsa.

How Things Feel 22

Cold Having a low temperature, like snow or ice.
Delicate Fine and easy to break or tear, like a spider web or a butterfly wing.
Dry With no water in or on it, like desert sand.
Feathery Light and soft like a feather, such as a fern or new snow.
Fluffy Light, soft and full of air, like a cloud, a chick or whipped cream.
Fuzzy Covered with short fine hairs, like a peach or a caterpillar.
Hot Having a high temperature, like soup from the stove or sand at noon.
Icy Covered with ice, or as cold as ice, like a pond in winter.
Jagged Having sharp, uneven points, like broken glass or a mountain ridge.
Rough Uneven and scratchy to feel, like sandpaper or tree bark.
Scratchy Rough enough to make your skin itch, like a wool sweater.
Silky Smooth, soft and shiny like silk, such as a cat's coat.
Slimy Wet, thick and slippery, like a slug or the inside of okra.
Slippery So smooth, wet or icy that it is hard to hold or stand on.
Smooth Even all over, with no bumps, like glass or a river stone.
Soft Easy to press and gentle to feel, like a pillow or a kitten's fur.
Soggy Soaked and limp with water, like cereal left too long in milk.
Squishy Soft and easy to squeeze out of shape, like mud or a stress ball.
Sticky Holding on to what it touches, like glue, tape or honey.
Velvety Soft and smooth like velvet, such as a rose petal or a horse's nose.
Warm A little hot, in a pleasant way, like a blanket or a mug of cocoa.
Wet Covered with or full of water, like grass after rain.

Character Traits 27

Adventurous Eager to try new things and explore new places.
Bossy Always telling other people what to do.
Brave Ready to face danger or pain without running away.
Clever Quick to learn, understand and solve problems.
Courageous Doing what is right or needed even when it is scary; very brave.
Creative Good at making new things or thinking up new ideas.
Ferocious Very fierce and wild, like a tiger defending its cubs.
Funny Making people laugh, like a good joke or a clown.
Generous Happy to give and share more than people expect.
Gentle Soft and careful, never rough; how you hold a baby bird.
Greedy Wanting more food, money or things than you need or is fair.
Helpful Willing to lend a hand; making a job easier for someone.
Honest Telling the truth and never cheating or stealing.
Independent Doing things for yourself without needing help from others.
Kind Friendly and caring; ready to help other people.
Lazy Not willing to work or make an effort.
Loyal Staying true to your friends, family or team, even in hard times.
Mischievous Playfully naughty; fond of tricks that cause a little trouble.
Mysterious Strange and hard to explain or understand, like a locked old trunk.
Patient Able to wait or keep trying for a long time without getting upset.
Polite Having good manners; saying please and thank you.
Responsible Able to be trusted to do your jobs and to own up to mistakes.
Selfish Caring only about yourself and not about other people.
Stubborn Refusing to change your mind, however hard others try, like a mule.
Thoughtful Thinking about what other people need and doing kind things for them.
Trustworthy Able to be relied on to keep a promise or a secret.
Wise Able to choose well because of what you have learned over many years.

Age and Speed 17

Ancient Belonging to a time thousands of years ago, like the pyramids.
Brief Lasting only a short time, like a summer shower.
Early Before the usual or expected time; near the start.
Fast Moving at great speed, like a cheetah or a race car.
Gradual Happening slowly, a little at a time, like a sunrise.
Late After the usual or expected time; near the end.
Modern Belonging to the present day, not the past; up to date.
New Just made, bought or started; never used before.
Old Having lived or lasted for many years.
Permanent Lasting forever or for a very long time, like ink that will not wash out.
Prehistoric From the time before people wrote history down, like the mammoths.
Quick Done in very little time, like a blink or a snack.
Rapid Very fast; happening in a short time, like a heartbeat after a race.
Slow Taking a long time to move or to happen, like a snail or a turtle.
Sudden Happening all at once, with no warning, like a clap of thunder.
Temporary Lasting only a short time and then ending or being replaced.
Young In the first part of life, like a puppy, a lamb or a child.

How Many 17

Both The two together, not just one: ___ hands, ___ shoes.
Countless Too many to be counted, like the stars or grains of sand.
Double Twice as much or twice as many: a ___ scoop of ice cream.
Each Every one of a group, taken one at a time: ___ child gets a turn.
Empty Holding nothing at all, like a lunchbox after lunch.
Enough As much or as many as you need: ___ chairs for everyone.
Every All of a group with none left out: ___ seat was taken.
Few Not many; a small number of: only a ___ crumbs were left.
Full Holding as much as it can, like a glass filled to the top.
Half Being one of two equal parts: a ___ sandwich, a ___ hour.
Many A large number of: ___ hands make light work.
Most Irregular superlative of many and much: the team with the ___ points.
Numerous Very many; too great a number to list quickly.
Several More than two but not a great many: ___ birds sat on the wire.
Single Only one and no more: a ___ candle on the cake.
Some A number or amount that is not stated: ___ apples, ___ milk.
Whole All of it, with no part missing: the ___ pizza, the ___ day.

Comparatives and Superlatives 25

Best Irregular superlative of good: my ___ drawing so far.
Better Irregular comparative of good: Today's weather is ___ than yesterday's.
Bigger Comparative of big, with a doubled g: A bus is ___ than a car.
Biggest Superlative of big, with a doubled g: the ___ pumpkin at the fair.
Easier Comparative of easy; y turns to i: Walking is ___ than running uphill.
Easiest Superlative of easy; y turns to i: the ___ question on the test.
Funnier Comparative of funny; y turns to i: This joke is ___ than the last one.
Funniest Superlative of funny; y turns to i: the ___ clown in the circus.
Heavier Comparative of heavy; y turns to i: A brick is ___ than a feather.
Heaviest Superlative of heavy; y turns to i: the ___ box in the truck.
Hotter Comparative of hot, with a doubled t: July is ___ than April.
Hottest Superlative of hot, with a doubled t: the ___ day of the year.
Larger Comparative of large; the e is already there: The sun is ___ than the moon.
Largest Superlative of large; the e is already there: the ___ animal in the ocean.
Least Irregular superlative of little: the path with the ___ mud.
Less Irregular comparative of little: A cup holds ___ water than a bucket.
More Irregular comparative of many and much: Ten is ___ than seven.
Taller Comparative of tall: A giraffe is ___ than a horse.
Tallest Superlative of tall: the ___ tree in the forest.
Thinner Comparative of thin, with a doubled n: A thread is ___ than a rope.
Thinnest Superlative of thin, with a doubled n: the ___ slice of all.
Wider Comparative of wide; the e is already there: A river is ___ than a stream.
Widest Superlative of wide; the e is already there: the ___ part of the road.
Worse Irregular comparative of bad: The storm got ___ overnight.
Worst Irregular superlative of bad: the ___ traffic of the week.

How this list was compiled: 190 adjectives for grades 2 to 6, chosen and defined for this site, in nine themed lists plus a mixed list that opens the page, a list of short adjectives and a list of long ones. Every base word is entered as an adjective in the American Heritage Dictionary, https://www.ahdictionary.com/, and every -er and -est form is printed under its adjective there; checked on 2026-09-19. The three kinds of adjective named on the page follow the Purdue OWL, https://owl.purdue.edu/, and the spelling rules for -er and -est in the clues follow the Cambridge Dictionary grammar pages, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/, both read the same day. Clues are our own wording. Licence: own work

How it works

This adjectives word search hides 16 of 24 describing words, such as Crooked, Slippery and Ferocious, in a 15 by 15 grid. Under the list, pupils write a noun that three of their finds could describe.

Read the full guide

Pick the kind of adjective you are teaching

Under the puzzle, Start from a list has twelve lists. Four follow the senses: How Things Look, Sound and Feel, plus Taste and Smell, from Shiny to Scrumptious. Character Traits holds 27 words for describing people in a story, such as Loyal and Stubborn. Feelings words, such as Nervous, are on the emotions word search.

Quiz comparatives and superlatives

Pick Comparatives and Superlatives and tick Show clues, not words. The sheet prints "Comparative of funny; y turns to i: This joke is ___ than the last one." and the grid hides Funnier. The 13 pairs cover each spelling rule: Bigger doubles a letter, Larger only adds r, Better and Worst are irregular.

Adjectives answer What kind?, Which? or How many? The How Many list covers the third question, from Few to Countless.
For grades 1 and 2, pick Short Adjectives (84 words of 3 to 5 letters) and tick Large print under More options.
On Hard, Long Adjectives hides Mischievous and Trustworthy backwards and on diagonals. The grid grows when a word needs room.

Questions and answers

Is every word on the list an adjective?

Yes. All 190 were checked in the American Heritage Dictionary in September 2026. Each base word carries an adjective label, and each er and est form is printed under its adjective. Words entered only as verb forms, such as Sparkling and Faded, were left out.

What is the difference between a comparative and a superlative?

A comparative measures one thing against another: taller. A superlative picks out the top of a group: tallest. Adjectives of three or more syllables take more and most instead: more generous, most generous.

Why are Happy, Sad and Angry not on the list?

Feelings words have their own page, the emotions word search, so both sheets can go out in one week without repeats. The two lists share a single word, Brave.

All 190 words

Size and Shape 26

Size and Shape, continued

How Things Look 18

How Things Sound 17

Taste and Smell 21

How Things Feel 22

Character Traits 27

Age and Speed 17

How Many 17

Comparatives and Superlatives 25

How it works

Pick the kind of adjective you are teaching

Quiz comparatives and superlatives

Questions and answers

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