Superlative Adjectives

The Kangchenjunga mountain in the Himalayas is a high mountain, standing at 8586 meters. An even higher mountain is the K2, standing at 8611 meters. However, the highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest, standing at 8848 meters!

When making comparisons between people or objects, we can use different adjectives to describe their state or quality. The adjective "highest" is an example of a superlative adjective. We use superlatives to express something as having more of a certain quality than the other things they are being compared to.

Define Superlative Adjectives

There are different types of adjectives depending on their use and purpose in a sentence. Today, we'll be learning about superlatives. Check out the definition of superlative adjectives below:

Fig. 1 - Superlatives compare two or more things. The shoe on the right is the biggest of the three, whereas the shoe on the left is the smallest.

Superlative Adjectives Rules

To create the superlative form of an adjective, you typically add the suffix "est" to the root form of the adjective. The root form is the adjective's most basic form with nothing else added to it. For example, the adjective "cold" is the root form, and "coldest" is the superlative form.

The root form of an adjective is also known as a positive adjective. Another type of adjective worth mentioning is the comparative adjective, which is used to compare two things together. To create the comparative form, you typically add the suffix "er" to the root adjective. For example, the comparative form of "cold" is "colder." Altogether, the three forms look like this:

Let's look a little closer at the rules for forming superlatives.

To create the superlative form, most adjectives that end with a consonant add the suffix "est" to the end of the root. For example:

If an adjective ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, the final consonants are doubled before the "est" is added. For example:

If an adjective ends in "y," the suffix "iest" is added to the end. For example:

If an adjective already ends with an "e," only "st" is added to the end. For example:

Some adjectives add "the most" before the root. This is often the case for adjectives that contain two or more syllables, particularly ones ending in "ing" or "full." For example:

Some superlative adjectives can either contain a suffix or "the most." For example:

Exceptions to the Rule

As with many other word classes, there are some exceptions to the above rules. Superlative adjectives that do not follow these rules are known as irregular superlatives, as they do not fit the expected patterns of regular superlatives. Some examples include:

Fig. 2 - "Best" is the superlative form of "good." It is an irregular superlative.

Examples Of Superlative Adjectives

Some more examples of superlative adjectives are as follows:

Superlative Adjectives List

Here is a list of superlative adjectives:

• The most attractive

• The bravest

• The coziest

• The most distant

• The easiest

• The fakest / the most fake

• The greediest

• The hungriest / the most hungry

• The most intriguing

• The most joyful

• The most knowledgeable

• The most lovable

• The meanest

• The most naive

• The most open

• The proudest

• The quirkiest

• The most reliable

• The sincerest / the most sincere

• The tastiest

• The most understanding

• The most vicious

• The weirdest

• The most youthful

Superlative Adjective Sentences

When superlative adjectives are used in a sentence, the other people or objects they are being compared to do not always need to be directly stated. For example: