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:
Superlative adjectives are used to describe a person or object that has more of a certain quality than another thing. They are used when comparing two or more things.
For example, the superlative adjective "biggest" is used to describe something that is bigger than any other thing it is being compared to.
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:
| Positive adjective | Comparative adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Cold | Colder | Coldest |
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:
| Root adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Long | The longest |
| Short | The shortest |
| Tall | The tallest |
| Small | The smallest |
If an adjective ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, the final consonants are doubled before the "est" is added. For example:
| Root adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Big | The biggest |
| Flat | The flattest |
| Sad | The saddest |
| Hot | The hottest |
If an adjective ends in "y," the suffix "iest" is added to the end. For example:
| Root adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Happy | The happiest |
| Dry | The driest |
| Easy | The easiest |
| Angry | The angriest |
If an adjective already ends with an "e," only "st" is added to the end. For example:
| Root adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Large | The largest |
| Safe | The safest |
| Brave | The bravest |
| Nice | The nicest |
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:
| Root adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Interesting | The most interesting |
| Helpful | The most helpful |
| Boring | The most boring |
| Beautiful | The most beautiful |
Some superlative adjectives can either contain a suffix or "the most." For example:
| Root adjective | Superlative adjective |
| Clever | The cleverest / the most clever |
| Healthy | The healthiest / the most healthy |
| Narrow | The narrowest / the most narrow |
| Sure | The surest / the most sure |
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:
| Root adjective | Irregular superlative adjectives |
| Good | The best (not "the goodest") |
| Bad | The worst (not "the baddest") |
| Far | The farthest (not "the farest") |
| Much | The most (not "the muchest") |
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:
| Root Adjective | Superlative Adjective | Example sentence |
| Acceptable | The most acceptable | "It was the most acceptable option." |
| Busy | The busiest | "Friday is the busiest day of the week." |
| Calm | The calmest | "The sea is the calmest in the morning." |
| Dirty | The dirtiest | "His white shoes were the dirtiest." |
| Entertaining | The most entertaining | "That was the most entertaining book I've read." |
| Friendly | The friendliest / the most friendly | "She is the friendliest person I've met" / "She is the most friendly person I've met." |
| Great | The greatest | "Getting a degree was my greatest achievement." |
| High | The highest | "The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest." |
| Interesting | The most interesting | "English Language is the most interesting subject at school." |
| Jealous | The most jealous | "He was the most jealous person in the room." |
| Kind | The kindest | "She had the kindest smile." |
| Lonely | The loneliest / the most lonely | "They felt the loneliest when with others" / "They felt the most lonely when with others." |
| Magnificent | The most magnificent | "I saw the most magnificent sunset." |
| Nervous | The most nervous | "Before my exam, I was the most nervous I had ever been." |
| Original | The most original | "It was his most original piece of work to date." |
| Polite | The politest / the most polite | They were the politest guests who stayed in the hotel" / "They were the most polite guests who stayed in the hotel." |
| Quiet | The quietest | "The bathroom is the quietest room in the house." |
| Rude | The rudest | "Tell me about the rudest person you've met." |
| Sneaky | The sneakiest / the most sneaky | "His brother was the sneakiest person in the family" / "HIs brother was the most sneaky person in the family." |
| Talented | The most talented | "The teacher gave a gift to the most talented student." |
| Unique | The most unique | "Show me your most unique skill." |
| Vital | The most vital | "Flour is the most vital ingredient." |
| Wet | The wettest | Mawsynram, in Northeastern India, is the wettest place on Earth." |
| Young | The youngest | "My youngest sister wants to be a nurse." |
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:
"Sarah's house was the nicest in the neighborhood."
This sentence means that Sarah's house was the nicest of all the other houses in the neighborhood. This does not need to be explicitly stated, as it is implied that Sarah's house is being compared to all the others in the neighborhood.
Superlative Adjectives - Key takeaways
- Superlative adjectives are used to describe a person or object that has more of a certain quality than another thing. They are used when comparing more than two things.
- Some adjectives add the suffixes "est/iest/st" to the end to create the superlative form.
- Some adjectives add "the most" to the beginning to create the superlative form. This usually happens with adjectives that end in "ing" or "full."
- Some adjectives do not follow the regular rules for creating superlatives. These are known as irregular superlatives.
- 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.
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