この記事では、ネイティブが日常会話やビジネスシーンで頻繁に使う、300の重要な英語の形容詞を目的別に一覧でまとめました。
英語の表現力を一気に引き上げる鍵、それが形容詞です。
形容詞を使いこなせれば、あなたの感情や目の前の風景、人の性格などを、まるで映画のワンシーンのように生き生きと描写できるようになります。
この記事を読み進めれば「英語でもっと豊かな表現がしたいのに、いつも同じ単語ばかり使ってしまう…」
そんな悩みにおさらばする事ができますよ！
あなたの「パーソナル英単語帳」として、表現に迷った時にいつでも参照してくださいね。
著者情報
元オンライン英会話講師 / TOEIC975点保持者
元大手オンライン英会話講師。これまで100人以上の日本人英語学習者に英語を指導。100人以上の初心者の「最初の一歩」をサポートした実績あり。「量より質」をモットーに、「これならできそう！」と思える小さな成功体験を届ける事をミッションとしている。
目次
英語の形容詞一覧の前にチェック！形容詞の限定用法と叙述用法の違いと使い方を解説！
英語の形容詞一覧を見る前に、まずは基本的な使い方を復習しましょう。
英語の形容詞には、大きく分けて2つの使い方があります。
- 限定用法 (Attributive use): 名詞のすぐ前に置いて、その名詞を直接修飾（限定）する使い方です。
- 例: a beautiful flower (美しい花), a tall man (背の高い男性)
- 叙述用法 (Predicative use): be動詞などの後ろに置いて、主語の状態を説明（叙述）する使い方です。
- 例: The flower is beautiful. (その花は美しい), The man is tall. (その男性は背が高い)
ほとんどの形容詞は両方の用法で使えますが、aware (気づいている), asleep (眠っている), alive (生きている) のように、叙述用法でしか使えないものもあるので注意しましょう。
物の性質を表す英語の形容詞一覧
それではまず、物の基本的な性質や特徴を表現するための英語の形容詞一覧をチェックしましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| hard | 硬い | This rock is very hard. |
| soft | 柔らかい | The cat's fur is soft. |
| heavy | 重い | This box is too heavy to lift. |
| light | 軽い | This feather is very light. |
| smooth | 滑らかな | The surface of the table is smooth. |
| rough | ザラザラした | I don't like the rough texture. |
| sharp | 鋭い | Be careful with that sharp knife. |
| dull | 鈍い | The blade of this knife is dull. |
| thick | 厚い | He was reading a thick book. |
| thin | 薄い | The ice is too thin to walk on. |
| wet | 濡れた | My clothes are wet from the rain. |
| dry | 乾いた | Make sure your hands are dry. |
| solid | 固体の | Ice is the solid form of water. |
| liquid | 液体の | Water is a liquid at room temperature. |
| fragile | 壊れやすい | This glass is very fragile. |
| durable | 耐久性のある | This material is very durable. |
| flexible | 柔軟な | This plastic is flexible. |
| rigid | 硬直した | The rules are too rigid. |
| transparent | 透明な | Glass is a transparent material. |
| opaque | 不透明な | The window was opaque with steam. |
人や物の容姿や見かけを表す英語の形容詞一覧
次に、見た目や外見を描写する際に欠かせない英語の形容詞一覧を見ていきましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| beautiful | 美しい | She has a beautiful smile. |
| handsome | ハンサムな | He is a handsome young man. |
| cute | かわいい | Look at that cute puppy! |
| pretty | きれいな | What a pretty dress! |
| ugly | 醜い | It's an ugly building. |
| gorgeous | 豪華な、素敵な | You look gorgeous tonight. |
| attractive | 魅力的な | He has an attractive personality. |
| plain | 地味な、簡素な | She wore a plain black dress. |
| elegant | 優雅な | The hotel has an elegant design. |
| fashionable | おしゃれな | She always wears fashionable clothes. |
| messy | 散らかった | His room is always messy. |
| tidy | きちんとした | Her desk is very tidy. |
| clean | 清潔な | Please keep your room clean. |
| dirty | 汚い | He was wearing dirty shoes. |
| bright | 明るい | The room is bright and spacious. |
| dark | 暗い | It's too dark to see anything. |
| colorful | カラフルな | I like colorful paintings. |
| shiny | 輝いている | He polished his shiny shoes. |
| faded | 色あせた | The photo has faded over time. |
| modern | 現代的な | They live in a modern apartment. |
性格を表す英語の形容詞一覧
ここでは、人の内面や性格を表現するための英語の形容詞一覧をご紹介します。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| kind | 親切な | She is very kind to everyone. |
| gentle | 優しい | He has a gentle voice. |
| brave | 勇敢な | The brave firefighter saved the cat. |
| honest | 正直な | To be honest, I don't agree. |
| cheerful | 明るい、陽気な | She is always cheerful and positive. |
| serious | 真面目な、深刻な | He is a serious student. |
| funny | 面白い | He told a funny story. |
| lazy | 怠惰な | Don't be lazy, get up and help. |
| shy | 内気な | The little girl was very shy. |
| sociable | 社交的な | My brother is very sociable. |
| stubborn | 頑固な | He is as stubborn as a mule. |
| curious | 好奇心旺盛な | Cats are curious animals. |
| generous | 寛大な | Thank you for your generous donation. |
| selfish | わがままな | Don't be so selfish. |
| polite | 礼儀正しい | It's polite to say "thank you". |
| rude | 失礼な | He made a rude comment. |
| optimistic | 楽観的な | She is optimistic about the future. |
| pessimistic | 悲観的な | Why are you so pessimistic? |
| reliable | 信頼できる | She is a reliable employee. |
| patient | 忍耐強い | You need to be patient with children. |
喜怒哀楽を表す英語の形容詞一覧
感情を豊かに表現するための英語の形容詞一覧をチェックしましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| happy | 幸せな、嬉しい | I'm so happy to see you. |
| glad | 嬉しい | I'm glad you could come. |
| pleased | 喜んで | I'm pleased with the result. |
| delighted | 大喜びして | She was delighted with the gift. |
| sad | 悲しい | The ending of the movie was sad. |
| unhappy | 不幸な | He had an unhappy childhood. |
| miserable | みじめな | I felt miserable all day. |
| angry | 怒っている | He was angry with me. |
| mad | 腹を立てて | She's mad at him for being late. |
| furious | 激怒した | My boss was furious with the mistake. |
| surprised | 驚いた | I was surprised to see her there. |
| amazed | びっくりした | I was amazed by her talent. |
| shocked | 衝撃を受けた | We were shocked by the news. |
| scared | 怖がって | Are you scared of spiders? |
| afraid | 恐れて | Don't be afraid to make mistakes. |
| terrified | 恐ろしい | I'm terrified of heights. |
| excited | ワクワクして | The children are excited about Christmas. |
| nervous | 緊張して | I always get nervous before a test. |
| anxious | 心配して | I'm anxious about the interview. |
| calm | 落ち着いた | Please stay calm. |
物や人の状態を表す英語の形容詞一覧
それでは、コンディションや状況を説明する英語の形容詞一覧を確認しましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| busy | 忙しい | I'm too busy to talk right now. |
| free | 暇な、自由な | Are you free this weekend? |
| ready | 準備ができた | Dinner is ready. |
| available | 利用可能な、手が空いている | Is this seat available? |
| full | 満腹の、いっぱいの | I'm full. I can't eat anymore. |
| hungry | 空腹の | I'm getting hungry. |
| thirsty | 喉が渇いた | Can I have some water? I'm thirsty. |
| tired | 疲れた | I was tired after a long day. |
| sleepy | 眠い | I feel sleepy. |
| awake | 目が覚めて | I was wide awake all night. |
| sick | 病気の | She stayed home because she was sick. |
| healthy | 健康な | It's important to eat healthy food. |
| strong | 強い | He has a strong body. |
| weak | 弱い | I feel weak from the fever. |
| rich | 裕福な | He is a very rich man. |
| poor | 貧しい | They were poor but happy. |
| famous | 有名な | He is a famous actor. |
| single | 独身の | Are you single or married? |
| married | 結婚している | She is married to a doctor. |
| different | 違う | My opinion is different from yours. |
能力を表す英語の形容詞一覧
以下に、人の能力やスキルを評価する際に使う英語の形容詞一覧をご紹介します。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| able | できる | Are you able to swim? |
| capable | 有能な | She is a very capable manager. |
| skillful | 熟練した | He is a skillful negotiator. |
| talented | 才能のある | She is a talented musician. |
| gifted | 天賦の才がある | He is a gifted artist. |
| clever | 利口な | That's a clever idea. |
| smart | 賢い | She is one of the smartest students. |
| intelligent | 知的な | Dolphins are intelligent animals. |
| wise | 賢明な | It was a wise decision. |
| stupid | 愚かな | I made a stupid mistake. |
| foolish | ばかな | It was foolish of me to trust him. |
| creative | 創造的な | She has a creative mind. |
| innovative | 革新的な | The company is known for innovative products. |
| excellent | 優れた | You did an excellent job. |
| brilliant | 素晴らしい、才気あふれる | He came up with a brilliant plan. |
| proficient | 熟達した | She is proficient in three languages. |
| competent | 有能な | We need a competent leader. |
| inexperienced | 未熟な | He is still young and inexperienced. |
| clumsy | 不器用な | I'm so clumsy, I dropped my phone again. |
| effective | 効果的な | This is a highly effective treatment. |
価値を表す英語の形容詞一覧
ここからは、物事の価値や重要性を判断する英語の形容詞一覧をご案内します。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| good | 良い | This is a good book. |
| bad | 悪い | That was a bad movie. |
| great | 素晴らしい | We had a great time. |
| wonderful | 素晴らしい | The weather was wonderful. |
| fantastic | 素晴らしい | What a fantastic idea! |
| terrible | ひどい | I have a terrible headache. |
| awful | ひどい | The food was awful. |
| valuable | 価値のある | This is a valuable piece of jewelry. |
| worthless | 価値のない | His promises are worthless. |
| important | 重要な | It's important to be on time. |
| essential | 不可欠な | Water is essential for life. |
| necessary | 必要な | Is it necessary to attend the meeting? |
| useful | 役に立つ | This app is very useful. |
| useless | 役に立たない | This old computer is useless. |
| expensive | 高価な | This watch is too expensive for me. |
| cheap | 安い | I bought a cheap T-shirt. |
| reasonable | 手頃な | The price is reasonable. |
| luxurious | 豪華な | They stayed in a luxurious hotel. |
| perfect | 完璧な | This is the perfect place for a picnic. |
| excellent | 素晴らしい | The service at the restaurant was excellent. |
大きさを表す英語の形容詞一覧
次に、サイズや規模を表現する英語の形容詞一覧を一緒に見ていきましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| big | 大きい | New York is a big city. |
| large | 大きい、広い | We need a larger table. |
| huge | 巨大な | A huge whale appeared. |
| enormous | 莫大な | The project required an enormous budget. |
| vast | 広大な | The Sahara is a vast desert. |
| small | 小さい | I live in a small apartment. |
| little | 小さい | It's just a little problem. |
| tiny | とても小さい | The room was tiny. |
| long | 長い | The movie was three hours long. |
| short | 短い | I'm just taking a short break. |
| tall | 背が高い | He is the tallest player on the team. |
| high | 高い | The mountain is very high. |
| low | 低い | The ceiling is very low. |
| wide | 幅が広い | The river is very wide. |
| narrow | 幅が狭い | The bridge is too narrow for cars. |
| deep | 深い | The lake is very deep. |
| shallow | 浅い | Children are playing in the shallow water. |
| thick | 厚い | He wore a thick coat. |
| thin | 薄い | She has thin hair. |
| giant | 巨大な | They saw a giant squid. |
味・音・匂い・感触を表す英語の形容詞一覧
次に、五感で感じることを英語で表現する形容詞の一覧表を確認しましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| sweet | 甘い | This cake is too sweet for me. |
| sour | 酸っぱい | Lemons taste sour. |
| salty | 塩辛い | The soup is too salty. |
| bitter | 苦い | I don't like bitter coffee. |
| spicy | スパイシーな | Do you like spicy food? |
| delicious | おいしい | The meal was delicious. |
| tasty | 風味のある | This is a very tasty dish. |
| loud | うるさい | The music is too loud. |
| quiet | 静かな | It's a quiet neighborhood. |
| silent | 無音の | The library was completely silent. |
| noisy | 騒々しい | The children are being noisy. |
| melodious | メロディアスな | I heard a melodious bird song. |
| good | 良い（匂い） | Something smells good. |
| bad | 悪い（匂い） | I smell something bad. |
| fragrant | 香り高い | The flowers are very fragrant. |
| stinky | 臭い | The garbage is stinky. |
| soft | 柔らかい（感触） | This blanket is very soft. |
| hard | 硬い（感触） | The ground was hard. |
| smooth | 滑らかな（感触） | Her skin is very smooth. |
| sticky | ベトベトする | My hands are sticky with honey. |
動きを表す英語の形容詞一覧
最後に、動きの速さや様子を表す英語の形容詞一覧を見ていきましょう。
| 英単語 | 和訳 | 例文 |
|---|---|---|
| fast | 速い | He is a fast runner. |
| quick | 素早い | We need to make a quick decision. |
| rapid | 急速な | The city has seen rapid growth. |
| swift | 迅速な | The police took swift action. |
| slow | 遅い | The traffic is very slow today. |
| gradual | 徐々の | There has been a gradual improvement. |
| sudden | 突然の | There was a sudden change in the weather. |
| steady | 安定した | The boat remained steady. |
| constant | 絶え間ない | The constant noise is annoying. |
| smooth | スムーズな | The car has a smooth ride. |
| jerky | ガクガクする | The bus made a jerky stop. |
| dynamic | 活動的な | He has a dynamic personality. |
| static | 静的な | The image on the screen was static. |
| active | 活発な | She leads an active life. |
| energetic | エネルギッシュな | The puppies are very energetic. |
形容詞の正しい語順をマスターしよう
複数の形容詞を並べて名詞を修飾する場合、ネイティブが自然に感じる語順のルールがあります。
厳密なものではありませんが、一般的に以下の順番で並べられます。
OSASCOMP (オサスコンプ) と覚えると便利です。
- Opinion (意見・主観):
lovely,beautiful,nice - Size (大きさ):
big,small,long - Age (年齢・新旧):
new,old,young - Shape (形):
round,square,thin - Color (色):
red,blue,black - Origin (出身・起源):
Japanese,American,Italian - Material (素材):
silk,wooden,plastic - Purpose (目的):
sleeping(bag),running(shoes)
例文:
- a beautiful (1) small (2) old (3) round (4) brown (5) Italian (6) wooden (7) table
(美しくて小さくて古くて丸い茶色のイタリア製の木製テーブル)
もちろん、これらすべてを同時に使うことは稀ですが、2〜3個の形容詞を並べる際にこの順番を意識すると、非常に自然な英語になります。
まとめ：英語の形容詞一覧を活用＆あなたの世界を豊かに表現しよう
ここまで、300を超える膨大な数の形容詞を、様々なカテゴリーに分けてご紹介してきました。
もちろん、これらすべてを一度に覚える必要は全くありません。大切なのは、この一覧をあなたの「自分だけの辞書」として、表現に迷ったときにいつでも戻ってこられる場所がある、という安心感を持つことです。
まずは、あなたが最も使いそうだと感じたカテゴリー（例えば「性格」や「喜怒哀楽」）から、気になる単語を5つだけ選んで、ご自身の身の回りの人や物、出来事を描写する練習を始めてみてください。「My boss is reliable.(私の上司は信頼できる)」「This movie was fantastic!(この映画は素晴らしかった！)」のように、短い文章で構いません。
形容詞一つで、あなたの世界の見え方、そしてあなたの想いが、より鮮やかに相手に伝わるようになります。あなたの英語が、単なる情報の伝達から、心と心をつなぐコミュニケーションへと変わる瞬間です。
この記事をブックマークして、あなたの英語学習の頼れる相棒として、ぜひ末永く活用してくださいね。