Irregular adjectives change in unusual ways when we compare people or things. For example, good becomes better and best, not gooder and goodest.
Unlike most adjectives, these forms do not follow the usual patterns of adding -er/-est or using more/most.
What Makes an Adjective Irregular?
A spelling change does not automatically make an adjective irregular.
Compare these forms:
| Regular comparison | Irregular comparison |
|---|---|
| tall → taller → tallest | good → better → best |
| happy → happier → happiest | bad → worse → worst |
| big → bigger → biggest | far → farther/further → farthest/furthest |
Happy changes -y to -i, while big doubles its final consonant. Both are regular because they follow familiar spelling rules.
Better and worse, by contrast, cannot be formed by applying those rules to good and bad.
Irregular Adjectives List
English has relatively few common irregular comparison forms.
| Base word | Comparative | Superlative | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|
| good | better | best | Comparing quality |
| bad | worse | worst | Comparing negative qualities |
| far | farther / further | farthest / furthest | Comparing distance |
| little | less | least | Comparing amounts |
| much | more | most | Comparing amounts |
| many | more | most | Comparing numbers or quantities |
Good, bad, and far are the main irregular forms used to compare qualities and distance. Little, much, and many have irregular forms for quantity comparisons.
Two other words deserve attention. Old has the regular forms older/oldest, alongside the more restricted elder/eldest. Well uses better/best when comparing health or performance, but it can function as either an adjective or an adverb.
These differences are explained in the sections below.
Irregular Adjectives in Sentences
The most common irregular forms appear naturally in everyday comparisons.
The revised plan is better than the original.
This is the best option for our budget.
The weather became worse overnight.
That was the worst delay of the journey.
The comparative forms better and worse can compare two things or indicate a change in condition. Best and worst identify the highest or lowest degree within the relevant comparison.
Farther vs Further
Both farther and further can describe physical distance.
The farther entrance is closed for repairs.
The further entrance is closed for repairs.
Either form is possible, although farther is often preferred when referring specifically to physical distance.
Further also means additional.
We need further information before making a decision.
The committee requested further changes.
In these examples, farther would not normally replace further.
Both words can also function as adverbs.
We walked farther along the trail.
We walked further along the trail.
Here, they describe how far we walked rather than modifying a noun.
Further can also describe continuing or developing something:
We need to discuss the proposal further.
The superlative forms farthest and furthest can both refer to physical distance. Furthest also appears when talking about the greatest extent or progress.
Older vs Elder
Old normally becomes older and oldest.
This bridge is older than the railway station.
It is the oldest building on the street.
English also uses elder and eldest, particularly when talking about family relationships.
Her elder brother lives in Canada.
She is the eldest of four children.
Elder is generally used before a noun in this meaning. It is not normally followed by than.
Incorrect: My brother is elder than I am.
Correct: My brother is older than I am.
Correct: He is my elder brother.
Older works more generally for people and things. Eldest, meanwhile, is mainly used for people in family relationships, so we say the oldest building, not the eldest building.
Other Irregular Comparison Forms
Some irregular comparison forms involve quantities rather than qualities such as good or bad.
Quantity Comparisons: Less, Least, More, and Most
Less and least express comparisons of amounts, while more and most can compare amounts or numbers.
| Base word | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| little | less | least |
| much | more | most |
| many | more | most |
For example:
We have less time than we expected.
This approach requires the least effort.
More visitors arrived on Saturday than on Friday.
Of the three proposals, the final one received the most support.
Many is used with plural countable nouns, while much is used with uncountable nouns.
When little means small in size rather than a small amount, smaller and smallest are often more natural.
Their cottage is smaller than ours.
Forms such as littler and littlest also exist, particularly in informal English and expressions involving children or small things.
Well, Better, Best
Well can be an adjective meaning healthy.
I don’t feel well today.
I feel better after resting.
It can also be an adverb describing how successfully someone does something.
She plays the violin well.
She plays the violin better than I do.
The comparison form is the same, but well has a different grammatical role in each pair.
For the regular comparison patterns, including spelling changes and the use of more and most, see comparative and superlative adjectives.
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