B1 · Intermediate

Describing Qualities — B1 English Vocabulary

This B1 vocabulary list gathers 40 intermediate English words about describing qualities — adjectives for size, shape and value. Every word comes with its British-English pronunciation and a natural example sentence, so you learn each one in real context. When you are ready, open the flashcards to practise and remember them for good.

  1. enormous/ɪˈnɔː.məs/

    “The building is enormous.”

  2. tiny/ˈtaɪ.ni/

    “She lives in a tiny flat.”

  3. huge/hjuːdʒ/

    “There was a huge crowd.”

  4. narrow/ˈnær.əʊ/

    “We walked down a narrow street.”

  5. wide/waɪd/

    “The river is very wide here.”

  6. shallow/ˈʃæl.əʊ/

    “The pool is shallow at this end.”

  7. deep/diːp/

    “The lake is extremely deep.”

  8. steep/stiːp/

    “The path was very steep.”

  9. heavy/ˈhev.i/

    “This box is too heavy.”

  10. smooth/smuːð/

    “The table has a smooth surface.”

  11. rough/rʌf/

    “The road was rough and bumpy.”

  12. sharp/ʃɑːp/

    “Be careful; the knife is sharp.”

  13. blunt/blʌnt/

    “This pencil is blunt.”

  14. stiff/stɪf/

    “The new shoes feel stiff.”

  15. spacious/ˈspeɪ.ʃəs/

    “The kitchen is bright and spacious.”

  16. crowded/ˈkraʊ.dɪd/

    “The bus was very crowded.”

  17. empty/ˈemp.ti/

    “The streets were empty at night.”

  18. ordinary/ˈɔː.dən.ər.i/

    “It was an ordinary day.”

  19. unusual/ʌnˈjuː.ʒu.əl/

    “He has an unusual name.”

  20. common/ˈkɒm.ən/

    “Smith is a common surname.”

  21. rare/reə/

    “It is a very rare bird.”

  22. ancient/ˈeɪn.ʃənt/

    “We visited an ancient temple.”

  23. typical/ˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/

    “It was a typical English summer.”

  24. attractive/əˈtræk.tɪv/

    “It is an attractive design.”

  25. ugly/ˈʌɡ.li/

    “The old factory was ugly.”

  26. complex/ˈkɒm.pleks/

    “It is a complex problem.”

  27. simple/ˈsɪm.pəl/

    “The instructions are simple.”

  28. complicated/ˈkɒm.plɪ.keɪ.tɪd/

    “The rules are complicated.”

  29. powerful/ˈpaʊ.fəl/

    “It is a powerful engine.”

  30. weak/wiːk/

    “He felt weak after the illness.”

  31. fragile/ˈfrædʒ.aɪl/

    “The vase is very fragile.”

  32. precious/ˈpreʃ.əs/

    “Gold is a precious metal.”

  33. useful/ˈjuːs.fəl/

    “It is a very useful tool.”

  34. useless/ˈjuːs.ləs/

    “The broken phone is useless.”

  35. genuine/ˈdʒen.ju.ɪn/

    “Is this a genuine diamond?”

  36. realistic/ˌrɪəˈlɪs.tɪk/

    “The painting is very realistic.”

  37. clear/klɪə/

    “The water was clear and clean.”

  38. vague/veɪɡ/

    “His answer was rather vague.”

  39. accurate/ˈæk.jə.rət/

    “The map is very accurate.”

  40. remarkable/rɪˈmɑː.kə.bəl/

    “She made remarkable progress.”