Extreme adjectives: going beyond “very”
Extreme adjectives: going beyond “very”
Hi Quijoter@s!
Today we’re focusing on a powerful way to make your English sound more natural and sophisticated: extreme adjectives. At C1 level, relying too much on “very + adjective” can make your language sound repetitive or basic. Extreme adjectives allow you to express intensity more precisely, and more effectively.
What are extreme adjectives?
Extreme adjectives express a very strong degree of a quality. Because their meaning is already intense, we do not usually use “very” with them.
Compare:
The film was very good.
The film was excellent.
I was very tired.
I was exhausted.
Common extreme adjectives
|
Neutral adjective |
Extreme adjective |
|
big |
enormous / huge |
|
small |
tiny / minute |
|
good |
excellent / outstanding |
|
bad |
awful / dreadful |
|
interesting |
fascinating |
|
funny |
hilarious |
|
tired |
exhausted |
|
hungry |
starving |
|
cold |
freezing |
|
hot |
boiling |
|
surprised |
astonished |
|
scared |
terrified |
Important rule: No “Very”
We do not say:
❌ very freezing ❌ very exhausted ❌ very terrified
Instead, we can use:
absolutely freezing
completely exhausted
utterly terrified
Strong adverbs with extreme adjectives
Because extreme adjectives already express a very high degree, they do not usually combine with very. Instead, they are commonly used with strong adverbs (also called intensifiers).
Common strong adverbs
Absolutely
Completely
Totally
Utterly
Entirely
Perfectly
Simply
Quite (in British English, often meaning “completely” with extreme adjectives)
Natural collocations
At c1 level, learning typical combinations (collocations) is essential. Here are some that sound particularly natural:
Absolutely exhausted
Utterly ridiculous
Completely devastated
Totally unacceptable
Absolutely furious
Utterly convinced
Perfectly clear
Simply amazing
Entirely inappropriate
Quite extraordinary (very common in British English)
Important: not all adverbs work
We do not normally say:
❌ very freezing
❌ extremely starving
❌ incredibly boiling
Instead:
✔ absolutely freezing
✔ absolutely starving
✔ absolutely boiling
Some extreme adjectives may occasionally appear with extremely, but many sound unnatural because the adjective already expresses an absolute or maximum quality.
A C1-level detail: emotional collocations
Some strong adverbs are frequently used with emotional or evaluative language, especially in formal writing:
Deeply concerned
Bitterly disappointed
Profoundly grateful
Deeply worried
Although these adjectives are not always “extreme” in a strict sense, the collocations create a similar effect of intensity and sophistication, something examiners reward at advanced level.
Why they matter at C1 level
Using extreme adjectives:
makes your writing more expressive
avoids repetition
improves lexical resource (especially in exams)
sounds more natural and fluent
In speaking exams, for instance, saying:
“I was absolutely thrilled.”
sounds far more advanced than:
“I was very happy.”
Quick Practice
Rewrite the sentences using an extreme adjective:
I was very surprised by the news.
The food was very bad.
We were very tired after the trip.
(Example answers: astonished, dreadful/awful, exhausted)
Using extreme adjectives appropriately is one of the easiest ways to elevate your English instantly. Try replacing “very” in your next piece of writing, you may be surprised by the difference.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with all our latest news.
You can also find us on our official website
