🏅 Superlative Adjectives – Rules & Examples
Use the superlative form to compare three or more things and show the highest (or lowest) degree.
1️⃣ One-Syllable Adjectives: Add -est
Formation: adjective + -est
Examples: old → the oldest, cheap → the cheapest, high → the highest
2️⃣ One-Syllable C–V–C: Double Consonant + -est
Formation: double final consonant, then add -est
Examples: hot → the hottest, big → the biggest, thin → the thinnest
3️⃣ Two-Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y: Change y to i + -est
Formation: adjective ending in -y → change y to i, then add -est
Examples: healthy → the healthiest, happy → the happiest, noisy → the noisiest
Adverbs typically use more/most (e.g., more slowly, not slowest).
4️⃣ Two or More Syllables: Use the most + adjective
Formation: the most + adjective
Examples: famous → the most famous, generous → the most generous
5️⃣ Irregular Adjectives
Several adjectives have irregular superlative forms:
- good → the best
- bad → the worst
- far → the farthest / the furthest
💡 Tip: Use -est with short adjectives and the most with longer ones for natural-sounding English!
🔢 Superlative for Three or More Things
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing 3+ items | the + superlative adjective | John is the best. |
| 2 vs 3+ items | better vs the best | John is better. / John is the best. |
| Use in | the + superlative + in/of + group or place | She is the best student in the class. |
| Article or possessive | the / my / his / John's + superlative | He is the best. This is my most expensive jacket. This is Paul's best friend. |