Strong adjectives are more expressive than normal ones. We do not normally use “very” with these adjectives, and do use intensifiers like “absolutely”, “completely”, “really”, “quite”, and “totally”. We often give strong adjectives extra stress.
Level B1
Amazed is extremely surprised
/əˈmeɪzd/ /sɚˈpraɪzd/
- Take a photo tour of Odisha state in India and be amazed at what you can see (CNN)
- I was absolutely amazed at how much energy they had (CNN)
- When I take travelers to the lagoon, they are completely amazed by the landscape. (CNN)
- I was really amazed at what Mayor Bloomberg said a moment ago. (CNN)
- I was quite amazed at the metaphor he decided to use in the Oval Office. (CNN)
- I was totally amazed by the overwhelmingly positive response I got. (CNN)
Boiling is very hot
/ˈbɔɪ.lɪŋ/ /hɑːt/
- And many have been standing in line already under the boiling sun for several hours (CNN)
- Is it possible that anybody could leave a toddler in a boiling hot car by accident? (CNN)
- It’s a boiling hot summer’s day in New York. (CNN)
- Africa protests reach boiling point. (CNN)
Delighted is very happy or pleased
/dɪˈlaɪ.t̬ɪd/ /pliːzd/
- I am delighted to have been invited by the Vatican to a meeting on restoring social justice and environmental sustainability (CNN)
Exhausted is extremely tired
/ɪɡˈzɑː.stɪd/ /taɪrd/
- I feel mentally exhausted and burned out (CNN)
- I was completely exsausted.
Fascinated is extremely interesting
/ˈfæs.ən.eɪ.tɪd/ /ˈɪn.trɪ.stɪŋ/
- Since da Vinci, and probably long before, humans have been fascinated with self-powered flight (CNN)
Filthy is extremely or unpleasantly dirty
/ˈfɪl.θi/ /ˈdɝː.t̬i/
- Young and filthy rich: Top 10 billionaires under 35 (CNN)
- From filthy to fabulous: Mumbai beach undergoes dramatic makeover (CNN)
- His hair is absolutely filty.
Freezing is extremely cold
/ˈfriː.zɪŋ/
- I had to get home straight away because the water was absolutely freezing. (CNN)
- Freezing Cold Temperatures Killed 26 People in Texas. (CNN)
- It’s freezing outside.
Furious is very angry
/ˈfʊr.i.əs/
- Roger Federer was furious after a fan followed him onto the court and tried to get photos (CNN)
Hilarious is extremely funny and causing a lot of laughter
/hɪˈler.i.əs/
- Stephen Colbert’s hilarious fake interview with Trump (CNN)
Huge / enormous is very big or large
/hjuːdʒ/ /əˈnɔːr.məs/
- Boston Dynamics CEO: Robots can unlock huge opportunities (CNN)
- There’s been a huge snowstorm for the past 24 hours.
Positive is totally sure
/ˈpɑː.zə.t̬ɪv/
- Survey: Afghans positive about future (CNN)
Starving is very hungry
/ˈstɑːr.vɪŋ/ /ˈhʌŋ.ɡri/
- Starving girl who became symbol of Yemen crisis dies (CNN)
Terrified is very afraid, scared or frightened
/ˈter.ə.faɪd/ /ˈfraɪ.tənd/
- A terrified nation needs a leader during this crisis, not a salesman (CNN)
Tiny is very small
/ˈtaɪ.ni/
NASA’s tiny helicopter is ready to make history on Mars (CNN)
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