Adjectives That Start With S: Meanings and Sentences

Adjectives that start with S describe a person’s character, appearance, and mood, with sociable for character and sullen for mood. Both words begin with the same letter, yet their meanings and tones differ.

Sociable is positive because a sociable person enjoys company, while sullen is negative because a sullen person is gloomy. So a writer names the quality first and looks for an S adjective second. A sociable person is praised for enjoying company, and every positive S adjective refers to such a trait.

S Letter Adjectives With Meanings and Examples

List of Adjectives that Start with S for Kids

Adjectives that start with S in daily use name size (small, short), emotion (sad, shy), taste (sweet, sour) and judgment (smart, silly).

Word	Meaning
Small	Of less than average size
Strong	Having great physical or mental power
Sad	Feeling sorrow or unhappiness
Safe	Free from danger or harm
Serious	Grave in manner or weighty in consequence
Short	Measuring little in length, height or time
Simple	Plain and uncomplicated
Special	Set apart from the ordinary
Sweet	Having the taste of sugar or honey
Smart	Quick to learn and think
Slow	Moving or acting at low speed
Sick	Suffering from illness
Soft	Giving way gently under pressure
Sharp	Having a fine edge or point
Shy	Nervous about meeting or talking to others
Silent	Making no sound
Silly	Lacking good sense
Similar	Alike in shape, quality or nature
Single	Only one; not married
Social	Relating to society or friendly company
Sour	Having a sharp, acid taste
Spicy	Flavored with strong seasoning
Stable	Firmly fixed and steady
Steady	Firmly balanced and regular in motion
Sticky	Coated with a substance that clings to surfaces
Still	Motionless or calm
Strange	Unusual or unfamiliar
Strict	Demanding exact obedience to rules
Stupid	Lacking intelligence or good judgment
Sudden	Happening quickly and without warning
Sure	Certain beyond doubt
Sunny	Bright with sunlight
Super	Of very high quality
Secret	Kept hidden from others
Secure	Safe from attack or loss
Senior	Older or higher in rank
Separate	Apart from others and not joined
Severe	Very harsh or intense
Several	More than two but not many
Shallow	Measuring little from top to bottom; lacking depth of thought

Positive Adjectives That Start With S

Positive adjectives that start with S convey praise for quality, character and effort. Stellar, splendid and superb fit performance and appearance, while selfless, sincere and supportive fit behavior toward others.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Stellar	Outstanding in quality or performance	Her stellar record in the lab earned her a place on the research team.
Splendid	Magnificent in appearance or quality	The orchestra gave a splendid performance of the final movement.
Spectacular	Striking and memorable to watch	The fireworks over the harbor were spectacular.
Superb	Of the highest quality	The chef prepared a superb meal for the whole family.
Sublime	So excellent that it inspires awe	From the summit the view was sublime.
Stunning	Extremely attractive or impressive	She wore a stunning blue dress to the ceremony.
Sensational	Causing great excitement and admiration	The young striker scored a sensational goal in the final minute.
Successful	Achieving the aim that was set	The team launched a successful campaign in under a month.
Supportive	Giving encouragement and help to others	His supportive coach stayed late to review every drill.
Selfless	Putting the needs of others before one’s own	The nurse’s selfless care comforted every patient on the ward.
Sincere	Honest and free of pretense	He offered a sincere apology to the whole class.
Sociable	Enjoying the company of other people	Our sociable neighbor hosts a street party every summer.
Spirited	Full of energy and determination	The spirited debate ran well past midnight.
Sparkling	Shining with bright flashes of light	The sparkling lake drew crowds on the first warm day.
Sprightly	Lively and quick in movement	The sprightly grandfather climbed the hill ahead of everyone.
Stalwart	Loyal and dependable in support	She stayed a stalwart supporter of the local library for decades.
Steadfast	Firm and unwavering in purpose or loyalty	The steadfast crew kept rowing through the storm.
Sturdy	Strongly built and hard to damage	He bought a sturdy ladder for the roof repairs.
Stylish	Fashionable and elegant	The stylish café attracts students and designers alike.
Suave	Smooth and polished in manner	The suave host greeted each guest by name.
Sumptuous	Splendid and obviously expensive	The hotel served a sumptuous dinner in the grand hall.
Supreme	Highest in rank, power or quality	The jury awarded the supreme prize to a first-time author.
Sympathetic	Showing understanding of another person’s feelings	A sympathetic teacher listened to her worries after class.
Scholarly	Showing deep learning and careful study	He published a scholarly study of medieval trade routes.
Serene	Calm and untroubled	The serene garden was silent except for birdsong.
Sensible	Guided by good judgment	A sensible traveler carries a spare charger.
Savvy	Well informed and practical	The savvy shopper compared prices before buying.
Spontaneous	Done on impulse, without planning	The crowd broke into spontaneous applause.
Soulful	Expressing deep and sincere feeling	Her soulful singing silenced the room.
Scintillating	Brilliantly lively and witty	The author gave a scintillating talk about her travels.

Nice and Good Adjectives Starting With S

Nice and good adjectives starting with S are milder than praise words. Snug, soothing and satisfying suit comfort and approval rather than awe, and swell and smashing have a warm, informal tone.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Snug	Warm, comfortable and cozy	They spent the evening in a snug cabin by the lake.
Soothing	Calming and comforting	A soothing melody played while the baby fell asleep.
Satisfying	Giving pleasure by meeting a need	A satisfying meal of soup and bread ended the day.
Scrumptious	Delicious	The bakery sells scrumptious cinnamon rolls.
Smashing	Excellent and very enjoyable (British)	We had a smashing time at the seaside.
Swell	Excellent and pleasant	It was swell of you to drive me home.
Solid	Dependable and well made	The team built a solid plan for the launch.
Softhearted	Kind and easily moved by the needs of others	The softhearted girl adopted three stray cats.
Sweet-natured	Gentle and kind by disposition	The sweet-natured dog greets every visitor with a wagging tail.
Sweet-tempered	Calm and pleasant in mood	A sweet-tempered child, he rarely raised his voice.
Satisfactory	Good enough to meet the required standard	Her satisfactory test scores qualified her for the next level.
Suitable	Right for a particular purpose	This jacket is suitable for cold weather.
Sunlit	Brightened by sunshine	The sunlit kitchen smelled of fresh bread.
Sparkly	Shiny with small points of light	She wore sparkly shoes to the party.
Silky	Soft, smooth and glossy like silk	The silky fabric slid through her fingers.

Powerful Adjectives That Start With S

Powerful adjectives that start with S convey strength, force or authority. Staunch describes loyalty, stringent describes strict rules, and stentorian describes a voice that carries across a stadium.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Staunch	Firm and loyal in belief or support	She was a staunch defender of public parks.
Strapping	Tall, strong and healthy	Two strapping young men carried the piano upstairs.
Stirring	Arousing strong emotion	The coach gave a stirring speech before the final.
Striking	Attracting attention through force or beauty	The striking mural covered the whole wall.
Stupendous	Astonishing in size or power	The engineers completed a stupendous bridge across the bay.
Sweeping	Broad in scope and effect	The new law brought sweeping changes to the school system.
Superhuman	Beyond ordinary human ability	The firefighter showed superhuman strength carrying the crate.
Sovereign	Holding supreme power; fully independent	The island became a sovereign nation in 1962.
Strenuous	Demanding great effort	They completed a strenuous climb before dawn.
Stringent	Strict and demanding exact compliance	The lab follows stringent safety rules.
Supercharged	Boosted with extra energy or force	The supercharged engine roared down the track.
Stentorian	Extremely loud and powerful in sound	His stentorian voice carried across the stadium.

Complimentary Adjectives Starting With S

Compliments on appearance use sleek, svelte, shapely and snazzy. Spotless praises cleanliness, and shining praises an outstanding model.

Word	Meaning
Sleek	Smooth, glossy and elegant
Svelte	Slim and graceful
Shapely	Having an attractive figure or form
Shiny	Reflecting bright light
Snazzy	Stylish and eye-catching
Spiffy	Smart and neat in appearance
Spruce	Neat, trim and smart
Spotless	Perfectly clean
Statuesque	Tall, graceful and dignified
Shining	Outstanding, as in a shining example
Satiny	Smooth and glossy like satin
Silken	Soft and smooth like silk

Descriptive Words That Start With S

Descriptive words that start with S attach to the five senses and to physical form.

Size and shape. Slender and stout name thin and thick builds, while spherical and squarish name exact shapes.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Sizable	Fairly large	They bought a sizable plot of land near the river.
Slender	Gracefully thin	A slender vase stood on the windowsill.
Spherical	Shaped like a ball	The spherical lantern glowed above the table.
Squat	Short and thick	A squat tower guarded the harbor entrance.
Spindly	Long, thin and weak	The spindly legs of the table wobbled.
Stout	Thick and sturdy in build	The stout oak door resisted the storm.
Stubby	Short and thick, like a stub	He held the stubby pencil between two fingers.
Squarish	Roughly square in shape	The squarish room fit two desks.

Texture and touch. Texture words name how a surface feels: slick and slimy for wet films, scratchy and scaly for rough ones, spongy and springy for yielding ones.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Scaly	Covered in small hard plates	The scaly skin of the lizard shone in the sun.
Scratchy	Rough and irritating to the skin	The scratchy wool sweater itched all afternoon.
Slick	Smooth, wet and slippery	The slick road caused three accidents.
Slimy	Coated in a thick wet film	The slimy rocks made the creek hard to cross.
Slippery	Smooth and difficult to hold or walk on	A slippery floor sent him sliding.
Spongy	Soft and springy like a sponge	The spongy moss cushioned every step.
Springy	Returning quickly to shape after pressure	The springy mattress bounced under the children.
Stringy	Made of long tough fibers	The stringy meat needed hours of cooking.

Sound. Sound words name pitch and volume: shrill and squeaky are high, sonorous is deep, and soundless is silent.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Shrill	High-pitched and piercing	A shrill whistle ended the game.
Sonorous	Deep, rich and full in sound	The sonorous bell rang across the valley.
Soundless	Making no noise	The soundless snow covered the town overnight.
Squeaky	Making a high, sharp sound	The squeaky gate woke the neighbors.
Screechy	Harsh and high in sound	A screechy violin note startled the audience.
Squealing	Making a long high cry	The squealing brakes warned of the approaching train.
Sizzling	Making a hissing sound while frying	The sizzling pan filled the kitchen with noise.

Taste and smell. Salty, sugary and savory name flavors, while stinky and smelly name odors.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Salty	Containing or tasting of salt	The salty broth needed a little water.
Savory	Having a salty or spicy flavor rather than a sweet one	She served a savory pie with a flaky crust.
Sugary	Containing or tasting of sugar	The sugary cereal disappeared in minutes.
Stinky	Having a strong unpleasant smell	The stinky socks went straight to the wash.
Smelly	Giving off a strong unpleasant odor	The smelly cheese stayed in a sealed box.
Succulent	Juicy and tender	The succulent peach dripped down his hand.
Sweetish	Slightly sweet	The tea had a sweetish aftertaste.

Funny Adjectives Starting With S

Funny adjectives starting with S fit comic scenes and affectionate teasing. Slapstick names physical comedy, sassy and snarky name cheeky speech, and shambolic names comic chaos.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Sassy	Boldly cheeky and lively	The sassy parrot copied every joke.
Slapstick	Comedy based on clumsy physical action	The film’s slapstick chase ended in a pie fight.
Slaphappy	Giddy and carefree	The slaphappy crew laughed through the whole shift.
Screwy	Odd and illogical	The screwy plot made no sense but everyone laughed.
Squishy	Soft, wet and easily squeezed	The squishy toy squeaked in the toddler’s hand.
Squiggly	Marked by short wavy lines	He drew a squiggly line across the page.
Sneezy	Prone to sneezing	The sneezy puppy filled the room with tiny sneezes.
Snarky	Sharply sarcastic and mocking	Her snarky reply made the whole team laugh.
Spunky	Brave, spirited and determined	The spunky kitten chased a dog twice its size.
Scatty	Forgetful and disorganized (British)	My scatty brother lost his keys again.
Sloppy	Careless and messy	The sloppy painter splashed green on the ceiling.
Shambolic	Chaotic and disorderly	The shambolic rehearsal ended with a fallen curtain.
Sappy	Overly sentimental	He wrote a sappy poem about his goldfish.
Scruffy	Untidy and shabby in appearance	A scruffy terrier trotted into the shop.
Sidesplitting	Causing violent laughter	The sidesplitting story left everyone in tears.

S Words To Describe Someone

S words to describe someone cover character, appearance and emotion. Character words name lasting traits, appearance words name the body, and emotion words name a state that passes.

Personality Traits That Start With S

Personality adjectives that start with S name lasting traits. Stoic, studious and self-disciplined are admired traits, while sulky, stingy and snobbish are criticized.

Sensible and sensitive look alike but differ in meaning. Sensible means guided by good judgment, and sensitive means quick to feel emotion.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Selfish	Caring only about one’s own needs	The selfish player never passed the ball.
Sensitive	Quick to feel and respond to emotion	A sensitive child, she cried at sad songs.
Shrewd	Sharp and practical in judgment	The shrewd trader spotted the bargain first.
Sly	Clever in a secretive or deceptive way	The sly fox slipped past the sleeping dog.
Snobbish	Looking down on people seen as inferior	The snobbish clerk ignored customers in old coats.
Sulky	Silent and resentful	A sulky teenager stared out of the car window.
Sullen	Bad-tempered and silent	The sullen guard refused to answer.
Stubborn	Refusing to change one’s mind	The stubborn mule would not cross the bridge.
Stoic	Enduring pain or hardship without complaint	The stoic farmer repaired the roof in the rain.
Sentimental	Guided by tender feelings and memories	My sentimental aunt keeps every birthday card.
Sarcastic	Using bitter irony to mock	His sarcastic remark about the weather drew groans.
Stingy	Unwilling to spend or give	The stingy host served one cracker per guest.
Shameless	Showing no embarrassment about bad behavior	The shameless thief returned to the same shop.
Sheepish	Embarrassed by awareness of a fault	He gave a sheepish grin after tripping.
Sneaky	Acting in a secret and dishonest way	The sneaky cat stole a slice of ham.
Spoiled	Harmed in character by too much indulgence	The spoiled prince demanded a new toy every hour.
Spiteful	Motivated by a wish to hurt others	A spiteful note appeared on the notice board.
Studious	Devoted to study and careful reading	The studious boy spent every Saturday in the library.
Solitary	Living or staying alone	A solitary hiker crossed the ridge.
Secretive	Inclined to hide thoughts and plans from others	The secretive neighbor never mentioned his plans.
Spendthrift	Spending money wastefully	A spendthrift heir emptied the account in a year.
Self-confident	Trusting in one’s own abilities	The self-confident speaker walked on stage without notes.
Self-disciplined	Able to control oneself and keep to a plan	The self-disciplined runner trained before dawn every day.
Soft-spoken	Speaking in a quiet, gentle voice	The soft-spoken librarian never raised her voice.
Strong-willed	Determined to do what one decides	The strong-willed girl finished the marathon at fourteen.

Physical Appearance Words That Start With S

Physical appearance words that start with S name build, skin and surface marks. Slim, skinny and scrawny describe thin frames at three levels of approval, and stocky describes a short, solid one.

Word	Meaning
Scrawny	Thin and bony
Skinny	Very thin
Stocky	Short and solidly built
Sallow	Having a pale yellowish skin tone
Scarred	Marked with scars
Shaggy	Covered with long rough hair
Spotted	Marked with spots
Striped	Marked with long bands of color
Speckled	Marked with small dots
Sunburned	Red and sore from too much sun
Suntanned	Brown from sunshine
Swarthy	Having a dark skin tone
Stubbled	Covered with short unshaved hair
Slim	Gracefully thin
Spiky	Having stiff sharp points

Emotions and Feelings Words That Start With S

Emotion words that start with S name fear and shock (scared, startled, stunned) and sadness or calm (sorrowful, solemn, somber). Somber is the American spelling and sombre is the British one.

Word	Meaning
Scared	Frightened
Shaken	Disturbed and upset by a shock
Shocked	Stunned by something unexpected and upsetting
Smitten	Strongly attracted to someone
Sorrowful	Full of sadness
Surprised	Astonished by something unexpected
Satisfied	Content because a need has been met
Startled	Suddenly frightened or surprised
Stressed	Tense from pressure
Stunned	So shocked that reaction is impossible
Spooked	Suddenly scared
Smug	Pleased with oneself in an annoying way
Solemn	Serious and dignified
Somber	Dark and gloomy in mood
Skittish	Nervous and easily frightened

Negative Words Starting With S

Negative words starting with S signal criticism, disgust or warning. Scathing and snide describe speech, shoddy and substandard describe quality, and sinister and sordid describe motives.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Savage	Fierce, brutal and uncontrolled	A savage storm tore the roof off the barn.
Scandalous	Shocking and morally offensive	The newspaper printed a scandalous story about the mayor.
Scathing	Bitterly critical	The review was scathing from the first line.
Sleazy	Dishonest and morally low	The sleazy agent pocketed half the fee.
Shoddy	Poorly made or done	The shoddy repair collapsed in a week.
Shabby	Worn out and in poor condition	The shabby coat hung in the hallway.
Sinister	Suggesting evil or harm	A sinister silence settled over the house.
Sickening	Causing disgust or nausea	The sickening smell drifted from the drain.
Slovenly	Untidy and careless	His slovenly room smelled of old pizza.
Sluggish	Slow and lacking energy	The sluggish engine struggled up the hill.
Snide	Mocking in a sly, unkind way	She made a snide remark about his shoes.
Squalid	Dirty and unpleasant from neglect	The squalid shed was full of rats.
Sordid	Dishonest, immoral or filthy	Reporters uncovered a sordid scheme.
Stale	No longer fresh	The stale bread went to the birds.
Stagnant	Not moving or flowing, and unhealthy for that reason	Mosquitoes bred in the stagnant pond.
Stifling	So hot or airless that breathing is hard	The stifling attic made the afternoon unbearable.
Stilted	Stiff and unnatural in manner	His stilted greeting ended the conversation.
Stodgy	Dull, heavy and old-fashioned	The stodgy lecture put half the class to sleep.
Sullied	Made dirty or dishonored	The scandal sullied the senator’s name.
Substandard	Below the expected quality	Inspectors rejected the substandard wiring.
Suffocating	Making breathing difficult; oppressive	The suffocating crowd pressed toward the gate.
Spineless	Lacking courage and strength of character	The spineless manager never defended his team.
Shiftless	Lazy and without ambition	The shiftless cousin slept until noon.
Sinful	Morally wrong according to religious law	The preacher warned against sinful pride.
Sketchy	Poorly outlined; of doubtful safety or honesty	The sketchy alley made her hurry.

Neutral Adjectives That Start With S

Neutral adjectives that start with S state a fact without praise or blame, as in seasonal, solar and stationary. Technical and academic writing use them.

Word	Meaning	Sentence
Seasonal	Occurring at a particular time of year	The shop hires seasonal workers in December.
Secondary	Ranking below the primary	The secondary road carries less traffic.
Sedentary	Spending much time sitting	A sedentary job gives few chances to move.
Solar	Relating to the sun	Solar panels cover the barn roof.
Spatial	Relating to space and the position of objects	The architect has strong spatial skills.
Statistical	Relating to numerical data	The report offered a statistical comparison of schools.
Stationary	Not moving	The stationary bus blocked the lane.
Structural	Relating to the way a building or system is built	Engineers found structural damage in the beams.
Suburban	Relating to residential districts outside a city center	They moved to a suburban street with big yards.
Subsequent	Coming after in time	Subsequent visits went smoothly.
Successive	Following one after another	She won three successive titles.
Supplementary	Added to complete or improve	Students received supplementary reading.
Surgical	Relating to surgery	The surgical team prepared the room.
Symbolic	Serving as a sign or representation	The dove is a symbolic image of peace.
Scientific	Based on systematic study of nature	The lab published a scientific paper on soil.

Professional Adjectives Starting With S For Resumes

Resumes need adjectives tied to results. Skilled, strategic and systematic describe how work is done, and self-motivated and self-directed describe how it is started. A measured result strengthens each adjective, as in a strategic planner who cut shipping costs by 12 percent.

Word	Meaning
Skilled	Trained and able to perform a task well
Strategic	Planned to achieve a long-term aim
Systematic	Carried out according to a fixed method
Scrupulous	Careful about doing what is right and accurate
Self-motivated	Driven by one’s own initiative
Self-directed	Managing one’s own work without supervision
Supervisory	Relating to overseeing others
Secretarial	Relating to office administration
Salaried	Paid a fixed regular wage
Self-employed	Working for oneself rather than an employer
Specialized	Trained or designed for a particular purpose
Sustainable	Able to continue without exhausting resources
Seasoned	Experienced through long practice
Streamlined	Organized for efficiency with unneeded steps removed
Structured	Organized according to a set plan

Adjectives That Start With S For Kids

Kids meet adjectives that start with S through the senses and the weather: snowy, sandy, soggy and sleepy. Spooky and scary suit stories, and speedy suits races and games.

Word	Meaning
Scary	Frightening
Sleepy	Ready for sleep
Snowy	Covered with or full of snow
Sandy	Covered with sand
Soggy	Wet and heavy
Spooky	Frightening in an eerie way
Speedy	Fast
Soapy	Full of soap
Snuggly	Soft and cozy to hold
Sweaty	Wet with perspiration
Stripy	Marked with stripes
Stormy	Marked by strong wind, rain or thunder
Shaky	Trembling or unsteady
Shivery	Trembling from cold or fear
Silvery	Shining like silver

Example Sentences With S Adjectives

An S adjective comes before the noun it modifies (a sacred mountain) or after a linking verb (the mountain is sacred).

Word	Sentence
Sacred	The villagers treat the mountain as sacred ground.
Salient	The most salient fact in the report was the drop in sales.
Sanitary	Clinics must maintain sanitary conditions.
Sardonic	His sardonic smile told her the joke was aimed at her.
Sartorial	The prince was famous for his sartorial elegance.
Scant	The scant rainfall left the fields brown.
Scarce	Fresh water was scarce on the island.
Scenic	They took the scenic route along the coast.
Scornful	She gave a scornful laugh at the idea.
Seamless	The editor made a seamless transition between scenes.
Secluded	They found a secluded beach north of town.
Sedate	The sedate pace of the village suited her.
Seductive	The seductive aroma of coffee filled the street.
Selective	The college is selective about its entrants.
Sensory	The museum built a sensory room for young children.
Sentient	The novel imagines a sentient robot.
Sequential	The lessons follow a sequential order.
Serendipitous	Their serendipitous meeting led to a lifelong friendship.
Serrated	He cut the loaf with a serrated knife.
Serviceable	The old truck remains serviceable after twenty years.
Settled	The settled weather lasted all week.
Shaded	They ate lunch on a shaded porch.
Shimmery	She wore a shimmery scarf.
Shortsighted	Cutting the training budget was a shortsighted choice.
Simultaneous	The interpreter gave a simultaneous translation.
Singular	The garden was a singular achievement.
Sinuous	A sinuous path wound through the dunes.
Skeptical	The editor was skeptical of the claim.
Skimpy	The skimpy blanket left his feet bare.
Sleeveless	She wore a sleeveless dress in the heat.
Sloping	The sloping roof shed the snow quickly.
Snowbound	The snowbound village waited three days for the plow.
Sober	After the party he stayed sober and drove everyone home.
Sodden	Her sodden boots left prints on the floor.
Sparse	The sparse crowd clapped politely.
Spacious	The spacious loft fit a piano and two sofas.
Speculative	The speculative report offered no evidence.
Spellbinding	The storyteller gave a spellbinding performance.
Spurious	The spurious claim was soon exposed.
Squeamish	He is squeamish about needles.
Stately	A stately oak shaded the courtyard.
Steamy	The steamy bathroom fogged every mirror.
Sterile	Nurses opened the sterile packet.
Sterling	The pilot had a sterling record of safe flights.
Stimulating	The stimulating debate kept the class awake.
Superficial	The superficial cut healed in a few days.
Superfluous	He deleted every superfluous word.
Supple	The supple leather bent without cracking.
Surly	The surly waiter slammed the plates down.
Surreptitious	She cast a surreptitious glance at the clock.

Creative writing. In fiction, a specific S adjective outperforms a general one. Sinister replaces scary, sodden replaces wet, and sparse replaces empty.

❌ The house was scary.

✅ The sinister house leaned over the road.

Spelling. American English writes skeptical, savory and somber, and British English writes sceptical, savoury and sombre.

Adjectives That Start With S By Second Letter

Self-, semi-, sub-, super- and sun- generate long runs of S compounds.

Adjectives Beginning With Sa

Sa adjectives include religious terms such as sacrosanct and sacrilegious and mood terms such as sanguine and saturnine. Formal choices such as salutary and salubrious describe health and benefit.


Sabbatical	Sable	Saccharine
Sacked	Sacramental	Sacrificial
Sacrilegious	Sacrosanct	Saddening
Saddled	Sadistic	Sagacious
Sage	Sagging	Sainted
Saintly	Salable	Salacious
Saleable	Saline	Salmon
Salt-and-pepper	Salted	Salubrious
Salutary	Samey	Sanctimonious
Sane	Sanguinary	Sanguine
Sanitized	Sapient	Sapless
Sapphire	Satiate	Satiated
Satiric	Satirical	Saturated
Saturnine	Satyrical	Saucy

Adjectives Beginning With Sc

Sc adjectives include color and texture words such as scarlet, scabby and scraggly. Many are verbs turned into adjectives, such as scorched, scrambled and scribbled.


Scabby	Scabrous	Scalable
Scaled	Scandalized	Scanty
Scarlet	Scatterbrained	Scattered
Scattershot	Scented	Scentless
Scheduled	Schematic	Scheming
Schismatic	Schmaltzy	Scholastic
Scorched	Scorching	Scoreless
Scorned	Scoured	Scowling
Scraggly	Scraggy	Scrambled
Scrappy	Screaming	Scribbled
Scripted	Scriptural	Scrub
Scrubbed	Scrubby	Sculpted
Sculptural	Sculptured	Scummy
Scurrilous	Scuzzy

Adjectives Beginning With Se

Se adjectives include dozens of self- compounds such as self-reliant and self-conscious. Sea- words such as seaworthy and seafaring form a second group.


Sea-green	Seaborne	Seafaring
Seagoing	Sealed	Seamy
Searching	Seared	Searing
Seasick	Seasonable	Seated
Seaward	Seaworthy	Second-best
Second-class	Second-rate	Secondhand
Sectarian	Sectional	Secular
Secured	Sedative	Sedimentary
Seditious	Sedulous	Seeded
Seedless	Seedy	Seemly
Seething	Segmented	Segregated
Seismic	Select	Selected
Self-absorbed	Self-aggrandizing	Self-assertive
Self-assured	Self-aware	Self-centered
Self-confessed	Self-conscious	Self-contained
Self-critical	Self-defeating	Self-destructive
Self-effacing	Self-evident	Self-explanatory
Self-governing	Self-indulgent	Self-loathing
Self-made	Self-pitying	Self-possessed
Self-promoting	Self-reliant	Self-respecting
Self-righteous	Self-sacrificing	Self-satisfied
Self-seeking	Self-service	Self-serving
Self-styled	Self-sufficient	Self-sustaining
Self-taught	Self-willed	Selfsame
Sellable	Semantic	Semiautomatic
Semicircular	Semiformal	Semiprecious
Semiprivate	Semiskilled	Semisolid
Semisweet	Senatorial	Senescent
Senile	Sensate	Senseless
Sensual	Sensuous	Sententious
Separable	Separatist	Sepulchral
Sequestered	Sequined	Seraphic
Serial	Seriocomic	Serpentine
Serried	Servile	Sesquipedalian
Sessile	Severable

Adjectives Beginning With Sh

Word	Meaning
Shadowy	Dark and full of shadows
Shady	Sheltered from the sun; also dishonest
Shamed	Made to feel guilt or disgrace
Shameful	Deserving disgrace
Shapeless	Without a definite form
Shattered	Broken into pieces; also exhausted
Sheer	Pure and complete; also very thin
Sheltered	Protected from weather or danger
Shifty	Appearing dishonest and evasive
Shipshape	Neat and in good order
Shirty	Annoyed and bad-tempered (British)
Shocking	Causing intense disgust or surprise
Shoeless	Wearing no shoes
Shrunken	Reduced in size
Showy	Attracting attention by bright display

Rarer Sh adjectives include shamefaced, shopworn and the sharp- compounds sharp-eyed and sharp-witted.


Shackled	Sham	Shamanistic
Shamefaced	Shaped	Sharp-edged
Sharp-eyed	Sharp-tongued	Sharp-witted
Shattering	Shatterproof	Shaved
Shell-shocked	Shielded	Shifting
Shipwrecked	Shirtless	Shivering
Shockable	Shopworn	Short-handed
Short-lived	Short-staffed	Short-tempered
Short-term	Shortened	Shortish
Showery	Shredded	Shrewish
Shrimpy	Shriveled	Shrubby

Adjectives Beginning With Si

Si adjectives include formal terms such as sibilant and sidereal. Plain descriptions such as sickly, silver and sizeable appear alongside them.


Sibilant	Sibylline	Sickly
Sidereal	Sideways	Sightless
Sightly	Signal	Signed
Significant	Silenced	Silty
Silvan	Silver	Silver-tongued
Simian	Simmering	Simplified
Simplistic	Simulated	Sinewy
Singable	Singed	Singing
Single-handed	Single-minded	Sinking
Sinuate	Sisterly	Sisyphean
Situated	Sizeable	Sized

Adjectives Beginning With Sk and Sl

Sk adjectives are few and describe the body or a surface, as in skeletal and skintight. Sl adjectives include slack, slight and slippy, along with lazy or careless words such as slothful and slipshod.


Skeletal	Skew	Skewed
Skillful	Skin-deep	Skinless
Skint	Skintight	Sky-high
Skyward	Slack	Slanderous
Slangy	Slanted	Slapdash
Slashed	Slatternly	Slaty
Slavish	Sleep-deprived	Sleeping
Sleepless	Sleety	Sliced
Slight	Slinky	Slippy
Slipshod	Slithery	Sloped
Slothful	Slouchy	Slow-moving
Slow-witted	Slowed	Slushy

Adjectives Beginning With Sm and Sn

Sm adjectives describe air and surfaces, as in smoggy, smoky and smooth. Sn adjectives mostly describe attitude, as in snooty, snappish and sneering.


Small-minded	Small-scale	Small-time
Smaller	Smallish	Smarmy
Smeared	Smoggy	Smoked
Smokeless	Smoking	Smoky
Smoldering	Smooth	Smooth-talking
Smudgy	Smutty	Snakelike
Snaky	Snappish	Snappy
Snarly	Sneering	Sniffly
Sniffy	Sniveling	Snobby
Snoopy	Snooty	Snotty
Snow-capped	Snow-covered	Snow-white

Adjectives Beginning With So

So adjectives include direction words such as southern and southward and social-science terms such as societal and sociological. Somnolent and sorry add mood words.


So-called	So-so	Soaked
Soaring	Socialist	Socialistic
Societal	Socioeconomic	Sociological
Soft-boiled	Softened	Soiled
Soldierly	Sole	Solicitous
Soluble	Solvable	Solvent
Somnolent	Sonic	Sooty
Sophistical	Sophisticated	Soporific
Soppy	Sorcerous	Sore
Sorry	Soul-destroying	Soul-searching
Soulless	Sound	Soundproof
Soupy	Soured	South
Southbound	Southeast	Southeastern
Southerly	Southern	Southward
Southwest	Southwestern	Sozzled

Adjectives Beginning With Sp

Sp adjectives include spartan, spiritual and sporadic, along with the vivid compounds spine-chilling and spine-tingling.


Spacey	Spanking	Spare
Sparing	Spartan	Spasmodic
Spayed	Speaking	Specific
Specious	Specked	Spectacled
Spectral	Specular	Speechless
Spellbound	Spent	Spick-and-span
Spidery	Spiked	Spinal
Spine-chilling	Spine-tingling	Spinning
Spiny	Spiral	Spiritless
Spiritual	Splashy	Splendiferous
Splenetic	Split	Split-second
Splotchy	Spoken	Sporadic
Sporting	Sportive	Sportsmanlike
Sporty	Spotlit	Spotty
Spousal	Sprawling	Spread
Springlike	Spry

Adjectives Beginning With Sq and St

Sq adjectives are few: square, squally and squinty. St adjectives spread from everyday words such as steep and stiff to formal ones such as stygian and stolid.


Squally	Square	Squared
Squashy	Squatty	Squeaking
Squiffy	Squint	Squinty
Stabbing	Stabilized	Staccato
Stacked	Stagey	Staggering
Stagy	Staid	Stained
Stainless	Stand-alone	Standard
Standardized	Standoffish	Staple
Star-crossed	Star-studded	Starboard
Starchy	Stark	Starkers
Starless	Starlike	Starlit
Starred	Starry	Starry-eyed
Starstruck	Startling	Starved
Starving	State-of-the-art	Stateless
Statesmanlike	Statewide	Static
Statutory	Stealthy	Steamed
Steely	Steep	Steerable
Stemless	Stereotypical	Sterilized
Stern	Stewed	Stiff
Stiff-necked	Stillborn	Stimulated
Stimulative	Stinging	Stingless
Stinking	Stitched	Stocked
Stockinged	Stoical	Stolen
Stolid	Stone-cold	Stony
Storied	Stormproof	Stouthearted
Straggling	Straggly	Straight
Straight-faced	Straightaway	Straightforward
Straitlaced	Stranded	Strapless
Stray	Streaky	Streetwise
Stress-free	Stressful	Stretchable
Stretched	Stretchy	Stricken
Strident	Stripped	Strong-minded
Stroppy	Stubbly	Stuck
Stuck-up	Studded	Studied
Stuffed	Stuffy	Stumpy
Stunted	Stupefied	Stupefying
Stygian	Stylistic

Adjectives Beginning With Su and Sv

Su adjectives open with the prefixes sub-, super- and sun-, as in subtle, superior and sun-drenched. Svelte is the one common Sv adjective.


Subatomic	Subconscious	Subdued
Subhuman	Subjective	Sublimated
Subliminal	Submarine	Submerged
Submersible	Submissive	Subnormal
Subordinate	Subordinating	Subpar
Subservient	Subsidiary	Subsidized
Subsonic	Substantial	Substantive
Subsurface	Subterranean	Subtle
Subtractive	Subtropical	Subversive
Succeeding	Succinct	Sudsy
Suffering	Sufficient	Sugar-coated
Sugared	Sugarless	Suggestible
Suggestive	Suited	Sultry
Summary	Summative	Summery
Sun-bleached	Sun-drenched	Sun-kissed
Sunbaked	Sundried	Sundry
Sunken	Sunless	Superabundant
Superannuated	Supercilious	Supererogatory
Superfine	Superimposed	Superior
Superlative	Supernatural	Supersensitive
Supersized	Supersonic	Superstitious
Supervised	Supine	Supplemental
Suppliant	Supplicant	Supportable
Supported	Supporting	Supposed
Suppressive	Surefire	Surefooted
Surging	Surmountable	Surpassing
Surplus	Surprising	Surreal
Surrealistic	Surrogate	Surrounded
Surrounding	Surviving	Susceptible
Suspect	Suspected	Suspended
Suspenseful	Suspicious	Sustained

Adjectives Beginning With Sw and Sy

Sw adjectives include swift, swollen and swanky. Sy adjectives are mostly Greek in origin, as in symmetrical, synthetic and sycophantic.


Swampy	Swank	Swanky
Swart	Sweet-smelling	Sweetened
Sweltering	Swept	Swift
Swimming	Swingeing	Swinging
Swingy	Swinish	Swirling
Swish	Swishy	Swollen
Sworn	Sybaritic	Sycophantic
Syllabic	Syllogistic	Sylvan
Symbolical	Symmetric	Symmetrical
Symphonic	Symptomatic	Synchronic
Synchronized	Synchronous	Syncopated
Syncretic	Synergetic	Synergistic
Synonymous	Synoptic	Syntactic
Syntactical	Synthetic	Syrupy
Systemic

FAQs

Q1. What are some adjectives that start with S?

Common adjectives that start with S include small, strong, sweet, sad, safe and smart. Formal choices include sagacious, salient and sardonic. Each one modifies a noun, as in a sweet apple or a sardonic smile.

Q2. What is an adjective that starts with S?

An adjective that starts with S is a word such as sunny or sturdy that begins with the letter S and modifies a noun or pronoun. Sunny modifies day in a sunny day, and sturdy modifies ladder in a sturdy ladder.

Q3. What adjectives that start with S describe a person?

Selfless, sincere, sociable and sensible describe admirable people, and selfish, sulky and snobbish describe flaws. Slender, stocky and skinny describe build, and shy and smart describe temperament and mind.

Q4. What are positive adjectives that start with S?

Stellar, splendid, superb, successful and supportive are positive adjectives that start with S. Sincere, serene and sensational add praise for character, calm and excitement.

Q5. What are negative adjectives that start with S?

Savage, shoddy, sinister, sleazy and sluggish are negative adjectives that start with S. Scathing and snide describe unkind speech, and stale and squalid describe poor condition.

Q6. What adjectives start with S and end in Y?

Sunny, snowy, sleepy, spicy, silly, sticky, sandy and shy start with S and end in Y. Scary, spooky and speedy belong to the same group.

Q7. What adjectives start with S and end in E?

Safe, sane, secure, severe, sparse, sure and stable start with S and end in E. Serene, sublime, suave and supreme end in E as well and carry a more formal tone.

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Adjectives That Start With S: Meanings and Sentences

S Letter Adjectives With Meanings and Examples