110+ Adjectives That Start With C To Enrich Your Vocabulary

By Tony Ashley

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Suppose you were asked to list adjectives starting with C in just 60 seconds; how many could you name? 10? 15? Or maybe even fewer? If you’re having trouble, don’t worry! We’ve got a huge list to help you win any word game.

110+ Adjectives Beginning With C: A Complete List

Adjectives That Start With C

Describing words that start with the letter C is actually easier than you think since adjectives can be grouped into categories like people, weather, characteristics, materials, and more. Let’s have a closer look:

1. Descriptive Adjectives

Role: to provide basic descriptions of the noun, such as its appearance, color, size, or shape.

WordPronunciationMeaning
curly/ˈkɜːrli/having curls or a curved shape
chubby/ˈtʃʌbi/slightly overweight and plump
crimson/ˈkrɪm.zən/a deep red color
circular/ˈsɜːrkjʊlər/having the shape of a circle
clear/klɪər/easy to perceive or see through
chunky/ˈtʃʌŋ.ki/bulky and solid
compact/ˈkɒmpækt/small, efficient in size or design
compact (2)/ˈkɒmpækt/dense and tightly packed
cobalt/ˈkoʊ.bɔːlt/a deep blue color
cylindrical/səˈlɪndrɪkəl/having the shape of a cylinder
creamy/ˈkriːmi/smooth, pale in color or texture
cumbersome/ˈkʌmbəsəm/large, heavy/ difficult to handle
conical/ˈkɒnɪkəl/shaped like a cone
crooked/ˈkrʊkɪd/bent or twisted out of shape
coarse/kɔːrs/rough or loose in texture
clean-cut/ˈkliːnˌkʌt/neatly and sharply defined

2. Material Adjectives

Role: to describe the substance or material that a noun is made of.

WordPronunciationMeaning
cardboard/ˈkɑːrdˌbɔːrd/made of stiff paper material
ceramic/səˈræmɪk/made of clay and hardened by heat
clay/kleɪ/made of a natural earthy material 
concrete/ˈkɒŋkriːt/made of sand, gravel, cement, water
cotton/ˈkɒtən/made of a soft fibrous substance
crystal/ˈkrɪstl/made of clear, transparent mineral 
copper/ˈkɒpər/made of a reddish-brown metal
carbon/ˈkɑːrbən/made of a nonmetallic element 
canvas/ˈkænvəs/made of a strong, heavy cloth
cashmere/ˈkæʒmɪər/made of a fine, soft wool
chrome/kroʊm/made of a shiny metallic element
cellophane/ˈsɛləˌfeɪn/made of a thin material
charcoal/ˈtʃɑːrˌkoʊl/made of a carbon-rich material
card/kɑrd/made of thick, stiff paper 
chalk/tʃɔːk/made of a soft, white limestone
corduroy/ˈkɔːrdərɔɪ/made of a durable, ribbed fabric
cast-iron/ˈkæstˈaɪərn/made of melted, molded iron 

3. Personality/Character Adjectives

Role: to describe a person’s personality traits and characteristics, which can be positive adjectives or negative adjectives.

WordPronunciationMeaning
calm/kɑːm/peaceful, free from disturbance
caring/ˈkɛərɪŋ/displaying kindness for others
charismatic/ˌkærɪzˈmætɪk/exercising a compelling charm 
charming/ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/pleasant and attractive
cheerful/ˈtʃɪərfəl/happy and optimistic
clever/ˈklɛvər/quick to understand or learn
compassionate/kəmˈpæʃənət/showing sympathy and concern 
confident/ˈkɒnfɪdənt/feeling or showing certainty
considerate/kənˈsɪdərɪt/showing regard for others
courageous/kəˈreɪdʒəs/not deterred by danger; brave
courteous/ˈkɜːtiəs/polite and respectful
cynical/ˈsɪnɪkəl/distrustful of human sincerity 
critical/ˈkrɪtɪkəl/expressing judgments
cruel/ˈkruːəl/willfully causing pain to others
complacent/kəmˈpleɪsənt/smugly satisfied with oneself 
controlling/kənˈtroʊlɪŋ/inclined to control others
conscientious/ˌkɒnʃɪˈɛnʃəs/wishing to do one’s work well 
cooperative/koʊˈɒpərətɪv/working well with others
calculating/ˈkælkjʊleɪtɪŋ/scheming about something

4. Opinion Adjectives

Role: to express subjective judgments/opinions or personal views about someone or something

WordPronunciationMeaning
captivating/ˈkæptɪˌveɪtɪŋ/attracting and holding interest
charming/ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/pleasant and attractive
clever/ˈklɛvər/showing intelligence
commendable/kəˈmɛndəbl/deserving praise
confusing/kənˈfjuːzɪŋ/hard to understand
controversial/ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːrʃəl/giving rise to disagreement
credible/ˈkrɛdɪbl/able to be believed; convincing
cringeworthy/ˈkrɪndʒˌwɜːrði/causing embarrassment
competent/ˈkɒmpɪtənt/having the necessary skills
convincing/kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/persuasive or believable
contemptible/kənˈtɛmptɪbl/deserving contempt; despicable
clueless/ˈkluːləs/having no knowledge
curious/ˈkjʊəriəs/eager to know more
creative/kriˈeɪtɪv/relating to an original idea
cultured/ˈkʌltʃərd/characterized by refined taste 

5. Weather Adjectives

Role: to describe the weather conditions and the state of the atmosphere.

WordPronunciationMeaning
calm/kɑːm/without wind or storm
chilly/ˈtʃɪli/unpleasantly cold
cloudy/ˈklaʊdi/covered with clouds
clear/klɪər/free of clouds or mist
cold/koʊld/of or at a low temperature
crisp/krɪsp/cool, fresh, and invigorating
cool/kuːl/neither warm nor cold
cyclonic/saɪˈklɒnɪk/relating to a cyclone

6. Condition Adjectives

Role: to describe the state or condition of nouns, indicating whether something is in good or bad shape, healthy or unhealthy, functional or broken.

WordPronunciationMeaning
clean/kliːn/free from dirt or stains
clear/klɪər/free from obstruction
clogged/klɒɡd/blocked with something
closed/kloʊzd/not open
cluttered/ˈklʌtərd/crowded and untidy
collapsed/kəˈlæpst/fallen down or given way
cold/koʊld/at a low temperature
comfortable/ˈkʌmftərbəl/at ease 
contaminated/kənˈtæmɪneɪtɪd/having been made impure 
cracked/krækt/having splits on its surface
crowded/ˈkraʊdɪd/packed, full of people
crushed/krʌʃt/deformed or pulverized
crumbling/ˈkrʌmblɪŋ/breaking or falling apart 
corroded/kəˈroʊdɪd/destroyed or weakened 
compressed/kəmˈprɛst/flattened by pressure
curdled/ˈkɜːrdəld/thickened and separated into liquids and solids

7. Quantitative Adjectives

Role: to indicate the quantity or number of nouns, specifying how many or how much of something there is.

WordPronunciationMeaning
couple/ˈkʌpəl/two of something
countless/ˈkaʊntləs/too many to be counted
considerable/kənˈsɪdərəbl/large in amount
copious/ˈkoʊpiəs/abundant in supply 
complete/kəmˈpliːt/having all parts; whole
countable/ˈkaʊntəbl/not infinite; can be counted

8. Proper Adjectives (derived from proper nouns)

Role: to describe something related to a specific name or title.

WordPronunciationMeaning
Canadian/kəˈneɪdiən/relating to Canada or its people
Celtic/ˈkɛltɪk/ relating to the Celts or their languages
Chinese/ˈtʃaɪˌniːz/relating to China or its people or language
Colombian/kəˈlʌmbiən/relating to Colombia or its people
Cuban/ˈkjuːbən/relating to Cuba or its people
Californian/ˌkælɪˈfɔːrniən/relating to California or its people
Chilean/ˈtʃɪliən/relating to Chile or its people
Czech/tʃɛk/relating to the Czech Republic or its people
Cypriot/ˈsɪpriət/relating to Cyprus or its people
Cambodian/kæmˈboʊdiən/relating to Cambodia or its people
Congolese/ˌkɒŋɡəˈliːz/relating to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its people
Croatian/kroʊˈeɪʃən/relating to Croatia or its people
Costa Rican/ˌkɒstə ˈriːkən/relating to Costa Rica or its people
Cambodian/kæmˈboʊdiən/relating to Cambodia or its people
Catalan/ˈkætəlæn/relating to Catalonia, its people, or their language

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Conclusion

This article has listed some popular adjectives that start with a C. We’ve only scratched the surface — there are many more adjectives out there — but 110+ options should be more than enough to give you a good start for any English grammar or vocabulary game.

If you need more help with this list of adjectives, feel free to reach out to us.


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