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Adjectives ending in ED
and ING
English Grammar Notes

There are many adjectives that we have in English that end

in -ED or -ING.
Yes, that's correct, they are not only endings that we use for
verbs!

An adjective that ends in -ING is used to describe: the

characteristic of a person, a thing or a situation.

An adjective that ends in -ED is used to describe: a feeling

(or how a person feels) or an emotion. It is used to describe
a temporary thing. Since only people (and some animals)
have feelings, -ed adjectives cannot be used to describe an
object or situation.

Compare the difference:

My girlfriend is bored. - (My girlfriend feels bored)

My girlfriend is boring. - (My girlfriend is a boring
person)

You can use these adjectives to describe people or

situations but be careful that you are using the correct
adjective. For example, there is a big difference in meaning
between:

I am confused. - (I don't understand something)

I am confusing. - (I will cause you to be confused)

Note that the sentences below are to highlight the difference

between the two types of adjectives. They are NOT
common to do or say because they sound repetitive.

I was shocked by how shocking the accident was last

night.
They were frightened by the frightening roller-coaster
ride!
I am annoyed by how annoying that person in front of
us is.
Sally was confused by the confusing street signs in the
city.

Example sentences of adjectives

ending in -ED and -ING
This grammar lesson is boring. I am bored reading all
about these grammar rules.
I am tired right now. My flight was tiring (because it was
a twelve-hour flight).
Public toilets are usually disgusting. I am disgusted by
the smell in some of them.
Your speech was very inspiring. I am now inspired to
do wonderful things with my life.

Also see our article about the Pronunciation of words ending

in -ED.

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List of Adjectives ending in -ED and -

ING
There is quite a long list of adjectives ending in -ED and -
ING in English, and most of them are based on a verb that
can be changed into an adjective by adding either -ED or -
ING.

Some of the more common ones include:

Alarmed - Alarming
Aggravated - Aggravating
Amused - Amusing
Annoyed - Annoying
Astonished - Astonishing
Astounded - Astounding
Bored - Boring
Captivated - Captivating
Challenged - Challenging
Charmed - Charming
Comforted - Comforting
Confused - Confusing
Convinced - Convincing
Depressed - Depressing
Disappointed - Disappointing
Discouraged - Discouraging
Disgusted - Disgusting
Distressed - Distressing
Disturbed - Disturbing
Embarrassed - Embarrassing
Encouraged - Encouraging
Entertained - Entertaining
Excited - Exciting
Exhausted - Exhausting
Fascinated - Fascinating
Frightened - Frightening
Frustrated - Frustrating
Fulfilled - Fulfilling
Gratified - Gratifying
Inspired - Inspiring
Insulted - Insulting
Interested - Interesting
Moved - Moving
Overwhelmed - Overwhelming
Perplexed - Perplexing
Pleased - Pleasing
Relaxed - Relaxing
Relieved - Relieving
Satisfied - Satisfying
Shocked - Shocking
Sickened - Sickening
Soothed - Soothing
Surprised - Surprising
Tempted - Tempting
Terrified - Terrifying
Threatened - Threatening
Thrilled - Thrilling
Tired - Tiring
Touched - Touching
Troubled - Troubling
Unsettled - Unsettling
Worried - Worrying

Next activity
Check out our interactive game to practice: Adjectives
ending in -ED and -ING

Check out our grammar notes about Compound Adjectives

which sometimes contain both adjectives and adverbs.

Exciting or Excited? English G…

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in -ED and -ING useful, let others know about it:

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Last Updated: 21 October 2022