+100 Adjectives Starting with S (Meaning & Example Sentences)

There are a lot of adjectives starting with the letter ‘s.’

This article will go over some of the more common adjectives that start with ‘s’ and their meanings.

Whether you’re looking for some S adjectives to praise a person nicely, choose the correct S adjective for a poem, or engage in a word game, we hope that you discover exactly what you need and that the perfect words will always be available to you!

List of Adjectives Beginning With Sa-Sk

Safe: not able to be harmed or injured, secure

Sad: feeling or showing unhappiness or sorrow

Saint: a very good person who is kind and helpful, a person that you respect because of their abilities as a spiritual leader

Salty: having the taste of salt

Sarcastic: having a sharp, bitter, and often scornful quality of irony or wit

Sassy: confident, energetic, and full of life

Satisfied: happy with what you have or have done

Savage: (of a person or their actions) fierce, violent, and uncontrolled

Scary: causing fear or horror; frightening

Scared: feeling fear or worry about something that might happen

Scolding: harshly critical or disapproving

Secretive: tending to keep secrets

Secure: not likely to be harmed or lost

Seductive: making someone have sexual feelings

See-through: allowing light to show through so that objects behind can be seen

Self-absorbed: too concerned with your own thoughts, feelings, and activities

Self-aggrandizing: trying to make yourself seem more important or powerful than you are

Self-assured: having a strong belief in your ability to do something

Self-centered: thinking only of yourself and your own needs

Self-critical: too critical of yourself

Self-conscious: aware of and worried about your own appearance, behavior, and the impression you are making on others

Self-confident: having a strong belief in your ability to do something

Self-directed: taking control of your own life and making your own decisions

Self-disciplined: able to control your own behavior

Self-effacing: not bragging about your own achievements

Self-financing: providing the money needed to finance something yourself

Self-fulfilling: causing itself to happen because of the expectations you have of it

Self-indulgent: taking too much pleasure in your own activities or possessions

Self-interested: thinking only of yourself and your own interests

Selfish: concerned for yourself, important to you rather than other people

Self-reliant: able to rely on yourself to do what needs to be done

Self-righteous: feeling that one is better, more moral, or more correct than others

Senseless: not able to think about things in a sensible way

Sensible: able to think about things in a calm and practical way

Sensitive: easily upset by criticism or offended; sensitive

Sensual: involving or providing pleasure through the senses

Sentimental: based on strong feelings rather than reason

Separate: distinctly different

Serene: calm and peaceful

Serious: important and not joking

Servile: too willing to do what other people want

Severe: very bad or serious

Sexy: sexually attractive or exciting

Shabby: in bad condition, shoddy, or untidy

Shady: not completely honest or fair

Shallow: not deep or serious; without much thought or meaning

Shameful: deserving or causing shame

Sharp: having an easily noticed, and unpleasant quality of being able to hurt somebody; having a very thin edge that is able to cut

Sharp-witted: clever and quick at understanding things

Sheer: very great or intense, used especially in the phrase ‘sheer pleasure.’

Shiny/shimmery: reflecting a lot of light and seeming to be wet or covered with a thin layer of water

Shocking: very surprising or shocking; making somebody feel very surprised and upset

Short: not long; not tall

Short-tempered: easily annoyed and quick to react angrily

Shrewd: clever and able to think quickly

Shy: not confident and not wanting to speak to people or be with people

Sickeningly Sweet: too sweet

Silly: not serious

Silent: not making any noise

Simple: not complicated or difficult to understand

Sincere: honest and showing a lot of feeling

Sinister: wicked or evil in a particularly malicious way

Skeletal: very thin

Skeptical: doubtful or distrustful of someone or something

Skillful: able to do something well because you have had a lot of training or experience

Skimpy: too little; short and revealing clothing

Skinny: very thin

List of Adjectives Beginning With Sl-Sz

Slapdash: done or made without much effort or thought; a mixture of things added together

Sleepy: feel like going to sleep

Slender: thin in an attractive way

Slick: smooth and shining

Slight: not big, strong, or heavy

Slim: thin and not having much flesh on your bones

Slimy: covered in a slippery substance

Slippery: hard to hold on to because it is smooth

Sloped: going down gradually

Sloping: like a slope

Sloppy: careless; too casual

Slothful: unwilling to work or be active

Slow: moving or happening slowly; taking a long time to do something because you are not able or willing to hurry

Slow-moving: moving slowly

Sluggish: slow, inactive, or dull

Slushy: wet and thick like slush

Sly: cunning and deceitful

Smart: intelligent, well-informed, and able to think quickly

Smelling: having the odour of something such as an animal, plant, or food

Small: not large or important

Smooth: (of a person’s skin, for example) free from roughness, bumps, or lines. It also means a very smart and polite way of speaking that is intended to avoid causing offense.

Smug: having or showing a feeling of self-satisfaction or superiority, especially when this is not justified

Sneaky: moving, acting, or done in a quiet and secret way

Snobbish: having or showing a dislike of people who are not considered to be as good as oneself

Snotty: rude, especially in an affected way

Sober: not drunk

Sociable: friendly and enjoying the company of others

Social: involving or concerned with society

Solemn: not happy or cheerful

Solicitous: eager to please someone by offering help, support, attention etc.

Solitary: alone and isolated from other people

Sorrowful: feeling or showing sorrow

Spacious: roomy and comfortable

Spectacular: extremely impressive

Spiritual: concerned with the spiritual or religious realm

Splendid: extremely good and impressive

Spontaneous: happening or done without planning or forethought

Sporty: given to competitive sports and physical activity

Spoiled: having been treated too well and not made to work or suffer

Spunky: lively and full of energy

Stable: not likely to change or be upset

Staggering: so impressive as to stun or overwhelm

Stalwart: loyal and reliable, especially in difficult times

Startling: very surprising, momentary shock

Static: not moving or changing

Stealthy: moving, acting, or done in a quiet and secret way

Stern: severe or strict in manner or appearance

Stingy: unwilling to spend money or give things away

Strict: demanding that something be done in a particular way

Strong: able to withstand great pressure or force

Stubborn: refusing to change an opinion or decision easily

Stylish: fashionable and trendy

List of Adjectives Beginning With Su-Sy

Surly: unfriendly and unwilling to talk politely with other people

Superficial: concerned with what is on the surface only and not with what is underneath

Superior: having a higher rank, status, or quality

Surprising: causing sudden great surprise or amazement

Sullen: angry and silent in a bad-tempered way

Suspicious: tending to suspect that something is the case without having proof; suspicious

Sweet: pleasing in nature or manner

Sympathetic: understanding and supporting someone who has problems or difficulties

Adjectives Starting With S to Describe a Person

Here are some adjectives starting with s that describe a person:

1. Sad
2. Safe
3. Sarcastic
4. Sassy
5. Scary
6. Secretive
7. Seductive
8. Self-righteous
9. Selfish
10. Senseless
11. Sensible
12. Sensitive
13. Sexy
14. Shallow
15. Short
16. Short-tempered
17. Shy
18. Sickeningly Sweet
19. Silly
20. Simple
21. Sinister
22. Skeletal
23. Skillful
24. Smooth
25. Snotty
26. Sociable
27. Solemn
28. Sorrowful
29. Spectacular
30. Spiritual
31. Spoiled
32. Spontaneous
33. Sporty
34. Stable
35. Staggering
36. Stalwart
37. Startling
38. Static
39. Stealthy
40. Stern
41. Stingy
42. Stubborn
43. Stylish
44. Subtle
45. Sullen
46. Superior
47. Surly
48. Surprising
49. Suspicious
50. Sweet
51. Sympathetic
52. Self-absorbed
53. Self-aggrandizing
54. Self-assured
55. Self-centered
56. Self-confident
57. Self-conscious
58. Self-critical
59. Self-directed
60. Self-disciplined
61. Self-effacing
62. Self-financing
63. Self-fulfilling
64. Self-indulgent
65. Self-interested
66. Self-reliant
67. Sleepy
68. Slender
69. Slick
70. Slight
71. Slim
72. Slimy
73. Slippery
74. Sloppy
75. Slothful
76. Slow
77. Slow-moving
78. Sluggish
79. Slushy
80. Sly

Positive Adjectives Starting With S

• Satisfied
• Secure
• Seductive
• Self-assured
• Self-conscious
• Sensible
• Sentimental
• Servile
• Sexy
• Shrewd
• Sincere
• Smart
• Smiling
• Smooth-talking
• Sociable
• Soothing
• Sophisticated
• Spacious
• Sparkling
• Spontaneous
• Spunky
• Successful
• Self-contented
• Self-controlled
• Selfless
• Skilled
• Skinny
• Sleepy
• Social
• Starry-eyed

Negative Adjectives Starting With S

• Sad
• Sarcastic
• Sassy
• Scared
• Scary
• Secretive
• Selfish
• Senseless
• Sensible
• Sensitive
• Shady
• Shallow
• Short-tempered
• Shy
• Sick
• Sickeningly sweet
• Silly
• Simple
• Sinister
• Skeletal
• Skeptical
• Skinny
• Skittish
• Slack
• Sloppy
• Slothful
• Slow
• Slow-moving
• Sluggish
• Sly
• Small-minded
• Smelly
• Smug
• Sneaky
• Snobbish
• Snooty
• Snotty
• Snug
• Soaked
• Somber
• Sour
• Spicy
• Spoiled
• Stern
• Stingy
• Stressed
• Stupid
• Subtle
• Suspicious

Example Sentences With S Adjectives

1. You are so self-conscious when you sing in front of people.
   
2. My aunt was always stingy with her money and never wanted to spend any of it.
   
3. He was very moody and sullen all day after having the argument with his girlfriend.
   
4. She was very surly with me when I asked her about the activities for the weekend.
   
5. She was so sick in the stomach that she couldn’t get out of bed.
   
6. He is a sly businessman who will say anything to make a sale.
   
7. After the argument, she was feeling very sour.
   
8. It was a sloppy mistake and he knew it.
   
9. The party was so successful that they are going to do it again next year.
   
10. She felt very secure in her new job.
    
11. The children were being very silly and running around the house.
    
12. I was stressed out about the presentation and couldn’t focus on anything else.
    
13. He is a very successful businessman.
    
14. The cat was so sluggish that it barely moved all day.
    
15. It was a very strong wind coming off of the ocean.
    
16. She was feeling too smug about her new car.
    
17. The house was so small that they had to share a room.
    
18. The meeting was so subtle that most people didn’t understand what was happening.
    
19. I have a sneaking suspicion that he is lying to me.
    
20. He is not very smart but he does well in life because of his shrewdness.
    
21. They finally became successful after years of hard work.
    
22. The child was so sensitive to the other children’s feelings.
    
23. She is one of the most sensible people I know.
    
24. I’m feeling so sentimental because Thanksgiving is next week.
    
25. He was so seductive that I couldn’t say no.
    
26. Being secretive is never a good idea because it often leads to problems.
    
27. The road is very steep and dangerous.
    
28. Her condition was so serious that she had to be rushed to the hospital right away.
    
29. He was feeling very spiritual and close to God.
    
30. All the Christmas presents spoiled the child.
    
31. My husband is so self-absorbed that he only thinks about himself.
    
32. He was feeling very self-centered and didn’t care about other people.

How to Pronounce the S Sound

The s sound is one of the most common consonants in English.

We often need to pronounce the ‘s’ sound:

• At the end of plural nouns
• For verbs in the third person
• For possessive words

The ‘s’ can be pronounced in different ways:

/ ɪz / Sound

The / ɪz / sound is pronounced like an extra syllable. 

/ ɪz / as in buses, races, ages, teaches (sounds like bus-iz, race-iz, age-iz, teach- iz)

/ s / Sound

If the last consonant in the word has one of the following voiceless sounds (p, k, t, f, th),, the plural should sound like / s /.

/ s / as in stop, sleep, books, walks, cups, hats, cliffs, months

/ z / Sound

If the last letter makes a voiced consonant sound, then we produce a / z / sound. This sounds similar to a bee making the zzzzz sound.

/ z / as in crabs, plays, boys, wears, sings, cards, runs, pens

In Conclusion

Adjectives are words that describe qualities about people or things. These adjectives starting with s can often be found in front of nouns, sometimes after linking verbs.

The list of adjectives here is not meant to be copied verbatim but used as a resource for looking up the definition or meaning of an adjective.

It’s always good to broaden one’s vocabulary, even if it means learning new words that are synonyms or have similar meanings to words already known.

People who are well-read often have a richer vocabulary than people who do not read or learn new words. Reading is an excellent way to expand one’s vocabulary.

I hope you have found this list of adjectives that start with the letter ‘s’ helpful!